Pic of Crowd Waiting to see '54 Rose Parade Colorcast
 

Not sure if this article/pic was posted earlier, but an interesting glimpse into the rave reception color TV received in Milwaukee that New Year's Day in 1954.

http://www.jsonline.com/greensheet/l...305919401.html

Apparently they weren't quite as prepared for the crowds as in Omaha (ala Ed Reitan's account)

That's interesting. Humans seem to love lining up for new ways to spend money.

I've been wondering what the price differences were like for color vs. B&W. If someone in the 60's were shopping console TV's what would make them decide on a B&W vs. color?

Thanks for posting this Tornadoman! As a lifelong resident of Milwaukee, and owner of an opperational CT100 who was 7 years old when this happened in 1954, I am going to print this and frame it and set it on top of my CT100. I live about 10 blocks from the Chanel 4 studios on Capitol Drive.
Attached is an ariel view of the chanel 4 studios located at 720 E. Capitol Drive in Milwaukee from Google earth.

WTMJ has played a very important roll in the progress of television. I would say it equivelant to the roll that WGN has played in the Chicago area. The following link will take you back to an archive of web pages that were on the WTMJ web site in their 50 anniversary. I think you will find the many photos and information very interesting and informative.

http://web.archive.org/web/200001181...www/index2.htm

as a small child,saw this kind of thing daily.a television in the window would draw quite a crowd.especially if there was a color broadcast.i kind of miss those days

Great thread - thanks, guys!

The earliest color TVs were expensive. An RCA CT-100 sold for $1000 when you could buy a new 1954 Chevy Bel Air for $1095.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

I can remember when Black & White storefront displays drew sidewalk audiences.

Look at the new cars and prosperous well dressed post-war consumers ready to spend!

Same address looks "slightly" different on the Google Maps street view today :(

like Newark/Camden[RCA] NJ today
Another thing in common with NJ is world's highest property taxes,
which are transferred to welfare (minus handling charges ;))

I was born and raised in Milwaukee and lived their 33 years. My career moved me to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1980.

You might find this link on my website interesting. It has information about early television and Milwaukee's role in it. http://www.visions4.net/journal/vintage-rca-color-tv/ We have information about the early television studios at WTMJ, etc.

I lived in Milwaukee for not quite, 57 years. I still live in Wisconsin, 45 miles north of Milwaukee, A small town, with a crime rate of less than one-tenth of 1%.
The store in the article, American Appliance was owned by Carl Dulberger. In the ads, he was referred to as "King Carl" king of high trades.
A buddy and I went there to buy some trade-in sets. The prices quoted were rediculous. $20 to $25 for old small screen consoles, etc.
We went there, three years later, the same junk was there, at the same prices. :thumbsdn:

Did that have any connection to King Appliances that was on SE Cnr of 20th & Fond du lac until ~1983?

They called it "King Stores".
It's hard to say, about the connection, if any. The owners were the same Faith. :D

The color receiver on display was the RCA Victor Model 5 prototype receiver.
This was the last color prototype before the introduction of the RCA CT-100 consumer color set introduced in March, 1954. The 2nd Model 5 in Milwaukee that day was located at the WTMJ studios. Model 5 pictured on left. CT-100 on the right.

-SteveD.

Steve,

The previous day on December 31, 1953, the Milwaukee Journal reported that there were at least nine RCA prototype sets in Milwaukee for the Rose Parade color telecast. Four private showings and the one public showing at American Appliance & TV.

Thanks for the Milwaukee Journal article update on the RCA and other manufacturer's prototype color sets in use that day.

-Steve D.

1954 Rose Bowl
 

Can you provide a link to that article from 12/31/53 ?

After re-reading the article, it appears that 6 or 7 were RCA prototypes and possibly 1 Admiral and 1 Philco, but all using the same 15 inch RCA CRT.

You bet. http://www.visions4.net/journal/vintage-rca-color-tv/

Just scroll down a bit.

Ouch. Not for low bandwidth users! A 43.3 MB page?? One image is 28MB alone....
My browser gave me a warning, and timed out loading 3 images, apparently off-site.

Good info though...

The BK free WiFi here handled it pretty well at 54 Mbps, though.

e-type2,

We have communicated privately several times. I just finished reading your most informative site that deals with your color tv collection & experiences. I liked, very much, your conversational style. Your history w/color tv mirrors my own. Spending much time as a youngster in dept. and appliance stores waiting for the, then elusive, color telecasts. Especially enjoyed your tribute to my friend of over 40 years Ed Reitan. We may have discussed Ed's "Worthington" color receiver prior to the auction at this years ETF Convention. I may have mentioned that I was at Ed's apt. after his passing and helped w/ the packing and supervised the crating of several of Ed's sets including the "Worthington." I made absolutely sure the remote stayed in its velvet lined compartment and used masking tape to secure the drawer from opening. I was very relived to see that the set arrived in good condition when I arrived at the museum. So glad it went to a good home and a new owner that appreciates its history. As you mentioned on your site. I never saw the "Worthington" operating while in Ed's possession. Photo, I snapped, of the "Worthington" at Ed's apt. just prior to the shippers crating it.

-Steve D.

Steve,

Thank you your comments about my site and the photo. We appreciate what you did for Ed and your work with the ETF. I'm very glad you took the precautions with the Worthington. I will contact you privately.

If ANYBODY here ever runs across a KV-7010 that has some decals on the side, to wit-"McCallie School/Cadets" PLEASE let me know. that is MY set, I sent it to a fellow in Ohio 10-15 yrs ago to be repaired, & NEVER heard back from him. I even offered to pay him ANYTHING he thought I owed him, would have paid him Bux just to ship the set back to me. My late father bought this set for me in 1969-70 from Hammacher-Schlemmer in New York City. I would LOVE to have it back...

I see from picture the once affluent Teutonia Ave had parking meters!

At some nadir, socialist welfare-magnet Milwaukee had to, at more great expense, tear 'em out!
"Hoist by their own petard"

Milwaukee had a lot of smaller, neighborhood shopping districts and they all had parking meters.
I can name all of them!
Now, the city fathers are blowing all kinds of money on more foolishness. :thumbsdn: