never heard of this one! - Videokarma.org TV - Video

captainmoody · #1 08-03-2003, 07:31 PM

Today I picked up some more sets and among them is a 27" deForest-Sanabria in a really cool blonde deco style cabinet.
Looks to be from around '53 or '54, Metal tag on the back has a serial# and says made by American Television in Chicago IL.
Does anyone know anything about this company or model? I can't find a model# to help with id... One thing though, It has a cool light in the bottom shelf part of the set, The shelf is curved in and the speaker is at an angle if that is any help. I will try to get a pic up as soon as I get it unloaded (its a big heavy one)

Rob · #2 08-03-2003, 08:31 PM

27"...cool!

That CRT was introduced in either 1952 or 1953 I believe. I have a '53 Admiral 27" in a cabinet with doors. It works. Big beast and two person job to move. Let's see pictures.

Rob

captainmoody · #3 08-04-2003, 04:07 PM

I had to remove the crt just to move this monster downstairs! The cabinet has cleaned up pretty well so far, The people were big time smokers and everything on the set was a yellow brown color as the pic shows.

Rob · #4 08-04-2003, 04:17 PM

Captain,

That is one huge console! That compartment underneath looks a little odd. Is there a speaker grille removed?

Rob

***Eric H*** · #5 08-04-2003, 06:09 PM

I've seen a couple of these on eBay (or one listed twice)
I could swear someone has one on a web Site but I can't find it.

Eric

Steve D. · #6 08-04-2003, 06:11 PM

deForest-Sanabria Television Inc. was at 1522 West Lawrence Ave. Chicago Ill. SAMS lists only one tv receiver: DKW (w/fm) folder 527-1. Which would make it 1961. Much later then your set.

Carmine · #7 08-04-2003, 08:19 PM

Captain Moody,

Wow, that is one weird looking set. It almost doesn't look real, like a prop or something? I think it's the lack of any metal parts... Looks kinda foreign.

By the way, what city/area did you get that in??? Any stories behind the owners having such a weird set?

***Eric H*** · #8 08-04-2003, 10:08 PM

Two Sites I found show Sanabria as existing only in 1960.

Here's one,

http://www.tvhistory.tv/1960-2000-TVManufacturers.htm

The Other is Steve Mc'Voys Site that I assume you are all familiar with. http://www.earlytelevision.org/index.html

I would think that set could be from 1960, the knobs look older (they look like Emersons actually) but if this was a small company with limited resources they might not have the most up to date styling.

What does the chassis look like?

Steve D. · #9 08-04-2003, 11:16 PM

Eric,
That date, 1960 is in the ballpark for the SAMS folder I mentioned in the earlier post. The set sure has a more vintage look but who knows? Perhaps the set has some original tubes with a date code on them.

captainmoody · #10 08-05-2003, 06:34 AM

No Rob, The speaker sits sideways in the bottom behind the slats, There is also a switch and a light on the bottom shelf and it was factory installed as it plugs into the tv chassis.
I got an Admiral 30A1 with the later 14" tube and bezel converson, The deForest Sanabria and the Zenith 9-S-262 from the same house in Harper Woods, About 4 miles from me.
It was from the ad I put in the paper a couple months ago, The lady kept the number then finally called me!
Funny thing is, I almost didn't go there after cancelling the first time, The way she described the items and the lack of brand names left me thinking the stuff was much newer! Her mother passed away in the nineties and the house has been sitting empty since, Lots of cool old stuff in there, even a Wurlitzer from around 1938 (looks like a 616) She said it came from the Belle Isle Casino along with a really huge and old looking pool table.
I should have taken pics, As that basement was huge and still has a lot of stuff. They are going to clean it out this week and paint it as the house is up for sale.
Oh, I just checked the tubes for date codes, There are a few with an early to mid 1955 date code. Looks like this set was built by a small company, All the tubes are mixed brands with none of them bearing the name american tv or deForest-sanabria. Also, The front of the set is void of any labels or decals for the controls and looks like none were ever put there. As far as the chassis, It looks like a standard layout used in the mid fifties. The 6AX4 Damper has gone to air and possibly the reason why the back and hv cage were laying next to the set. The back is curved at a 45 degree angle now as it sat against the basement wall for 30 years!