| Hans Gugelot
1956
"Phonosuper SK 4" combined radio and record player
Wood (elm); metal; plexiglass
29 x 58 x 24.4 cm
Manufacturer: Braun AG, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
What was referred to as "Snow White's coffin" became a legend in both German and international design history. The "SK 4" revolutionized the front-operated combined radios and phonograms, which had been in use since the 1930s. The record player and radio controls were now positioned on top and covered by a plexiglass lid: these were the beginnings of a device that has had a profound influence even on today's compact hi-fi systems.
At the same time the "Phonosuper" was an early example of the cooperation between the Offenbach Academy of Design, which was founded in 1953, and Braun. As such it was one of the first in the "Braun range", which was to become the epitome of the functional aesthetics of German design in the second half of the 20th century.
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