Lafayette Radio Electronics Corporation was an American radio and electronics manufacturer and retailer from approximately 1931 to 1981, headquartered in Syosset, New York, a Long Island suburb of New York City. The company sold radio sets, Amateur radio (Ham) equipment, citizens band (CB) radios and related communications equipment, electronic components, microphones, public address systems, and tools through their company owned and branded chain of retail outlets and by mail-order.

History

thumb|right|Lafayette Radio Electronics, [[QSL card for use by headquarters staff amateur radio operators.]]

"Wholesale Radio Service" was established in the early 1920s by Abraham Pletman in New York City. Radios sold by the company were trademarked “Lafayette” in July 1931. Following a Federal Trade Commission action in 1935, Wholesale Radio Service became "Radio Wire Television, Inc.". A 1939 company catalog bore the names Radio Wire Television Co. Inc. and "Lafayette Radio Corporation". In 1948, the company issued a catalog under the name “Lafayette-Concord” and called itself the “world’s largest radio supply organization”. In 1952, a catalog was issued using only the Lafayette name.

In 1981, Lafayette Radio entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy and sold its New York area stores to Circuit City.

As of 2003, the Lafayette brand name was re-launched at the CES show that year. The company's products are offered only through special dealers and limited retail stores.

Products

Lafayette's products ranged from individual resistors, capacitors, and components to stereos and two-way radios for amateur radio, CBers, and shortwave listeners. Many were dedicated types with special functions, such as VHF receivers for police and fire channels built into a CB radio. The company's best selling products were often shortwave receivers, parts, and portable radios. In the 1960s, many Lafayette brand radios were rebranded Trio-Kenwood sets. A significant share of 1960s and 1970s vintage Lafayette hi-fi gear was manufactured by a Japanese subcontractor named "Planet Research". "Criterion" brand speakers were built by several offshore and some domestic assemblers. Science kits were popular, and Lafayette offered the "Novatron", a "Miniature Atom Smasher" (van de Graaff generator), Model F-371. along with an array of gimmicks, supplies, and accessories. However the lack of a single industry standard (Columbia SQ vs. JVC's CD-4 and Sansui's QS) dampened sales, and the experiment ended in 1976.

Lafayette also sold a variety of electronic musical equipment made by different manufacturers. There were solid-body and hollow-body electric guitars, probably made by Teisco or Harmony. Microphones, amplifiers, and various electronic effects such as reverbs were available, many of which sported the Lafayette brand name, most notably the Echo Verb and Echo Verb II.

<gallery widths=158 heights=158>

File:Lafayette-LT-725A-stereo-tuner.jpg|Lafayette LT-725A solid state stereo tuner

File:HA-700.png|Lafayette HA-700 vacuum tube shortwave radio receiver

File:Lafayette Solid State Fuzz Sound.jpg|Lafayette solid state fuzz sound guitar pedal

File:Vintage Lafayette Transistor Radio, Model FS-206, AM Band, 6 Transistors, Made In Japan, Circa 1960 (48577396056).jpg|Lafayette Model FS-206 Transistor radio

File:Vintage Lafayette 20-In-1 Electronic Project Kit, Stock No. 99-35214, Lafayette Radio Electronics Corporation (LRE), Made In Japan, Instruction Booklet Copyright 1970 (37284927025).jpg|Lafayette 20-In-1 Electronic Project Kit

File:Lafaytte sales slip (bicentenial).jpg|Bicentennial sales slip

File:Lafayette Radio Electronics Vectorlog slide rule, model F-686 (1962).jpg|Lafayette VECTØRLOG slide rule (1962), model F-686, 12", made in Japan

File:1968 to 1971 Lafayette HB 23 citizen band transceiver made in Japan.jpg|Lafayette HB-23 citizen band transceiver (1968-1971)

</gallery>

See also

  • Allied Electronics
  • Heathkit
  • Radio Shack

References