For decades, radios were pieces of furniture.  Indeed, we used to have a Philco 38-R, a giant upright thing with a glowing dial, a huge speaker, and great, mellow sound.  Sadly, it just took up too much space and we sold it to a loving home.  Its immediate replacement was this lovely thing, which I got brand new. 

I couldn't resist the burgundy finish nor the portability.  By the mid-50s, vacuum tubes, the sine qua non of all electronics, had gotten small enough that radios could be made that weighed well under ten pounds.  This particular radio doesn't take batteries, so you have to plug it in.  But its light weight and small volume ensures you can install it anywhere with ease.  It only covers the AM band, FM stations having been scarce before the 1960s. 

Of course, being tube-driven, it takes several seconds to warm up before it produces sound, but once it does, the quality is good, and there is a tone knob to adjust treble to bass.

These days, now that I have newer, transistor-based tuners like my Model 20, the Zenith doesn't see as much use, but it's just too pretty to get rid of. 

Here are its innards, by the way.  Rather a marvel of space economy!

And here's the departed Philco with a very Young Traveler modeling next to it: