#television sets

[mayanhandballcourt]

Photographer Lewis Ableidinger

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New electronic eye adjusts picture for your eye comfort... automatically. Ad promoting Westinghouse’s brightness control technology - 1953.

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The Gilded Age train set interior

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Washington D.C., 1962 Lee Friedlander (American; b. 1934) Gelatin silver print, printed 1970s Christie’s, New York

Signed, titled, dated, and numbered “1-5” in pencil, and photographer's copyright credit stamp (verso); credited, titled, and dated on affixed typed gallery labels (frame backing board)

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In the first episode of Season 2 of THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY on Netflix, a Dallas appliance salesman (Kevin Rankin) in 1960 is pitching the new SilverTone Omega model Television Set with ColorVision!  He remarks:

“Ha!  Who knew that Lucy’s hair was red?”

The Umbrella Academy is a work of fiction based on a popular comic book, so historical accuracy cannot be relied upon. In early 1960, there were about 500,000 color television sets sold in the United States, most manufactured by RCA. RCA was the parent company of NBC, so the peacock network took the lead in color broadcasting while CBS was hoping to strike out on their own, but lagging behind.

Although it is possible that one of Lucille Ball’s color films was aired on television before mid-1960, it was very rare for films (even color ones) to be aired in color. Ball’s first network prime time appearance in color was on a November 1962 episode of “The Danny Kaye Show” on CBS. Viewers of the program were treated to TWO redheads in glorious color. 

In 1962, her own series for the same network, “The Lucy Show” was filmed and aired in black and white. Starting in season two Ball paid additional fees to have the series shot in color, but even then CBS still declined to air it in color. Lucy wasn’t seen in color on her own television show until September 1965!   So would a TV salesman in 1960 know that Lucille Ball’s hair was red? Possibly, but not likely by watching television! 

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Aloha, Washington, 1963. Lee Friedlander

[mayanhandballcourt]

Photographer Jon Bilous