Steve's Vintage Color TV Page

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This site features my restored 1954 CT-100 "Merrill" 15" color receiver & my recently restored 1956-57 RCA CTC-5 "Wingate" model Deluxe series 21" color tv. TV Guide® article from 1955 featuring local station color ID logos. THE CT-100 & 15" COLOR SECTION: My CT-100 facts & photos. An original CT-100 newspaper ad. & network color logos from the era. VIEW! My CT-100's off screen pix of NBC's 50th color telecast of 2004 Rose Parade, plus other CT-100 off screen photos. Photos of vintage production & prototype "15 color tv's from the Early Television Foundation, with thanks to host Steve McVoy. 1954 19" COLOR RECEIVERS: A nod to 50's era 19" color receivers. 1956-57 21" COLOR RECEIVERS: THE CTC-5 SECTION: My CTC-5 "Wingate" facts & photos. Plus, the complete CTC-5 model lineup with brochure and operator's manual. A brief history of Color TV's major marketing push in 1956/'57. Network color logos from the '50's. 50's RCA dealer color tv promotional items. 1950's color tv magazine ads, including the rare 22" WESTINGHOUSE COLOR RECEIVER. and other good stuff. Check it out. Questions? Comments: stevetek@webtv.net ©2008 Steve R. Dichter

Early color at local stations.....

Along with NBC and CBS network color telecasts, several local network affliates and at least one independent station, KTLA-TV Los Angeles, originated color programming via slides as seen above or both slides and 16mm color film from their telecine dept. A few even broadcast live color in the 1954/55 period. This was a costly investment considering the miniscule percentage of color receivers in consumer's homes. The graphic is from a 1955 TV Guide® article.

My RCA Victor CT-100 (1954) Stats:

"The Merrill" Chassis: # B8002407 Cabinet: # 917 Picture tube: 15GP22 # LB 3066 Tube count: 37 Weight: 175 lbs.

CT-100 Operating manual, cover

Manual is blue/green with red accents

CT-100 Manual

color & hue instructions

CT-100 Production line, RCA's first consumer color receiver

Testing (my CT-100?) before shipping. RCA Bloomington, Ind. plant . Production begins March 25, 1954. Total production: 5000 (suggested) Probably less.

End of the line......

Completed, 175 lb; CT-100 is removed from the production line and prepared for shipping to distributors. (Photo courtesy: Dave Arland)

Dealer receives RCA CT-100, Apr. 27, 1954

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.

RCA CT-100 Certificate

"World's First Order for RCA Victor Compatible Color Television" as seen in previous photo.

Los Angeles Times CT-100 ad, May 1954

Major L.A. dept. store offers CT-100 for $1000.00

NBC "color" chimes

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.

CT-100 off screen picture

NBC's 50th anniversary color telecast of the Rose Parade as seen on my 1954 RCA CT-100. Parade hosts: Al Roker & Shauna Robinson

CT-100 off screen picture: 2004 Rose Parade

NBC's 50th color telecast. the Rose Queen & her court

CT-100 off screen picture: 2004 Rose Parade

NBC's 50th color telecast featuring one of many floats.

Additional CT-100 off screen pictures

CNN news anchor.

CT-100 off screen pictures

QVC "towels for sale"

Early Television Convention, held annually, at the ETF Museum, Columbus, Oh.

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 online video of the 2008 convention and photos of '08 and previous years conventions check out the Early Television Foundation website: http://www.earlytelevision.org Photo courtesy: Steve Kissinger

First NTSC color sets still dazzle viewers after more then 50 years

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

Westinghouse model H- 840CK color tv ad

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.

Additional 1954 era 15" COLOR RECEIVERS

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. Small viewing screens, very high prices, fussy controls and complex chassis made for poor public response.

50's ERA 19" COLOR RECEIVERS For a brief period in mid-late 1954, several manufacturers, including Motorola, CBS-Columbia, Capehart, Raytheon, Westinghouse & Hoffman produced 19" color receivers. CBS-Columbia and Motorola 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 19" color model 19CT1 $895.00

Motorola produced and marketed, by far, the largest selection of 19" color models in the 1954-55 period. The CBS developed 19VP22 picture tube was employed in all 19" sets.

My RCA CTC-5 "Wingate" Deluxe series set

Model 21CD-7999. Solid Maple cabinet. With original owner's manual and dealer hang tag

CTC-5 "Wingate" doors open

My recently restored "Wingate" 21" full door console. Set features three speaker "panoramic sound."

RCA CTC-5 "Deluxe" operating manual

This is the original instruction booklet for my CTC-5 color set.

RCA CTC-5 "Deluxe" series operating manual

Pages shown: Adjusting the color & hue controls

CTC-5 dealer hang tag

Small hang tag booklet was attached to each new CTC-5. It contained consumer information at a glance for the potential customer.

CTC-5 Dealer hangtag

Closeup of hangtag title page

Mid '50's Color TV, some comments....

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 of new 21" color models for 1957 beginning in mid 1956. The number of models indicated reflects cabinet styles, but does not reflect 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

Some mid 50's color tv's..........

Extremely rare, today. A 1956/57 Westinghouse 22" color receiver. This was the only production set to use a rectangular color picture tube in the 1950's. Shown: model 22K161. From a Dec. '56 ad. A full console model was also offered.

1957 Admiral 21" color receiver, with Admiral designed chassis.

Highly stylized Admiral "Patrician" Lo-Boy console model, $799.00. Admiiral offered 5 color models in various wood finishes.

1956-57 Hoffman "Colorcaster"

Hoffman offered four color models in three wood finishes. The "Commodore" 21" table model shown. With slight modifications, this receiver is based on the RCA Victor CTC-5 Deluxe chassis.

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.

The CTC-5 section continues.......

RCA Victor exhibit

CTC-5 color receivers, and other RCA Victor products displayed at the RCA Exhibition Hall, New York City, 1956-57

Example of RCA Victor's national color tv advertising campaign.

"Aldrich" Special series CTC-5 model color receiver. "Tuning so simple a child can do it." RCA ad emphasizes easy tuning and compatibility.

RCA CTC-5 advertisment

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:

RCA CTC-5 Brochure

Highlights and features of the CTC-5 models. Entry level "Aldrich" Special series shown: $495.00

RCA CTC-5 Brochure

Pictured: The CTC-5 midline Super series models. The "Whitby" Deluxe series lower right.

RCA CTC-5 Brochure

Pictured: The high end Deluxe series models. Top of the line "Wingate" lower right $850.00

NBC Peacock replaces the color chimes

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.

NBC Peacock without text

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

Early CBS color logo

The famous CBS eye logo was given a compatible color pupil in the mid 50's.

CBS color logo

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

CBS color studio (1954)

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.

Dealer promotion items

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.

Dealer promotion item

This NBC "peacock" lighter was a very popular giveaway in the "smokey" '50's

Another "smokey" '50's item

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.

Dealer promotion item

"Peacock" clock. probably not a giveaway, but displayed on dealer's wall.

Earlier dealer clock

Clock promotes RCA 21" Big Color Television. Photo courtesy: Andrew Green collection

RCA dealer promotion item

Poetic color tv coffee mug.

RCA TK-40A color camera

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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