This room was undoubtedly designed by George Radka to be the home’s master bedroom.  However, the Bradley’s reportedly used the room as a sitting room, because it was lit in the evening by the setting sun.  The Bradley’s were fond of retiring to the room after dinner to read and listen to the radio.  Note that there is a buzzer button in the wall just to the right of the windows.  The buzzer would have been used to summon the maid.

Our Music Room is arranged as a typical parlor from the Victorian or Edwardian periods in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Today, we would call such a room a “family room.”

In the center of the room is round table with carved cabriole legs that were popular during the Victorian period.  The table is set with water service, with the drinking glasses topped with decorative and hygienic covers.  Also on the table is another of the museum’s fine collection of stereopticon viewers, along with a small assortment of Keystone stereo slides.  On the right of the table is a photograph of George Radka, the young contractor who designed and built this house.

The suite of furniture in front of the windows is in the Eastlake style that was popular in the 1870s to 1890s.  Eastlake was an English architect and designer who developed the style with its rectangular forms and geometric patterns.

On the wall to the left of the door are large, framed photographs of Fredrick and Wilheminia Bertram.  Fredrick Bertram arrived in Rogers City from Germany in 1875.  He was a lumberman and merchant.

On the wall just to the right of the door is a cherry music cabinet that was loaned to the museum by Frederick D’Vincent.  The D’Vincent’s were early settlers in the area, and Mr. D’Vincent’s father, Vincent D’Vincent, is often credited as having founded the village of Posen.  On top of the music cabinet is a domed radio, typical of one that might have been used by the Bradley’s.  During the period that the Bradley’s lived here, listening to radio broadcasts from powerful “clear channel” radio stations in Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Boston.  It was the only way they had to stay in touch with what was happening elsewhere.  When Michigan Limestone began building homes for company employees in 1916, Bradley made sure that all the homes were equipped with tall radio antennas on their roofs.

In the chair next to the music cabinet is a rare “Markophone.”

On the right wall at the back of the room is a photo of William Rice, another early resident.  Rice was an attorney, and purchased a large two-story building at the corner of Second Street and Michigan Avenue for use as a home and office.  That building is still in use today, and one of the oldest structures in Rogers City.

The pedal organ on the right wall was a present to Emma Schmekel in 1901 on the occasion of her confirmation and 12^th birthday.  The organ was used for many years at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

The wicker “Go Fast” baby stroller was purchased in Detroit in 1892 by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Meyer.  It was used for each of their nine children. 

In front of the rocker to the left of the doorway is a spinning wheel.  Spinning wheels like this were used to spin sheep’s wool into yarn that could then be used to knit sweaters, shawls, scarves, mittens, hats, and the like.

This room has been described as “fussy and cluttered,” just the way parlors would have been decorated during the Victorian era.