Philco 38-12

While attempting the tireless feat of packing up the house, I came across an old radio in the closet. It had been given to me to use as a prop in a play that I had directed while teaching in school. I was about to throw it out- I'm a big believer that a move is an excellent opportunity to trim the fat- when I decided to plug it in for the heck of it. The thing worked! You could hear the hum of the tuner and see the orange glow of the vacuum tubes. Even the little bulb that lit up the dial turned on.

I did some research on the internet and discovered that it was built in 1938. It boggles my mind how something that old can still work. It doesn't look like anything major has been replaced, other than the speaker. The case is made out of wood and was nailed together with tiny tacks. I'm hoping to restore it. I think maybe I've found a new hobby.

It's weird to think that you own something that someone might have used to tune in WWII news updates. I told my dad about it, and he said that they used to have little machines at the corner drugstore where you could test your vacuum tubes. He also told me that if it were that old, it would have to be an AM-only radio, since FM had yet to be used.

Does anyone know how vacuum tubes work? My best guess is magic, but then again, I'm an English major.