(also referred to as Mohawk Electric Corporation, All American Radio Limited, All American Mohawk Corporation. – needs links).
Mohawk Radio Limited was the Canadian subsidiary of the American company Mohawk Corporation of Illinois (MCI), later the All American Mohawk Corporation (AAM), and was located in Toronto, ON.
Company History
The Mohawk Electric Corporation (MEC) was founded in Chicago in 1920 and changed its name to the Mohawk Corporation of Illinois (MCI) in 1924. This same year it started doing business in Canada as Mohawk Radio Limited (MRL).
The All American Mohawk Corporation (AAM) was formed in the US in 1928 from the merger of MCI with one of its component suppliers, the All American Company (AAC). All American brought the ‘Lyric’ name to the partnership, and Mohawk supplied the engineering talent and distribution network. Within less than a year, the new venture was taken over by the Wurlitzer corporation who made their cabinets in the US and was one of AAM’s largest dealers. Cabinets in Canada were made by Thomas, in Woodstock, ON. During this time, the Lyric brand came to Canada.
MRL grew through the 1930’s in their factory at 436-438 Wellington Street W., Toronto. They were acquired by Addison Industries in about 1942.
Brands
‘Lyric’ was Mohawk’s flagship brand, although it is not clear how many Lyric models were made in Canada and how many were imported for sale. (edit). For example, Model S7 with the new ‘screen grid’ was introduced in 1931 and labeled ‘Made in Canada’. The Model S6 was manufactured in Toronto.
Mohawk made ‘Mohawk’ brand sets for themselves, and other brand names for various distributors. The Model 100 was sold by Otto Higel Co. Ltd. in Toronto. The Model 90 was a 25 cycle, 10 tube set with triodes. (edit).
References
Radios of Canada, Lloyd Swackhammer, 2002, ISBN 0-9732347-0-9
Radio Manufacturers of the 1920’s, Alan Douglas, 1988, ISBN 1-886606-02-1
Radiomuseum.org