Newark Electric Company’s 1959 mail order catalog of Industrial Electronics, High Fidelity, Radio, TV, and Amateur Equipment.
Newark Electric Company, originally founded in 1934 in Chicago, started as a small shop selling radio parts. Over time, it grew into a major distributor of electronic components, publishing its first catalog in 1948. By the 1960s, its catalogs had become widely recognized in the industry, sometimes referred to as "the bible of the industry."
In 1968, Newark was acquired by Premier Industrial Corporation, which helped expand its reach in the electronics distribution business. Today, Newark operates as part of Avnet, one of the largest global electronics distributors.
At a hefty 384 pages, the 1959 catalog is a snapshot of Newark’s golden era in mail-order electronics, when it was a key player in supplying components for industrial electronics, high-fidelity audio, radio, TV, and amateur equipment. It was still the era of the vacuum tube, and it’s mind blowing to see just how much technology, design, and even language have evolved since then. It’s a whole new world!
[Note: Lesson learned by Newark Electronics and other survivors: "Can't fight the future. Adapt or die!"]
Newark Electric Company’s 1959 mail order catalog of Industrial Electronics, High Fidelity, Radio, TV, and Amateur Equipment.
Newark Electric Company, originally founded in 1934 in Chicago, started as a small shop selling radio parts. Over time, it grew into a major distributor of electronic components, publishing its first catalog in 1948. By the 1960s, its catalogs had become widely recognized in the industry, sometimes referred to as "the bible of the industry."
In 1968, Newark was acquired by Premier Industrial Corporation, which helped expand its reach in the electronics distribution business. Today, Newark operates as part of Avnet, one of the largest global electronics distributors.
At a hefty 384 pages, the 1959 catalog is a snapshot of Newark’s golden era in mail-order electronics, when it was a key player in supplying components for industrial electronics, high-fidelity audio, radio, TV, and amateur equipment. It was still the era of the vacuum tube, and it’s mind blowing to see just how much technology, design, and even language have evolved since then. It’s a whole new world!
[Note: Lesson learned by Newark Electronics and other survivors: "Can't fight the future. Adapt or die!"]