History
The story begins in Washington, DC in the early 1900's. My grandfather, William E. Tayman (left, behind the counter), started a business called Tayman Electrical, wiring homes for electricity and selling electrical appliances. When radio became popular he began offering sets by Atwater Kent, Silver Marshall, and Crosley. This photo (with some coloring added by magic of computer) was taken around 1924. At the time the Tayman Family was well-known in Washington -- we owned a farm in Anacostia, built and managed an apartment building downtown, and of course operated the radio store (which was located on Pennsylvania Avenue, near the bridge which at the time was wood, in an area they called "The flats." Today this spot is an interchange with the Anacostia Freeway). William was also a machinist for the B&O Railroad, and later for the Washington Navy Yard. He invented a number of small items, and was awarded a patent for a railroad luggage cart that would apply its brakes automatically if the handle was released.
With this much exposure, and remembering that Washington, DC was a much smaller city then, it's no surprise that the family was well-known among government officials, local media, and other celebrities of the period.
The radio store eventually closed, but obviously that's not the end of the story. After skipping a generation, and with most of the family having migrated to Florida, I revived the business under the original name. The inspiration for this came in the form of a 1964 Thunderbird that I bought as a project car. As I repaired the radio, I decided to offer this service to others, to help finance restoration parts for this car. A short time later I was introduced to AAR's Stereo Conversions, then to other vintage car products.
I have also been at the "other end" of the radio business, albeit to a limited degree. I have helped produce two church-affiliated radio programs for WKZM FM in Sarasota, one of them live. I also occasionally deejay for certain car shows in the Tampa Bay area.