Telsen Electric Co.
207 Aston Road, Birmingham. (1924 – 1926)

Telsen Electric Co. Ltd.
207 Aston Road, Birmingham. (1926 – 1929)
56 Miller Street, Birmingham (1929 - 1930)
Corner of Philips Street and Thomas Street (1930 – 1934)

Telsen Electric Co.(1935) Ltd.
Fitzgeorge Street, Rochdale Road,  Manchester 9. (1935)

The company produced wireless broadcast receivers, components, and construction kits, and cabinets.

They provided blueprints for the construction of their kitset receivers and around 1933/4 produced a radio magazine The Telsen Radiomag of which only 6 editions are known. [1]

The company traded until the late 1940s.

The company was formed by Mr. A. W. Macnamara at 207 Aston Road, Birmingham, in 1924.

In September 1926 Macnamara’s company was registered as a private company, Telsen Electric Co. Ltd. [2]

In 1929 they moved to 56 Miller Street and shortly after moved to their new factory Aston Building, at the corner of Philips Street and Thomas Street.

1n 1930 Macnamara believed the greatest proportion of the current market for radio receivers lies among working-class people who can only be reached by a very keen price appeal and formed Red Star radio with a big marketing campaign to manufacture using Telsen parts and distribute two low-priced radio receivers. Red Star was short-lived and by 1932 had closed and Macnamara concentrated on Telsen.

The company went public in 1932, as a manufacturer of wireless broadcast receivers, components, and construction kits. They had a cabinet-making department turning out polished furniture into which wireless receivers were built, mainly from their own components. They were also buying Bakelite cases from Edwin Elliot in Birmingham.

They produced every component one might require for the building of a wireless receiver at home, including the blueprint layouts to encourage tidy construction of receivers to the Telsen designs. The components were listed in a catalogue, which later became incorporated into the Telsen Radiomag. [1]

This magazine, published in Birmingham by James Cond Publishers, was produced around 1933 or 1934 and ran for six issues of volume one. The size of the magazine increased to A4 size after issue two, as did the price, which was 3d for issue two and 6d for issue three but fell back to 3d for issues five and six. Blueprints were supplied with the larger format magazine as loose sheets. There are no dates on the magazine covers, and it appears that the publication was irregular.

By December 1934 they had insufficient assets to pay their creditors and the company was liquidated. [3]

Also in 1934, Macnamara retired due to poor health.

1935 Telsen was bought by David Rosenfield and the business was moved to Manchester where they continued producing radio receivers, test equipment, and components.[4]

On their stand at the September 1937 Radioolympia exhibition, they displayed:

STAND No. 90.

There are 36 new lines to be seen on this stand, and they range from small components to complete apparatus. There are valve testers, meters, signal generators, capacity analyser, microphones, transformers, and other items, in addition to Universal receivers of the miniature semi-portable type.[5]

In 1947 they were a Listed Exhibitor at the British Industries Fair as manufacturers of radio components. (Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. C.1537) [6]

Today, the Aston factory, now The Telsen Centre, has been converted by Midlands Industrial Association Ltd, a registered friendly society to provide Managed Workspace for New Start and small business SME's and managed and let by Prince Warnes Properties [7]

[1] Telsen Radio Mag Vol. No 1. Cover.
[2] Electrical Review Sep 17, 1926, Page 471.
[3] Register of Defunct & Other Companies, 1975, Page 488.
[4] Wireless World Nov 8, 1935, Page A22.
[5] Practical & Amateur Wireless Sep 4, 1937, Page 626
[6] Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History, accessed July 2023.
[7] Wikipedia, accessed July 2023