Admiral

Admiral Corporation, a notable U.S. manufacturer known for radios, televisions, and audio products including turntables, traces its origins back to the early 20th century. The company was founded by Ross David Siragusa, who initially operated a business called Transformer Corp. of America in 1924, specializing in battery chargers for radios. However, the Great Depression forced Siragusa’s original company to close by 1929.

Undeterred, Siragusa sold his automobile and household furnishings to raise capital and in 1934 established the Continental Radio and Television Corporation in Chicago, which marketed products under the brand name Admiral. The company quickly grew, fueled by contracts for military electronics during World War II. After the war, Admiral expanded into consumer electronics, becoming a pioneering manufacturer of radios, phonographs, record changers, and notably, televisions-being among the first to produce color TV sets.

By the early 1950s, Admiral had become one of the top three television manufacturers in the U.S., with sales reaching millions of units annually. Alongside its televisions, Admiral produced turntables and related audio equipment as part of its broader consumer electronics portfolio. The brand was known for offering affordable, reliable products that reached a wide audience during the post-war boom.

Despite strong growth through the 1940s and 1950s, Admiral faced increasing challenges in the 1960s and 1970s from rising costs and competition, especially from Japanese imports. The company diversified into home appliances but eventually was acquired by Rockwell International in 1973, which later exited the television and audio business.

In summary, Admiral’s origins lie in the entrepreneurial vision of Ross Siragusa during the Depression era, growing from radios and phonographs into a major American electronics brand that included turntables as part of its extensive product range. The company’s history reflects the broader trajectory of mid-century American consumer electronics manufacturing, marked by innovation, wartime production, postwar prosperity, and later global competition.