Early color articles in Chicago Tribune
 

Chicago Tribune Jan 2, 1954 (Pasadena, Jan 1) - "A few thousand around the country saw the parade on color television..." - "first west coast origination"

Chicago Tribune Jan 2, 1954, Larry Wolters (TV critic): Rose parade showings played to overflow audiences; police called to handle crowds; Associated Press: 750 color sets in public, audience 350,000. Tribune watched showings arranged by Zenith at Drake Hotel and RCA at Knickerbocker (latter had 3000 viewers, mostly gate crashers). "Colors were no match for...studios"; "lacked fidelity" "Reds shifted to burgundy or violet and pavement sometimes appeared green." "Reception on Zenith superior to RCA."
Carl J. Meyers, Director of Engineering at WGN...on a Zenith receiver in the WGN building...said set performed excellently, but added of the pickup that "'a lot is yet to be done before color telecasting is satisfactory.'" - Reception good at Sentinel plant in Evanston. 4000 viewers of two GE sets at Oak Park Federal Savings.

In Chicago Tribune column Jan 16, 1954, (New York Jan 15), Ed Sullivan says tremendous lighting for color TV hides wrinkles and bags under eyes. Makeup men report that it's best to avoid uniform makeup color. Frank Folsom (NBC) and Frank Stanton(CBS) believe color will be commercially practical in 18 months to two years. Biggest breakthrough will be color tape, expected in two years, which will reduce costs 80 to 95 percent.

Chicago Tribune April 3, 1954 says Westinghouse will put its $1100 color TV on the market the following Monday; immediate delivery and installation available from 23 retail stores.

The Chicago Tribune on Jun 1, 1954 reported that Stromberg-Carlson had produced the first one of a production run of 50 color sets, retail price $995.

Jun 4, 1954 - Larry Wolters, Chicago Tribune TV critic, writes column calling out color variations, says they are worse in downtown high rise than at location a few miles out.




I get access to Tribune archives as part of my digital subscription; would love to post early color articles, but they are still copyrighted, so I will paraphrase a few from time to time.

Jun 23, 1954, Chicago Tribune: remote colorcast had some very good color but still some annoying variations.

Jun 27, 1954, Chicago Tribune:
On Wednesday, the $500,000 NBC color remote caravan that was used for the Rose parade was used to do a remote segment for the Today show in color from a dairy farm in Cloverdale, IL, 26 miles west of downtown Chicago, (1.8 miles from the nearest transcontinental microwave tower). One camera was on a fixed platform, one on rails to dolly a short distance, and one mounted in a jeep, which was said to be the first use of a color camera in motion on a vehicle. The Jeep could pull the cable to extend it, but 6 strong men were needed to reel that cable back in when the Jeep moved toward the remote truck. The remote truck used a microwave dish to relay to the nearest tower; then by microwave to New York; then back to national network and broadcast in Chicago. Black and white reception on the farm family's 21 inch set looked perfect.

Thank you for posting those notes. 750 sets viewed on January 1... I forot how many of the RCA Model 5 sets were made, but 750 of several brands (you mentioned three in the 1/1-2 articles) is a lot compared to what we have heard were built or sold to the public starting a few months later.

750 sets was an Associated Press "estimate" - no idea how accurate.

Chicago Tribune July 4 1954 - Barney Balaban, head of Paramount, predicts $500 color TVs with 21 inch and 24 inch Chromatron tubes in 1955.

What's with the myopic insistence that the only set that existed at the time was the Model 5? The article makes direct reference to Zenith and GE sets. There were prototypes made by other manufacturers as well, likely most of which that existed at the time would have been pressed into service for that broadcast.

I hope you were not referring to my comment as "myopic", especially because my intent was the opposite... 750 sets (or anything near that) would be multiple times the number of Model 5s built, which was not more than 200, I thought. That implies hundreds of others maybe, depending on how far off the AP estimate was.

Compared to, say, 5000 CT-100s, 500 H840CK15s, and no more than 100 each of anything else (if that even) sold later, anything near 750 is a LOT of prototypes made available for public viewing.

Chicago Tribune, Aug 11, 1954:
RCA cutting price of 15 inch color sets to $495. Customers who paid $1000 will get $505 refund from store. Store will get some rebate from distributors. RCA expects to clear out inventory of 15 inch sets (about 5000 were built) before introduction of 21-inch sets.

[edit - I rechecked - article says stores will get "some rebate," not "same rebate."]

I agree, 750 sets seem WAY too many for January 1 1954. I would think 250 would be a much more likely upper limit estimate.

As previously reported, I interviewed a guy in 2004 who was present at the Philco plant in Philadelphia where they showed the 1954 Rose Bowl parade on Philco's 15-in. 15GP22-based prototype set.

It has also been reported that Zenith sent proto sets and technical personnel to California to display the first color Rose Bowl parade there.

Pete

And here is that Philco prototype 15" set. This set was restore by Chuck Azzalina, and now proudly resides in my back bedroom. The tags date it to December 1953. It has a Sylvaina version of the 15GP22, possibly the only one known to exist.
Possibly this set saw the Rose Bool paraded.

Should we be complaining that someone took a nice porthole set and installed one of those new-fangled color chassis? :D

Chicago Tribune, Dec 11 1953:

Scott Radio Laboratories, Inc, Chicago, ready to start color TV production.

14-inch tricolor tube with 12 inch picture, using the compatible color system.
$1,485 retail, f.o.b. the factory in Plymouth IN.
Production awaiting FCC approval of the system.
---
Anybody ever hear of Scott producing a set?

Chicago Tribune December 12 1953

A color TV with a black and white tube was demonstrated by Muntz, local TV manufacturer. Will sell for $499, can be converted to color by replacing 27 inch mono tube with $75-$100 18-inch Lawrence Chromatron tube when it becomes available. Set has 24 small tubes, draws 300 watts.

Muntz, ever the optimist!

I wonder if they really built a TV with full color circuits but everything blended back into a B&W CRT. 24 tubes, it sure sounds like they did. That is enough for three regular Muntz sets. :)