It was back in 1895 when Arthur Atwater Kent founded the Kent Electric Manufacturing Co. in the “garage” of his father’s machine shop. There, he designed, produced, and sold small electric motors and fans. A resourceful and entrepreneurial spirit, Kent had already earned 25 U.S. patents by 1919 (eventually amassing a total of 93).
In 1921, he turned his focus to radios and began selling them under the name Atwater Kent in 1922. This marked his ascent to becoming a leading American radio manufacturer. The production figures were staggering: between 1923 and 1927, over 1.3 million radio receivers were made!
However, by 1936, Kent, exhausted from battling cheap competition and labor unions, decided to close the factory. Having amassed great wealth, he moved to Hollywood, where he enjoyed life among the stars of the film industry. He passed away in 1949.
The 1931 Model 90 stands as a beautiful "cathedral" design, a striking example of the architectural style that became synonymous with Atwater Kent radios.