| Steve's Vintage Color TV Page |
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| Steve's Vintage Color TV Page |
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"The Merrill"
Chassis: # B8002407
Cabinet: # 917
Picture tube: 15GP22 # LB 3066
Tube count: 37
Weight: 175 lbs.
Instructions for operating your new color TV.
How to receive color on your CT-100......
RCA technician Homer Edward Sylvester, kneeling foreground, testing (my CT-100?) before shipping from the RCA Bloomington, Ind. plant. Production begins March 25, 1954. Total production: 5000 (suggested) Probably less. Mr. Sylvester, who passed away in 1993, was identified by family members viewing my site.
Completed, 175 lb; CT-100 is removed from the production line and prepared for shipping to distributors. (Photo courtesy: Dave Arland)
Haig Varian (L) of Don Ray TV in North Hollywood, Ca. receives certificate announcing delivery of 1st CT-100 from RCA distributor rep. D.E. Starkweather of the Leo J. Meyberg Co.
"World's First Order for RCA Victor Compatible Color Television" as seen in previous photo.
Major L.A. dept. store offers CT-100 for $1000.00
A few viewers were lucky enough to view this logo in compatible color as NBC telecast the Rose Parade in color for the 1st time on Jan. 1, 1954. RCA model 5 prototype color receivers were employed at special screenings. (scroll down for Model 5 photo). The CT-100 wouldn't be available for several months.
NBC's 50th anniversary color telecast of the Rose Parade as seen on my 1954 RCA CT-100.
Parade hosts: Al Roker & Shauna Robinson
NBC's 50th color telecast. the Rose Queen & her court
NBC's 50th color telecast featuring one of many floats.
CNN news anchor.
QVC "towels for sale"
Yours Truly, attending the ETF Convention, leaning on an RCA "Model 5" color receiver. Prototype for the CT-100. 200 of this still operating set were produced in 1953 for viewing the 1st network color telecast of the Rose Parade 1-1-54. Also pictured is the 1954 Westinghouse production model H-840CK 15" color set. This example still produces a beautiful color picture (see photo below). For photos of the 2011 and previous years conventions check out the Early Television Foundation website: http://www.earlytelevision.org
Photo courtesy: Steve Kissinger
Production models: RCA Victor CT-100 and Westinghouse H- 840CK (see ad below)
15" receivers. Offered to the public in early 1954. Photo taken at ETF convention shows working models displaying "The Wizard of Oz".
Photo courtesy: Phil Dudley
This full page Life Magazine color ad for Westinghouse appeared early in 1954. While several manufactuers offered color sets (see below), Westinghouse was RCA's only "major" color tv competitor, first offering color sets 2 months prior to RCA's CT-100. Aprox. 500 produced using the RCA 15GP22 picture tube. Sales were nearly non-existent.
Seen above displayed at the ETF: Sparton 16
A211 & General Electric 15CL100 15" color receivers. In addition to those previously mentioned. Several other companies also offered, for sale, in very limited quantities, or produced demonstration prototype color receivers in 1954. Among these were Emerson, CBS-Columbia, Sears, Hoffman, Admiral, Arvin & Motorola. Little color programing, small viewing screens, very high prices, fussy controls and complex chassis made for poor public response.
50's ERA 19" COLOR RECEIVERSFor a brief period in mid-late 1954 and sold well into 1955, several manufacturers, including Motorola, CBS-Columbia, Capehart, Raytheon, Westinghouse & Hoffman produced 19" color receivers. CBS-Columbia, Motorola and Westinghouse models pictured below. These sets provided a larger viewing area and hopefully would satisfy the public demand for large screen color tv. 21" color tubes became available shortly there-after, and would become the industry standard for many years. |
1954 19" CBS-Columbia full door color console.
Retail price in 1954: $1100.00
Motorola produced and marketed, by far, the largest selection of 19" color models in the 1954-55 period. While RCA had a 19" color tube far along in development, the CBS developed 19VP22 picture tube was employed in all 19" sets.
1954-55 Westinghouse 19" color receiver model 890CKU19
Pictured above is a TV Guide® article from Dec. 1955. Along with the NBC and CBS television networks, several local TV broadcasters took the plunge into color. These were generally large, major market, network affliates with at least one local Los Angeles independent station KTLA-TV. Most, at first, color telecast using simple I.D. color slides or a combination of color slide and color film telecasts via a 16mm color film chain from their telecine depts. A very few also provided live color via in studio color cameras and associated control, monitoring and transmitting equipment. No matter which color equipment was used, this was a very expensive investment considering the miniscule percentage of consumer color receivers in their viewing area.
Model 21CD-7999. Solid Maple cabinet.
With original owner's manual and dealer hang tag
My recently restored "Wingate" 21" full door console. Set features three speaker "panoramic sound."
This is the original instruction booklet for my CTC-5 color set.
Pages shown: Adjusting the color & hue controls
Small hang tag booklet was attached to each new CTC-5. It contained consumer information at a glance for the potential customer.
Closeup of hangtag title page
Following the introduction of the 21" picture tube by RCA in late 1954, 19" color receiver production was soon halted. Sales of 21" color tv's was expected to rise dramatically. This did not occur. RCA, with little success, expanded their model line up with the CTC-4 series into mid 1956. Other companies also offered 21" models, some using, under license, the RCA chassis. One last major color tv marketing campaign, was undertaken in mid 1956, mainly by RCA with their 11 model CTC-5 series. Several manufacturers had dropped out of color tv production entirely. Continuing to produce sets, along with RCA*, but with fewer models. Admiral* (5 models), Motorola (2 models), Hoffman* (4 models), Philco (3 models), Sylvania (2 models), General Electric (3 models) and a few others hung in there with limited introduction in mid 1956 of new 21" color models for the 1956/57 model year. The number of models indicated reflects cabinet styles, but does not reflect all available cabinet finishes or UHF optional equipped receivers. Which would increase consumer choice.
This 2 year period was RCA's and other manufacturer's biggest advertising push, to date, to market color sets to the public. By 1958 RCA was by in large the sole remaining manufacturer of color tv's, and would remain so for almost three years. Technically, color receivers were providing better quality pictures, easier tuning and simplified chassis. And even though prices had come down, they were still out of range for the average consumer. A recession in 1958 didn't help. Also fewer & fewer expensive color programs were being produced. And a nagging perception that color sets were still unreliable and hard to operate, kept buyers away. Retailers & discount stores were hard pressed to sell left over models even with heavy discounts. Some still unsold from the 1955 model year. Companies such as Hoffman*, Emerson, Capehart, Admiral*, Philco, Westinghouse* Motorola and RCA* had warehouses filled with unsold color receivers.
In late 1960, other manufacturers re-started production and color tv slowly gained market share.
Let's return to color tv's more optimistic outlook of 1956-57.
*pictured
Extremely rare, today. A 1956/57 Westinghouse 22" color receiver with optional stand. This was the only production set to use a rectangular color picture tube, developed by Westinghouse, in the 1950's. Shown: Table model 22T156 in Limed-Oak. From a Dec. '56 ad. In 2009 two of this model surfaced. One of these sets has been fully restored. See below.
Westinghouse 22" rectangular screen color set was restored for a private collector by vintage TV collector/restorer Steve Kissinger in late 2009.
Highly stylized Admiral "Patrician" Lo-Boy console model, $799.00. Admiiral offered 5 color models in various wood finishes.
This special Color Television issue was published by Radio & Television News in 1957. Note the many companies manufacturing color sets. As mentioned above, it was short lived.
CTC-5 color receivers, and other RCA Victor products displayed at the RCA Exhibition Hall, New York City, 1956-57
"Aldrich" Special series CTC-5 model color receiver. "Tuning so simple a child can do it." RCA ad emphasizes easy tuning and compatibility.
Glamorous ad from July 1956 introduces the full line of CTC-5's. This was the start of RCA Victor's vigorous and expensive sales campagn to sell color tv to the public. Sales never met expections. eleven models, two chassis, in three series. Priced from $495 to $895.00. in a variety of wood types and finishes as described in the following panels:
Highlights and features of the CTC-5 models.
Entry level "Aldrich" Special series shown: $495.00
Pictured: The CTC-5 midline Super series models. The "Whitby" Deluxe series lower right.
Pictured: The high end Deluxe series models.
Top of the line "Wingate" lower right $850.00
This still image peacock premiered in Sept. 1956, and was NBC's first use of the logo. RCA was NBC's parent company at the time.
Your new RCA CTC-5, or other very expensive color receiver, would have also displayed this dazzling still image at the start of NBC's color telecasts. In 1956 that was eye popping. An animated peacock would appear in 1957. To view a history of the NBC Peacock go to: http://www.Big13.net/NBC%20Peacock/NBCPeacock1.htm
The famous CBS eye logo was given a compatible color pupil in the mid 50's.
CBS telecast this updated "bloodshot" eye logo for their late 50's and early 60's color broadcasts. As CBS went to a full color schedule in the mid '60's, an animated CBS color logo preceded color broadcasts. Limited ABC color broadcasts began in 1962.
Logo courtesy: Ed Reitan
Yet another CBS color logo can be seen on an RCA TK-40 color camera. The white lettering says "CBS Television Color." These logos were used only on the cameras.
In the 50's many RCA dealers offered givaways to perspective color tv buyers. This "Peter Pan" coloring book kept kids busy while parents pondered purchase.
This NBC "peacock" lighter was a very popular giveaway in the "smokey" '50's
Local RCA Victor dealer promotion. "Big Color TV" ashtray. A Skokie resident pointed out that the "Oacton" St, address should be "Oakton" St. Someone goofed.
"Peacock" clock. probably not a giveaway, but displayed on dealer's wall.
Clock promotes RCA 21" Big Color Television.
Photo courtesy: Andrew Green collection
Poetic color tv coffee mug.
NBC Radio City souvenir pennant. 1954-56.
And finally...Your's truly behind this 1954 technical marvel. This example was originally used by CBS-TV for their live color telecasts from Hollywood's TV City studios. Both NBC and CBS utilized these cameras. I used to heft these weighty beasts early in my broadcast career at KTLA-TV in Los Angeles. Photo taken at a fellow collectors home.
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