Post by Steve on Oct 6, 2018 23:48:52 GMT 12
According the JWS, Bellbird was manufactured by W. Marks Ltd (the forerunner of Radio Corp of NZ)... but there is no more information other than that... until I came across this photo on Te Papa's collections website:
I take it the museum holds this set in their collection - although I haven't yet contacted them about it. Its intriguing because the Billings Radio Construction Company is not W. Marks... but the address on the badge is Cornhill St, which is the original location of W. Marks Ltd before the move to Courtenay Place... coincidence? Billings Radio Construction Company started advertising in 1937 and they were based in Cornhill St at that time, but by 1941 they had moved to Edward St.
I know there was a company called Preston B Billing Ltd, also in Wellington (Preston Billing Ltd started in January 1928, in June 1929 it appears this business went into liquidation... then another company Preston Billing Co appeared to be advertising within a month of that notice... operating from the top floor of 68 Willis St. That company then changed to Preston B Billing Ltd in December 1932)... was this a later incarnation of Billings Radio Construction Co? Or was the construction co just the manufacturing business of Preston Billing? JWS noted one brand for Preston Billing - Franklin, and they were advertising Radion, Ultimate and Luxor in the mid 30's
Also interesting, there is a record of a fire in a building in Willis St in July 1933 which contained, among other businesses, Preston B Billing Radio Company and Radio Construction Ltd.
I'd love to find out more if anyone knows?
Cheers
Steve
I take it the museum holds this set in their collection - although I haven't yet contacted them about it. Its intriguing because the Billings Radio Construction Company is not W. Marks... but the address on the badge is Cornhill St, which is the original location of W. Marks Ltd before the move to Courtenay Place... coincidence? Billings Radio Construction Company started advertising in 1937 and they were based in Cornhill St at that time, but by 1941 they had moved to Edward St.
I know there was a company called Preston B Billing Ltd, also in Wellington (Preston Billing Ltd started in January 1928, in June 1929 it appears this business went into liquidation... then another company Preston Billing Co appeared to be advertising within a month of that notice... operating from the top floor of 68 Willis St. That company then changed to Preston B Billing Ltd in December 1932)... was this a later incarnation of Billings Radio Construction Co? Or was the construction co just the manufacturing business of Preston Billing? JWS noted one brand for Preston Billing - Franklin, and they were advertising Radion, Ultimate and Luxor in the mid 30's
Also interesting, there is a record of a fire in a building in Willis St in July 1933 which contained, among other businesses, Preston B Billing Radio Company and Radio Construction Ltd.
I'd love to find out more if anyone knows?
Cheers
Steve