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East Galleries, 217
Panda radio, model 601 熊貓牌收音機，601型
1956
The Panda radio, model 601, has a black Bakelite body with gently rounded corners. Its face is framed in cream-coloured Bakelite, and its speakers are concealed under a gold-coloured woven textile. Two knobs on either side of a horizontal dial allow for tuning. Bakelite, which was developed in the United States in the early twentieth century, was the first synthetic plastic. It is a smooth material that can be quickly and easily moulded, making it ideal for the mass production of domestic goods and consumer products like radios. During the Cultural Revolution in China, ownership of a radio, a sewing machine, a bicycle, and a wristwatch—the ‘four big things’—was considered a necessity of modern life. The Panda radio was ubiquitous in China in the 1950s and 1960s, and with this design, its producer, the Nanjing Radio Broadcasting Factory, became the first Chinese electronics company to register an international trademark. Panda radio, model 601, was designed for export to Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, and South America.
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