How did people watch 7" sets?

[Sandy G]

Originally Posted by ohohyodafarted

Being born in 1947 I have vivid memories of my first television viewing experiences.

I was somewhere between 2 and 3 years old. Our family didn't have a set until 1951 when they purchased the Halicrafter 820 you see in my avitar.

A good friend of my father, Sam Sapaznick, already had a small screen tv set. It was a 7 incher but I can't recall exactly what brand it was.

SO......Every Friday night we would all go over to Sam's home for a gathering of several families to watch boxing on "The Friday Night Fights" which was sponsored by "Gillette Blue Blades"

The set up of the room was as follows: Dining room table was removed from the dining room. The tv set sat on top of an old fashioned china sideboard that was about 6" higher than a kitchen counter. IN front of the sideboard were 2 rows of kitchen and dining room chairs placed in curved rows, one behind the other and stagered like theater seats would be. Front row was probably no more than 6 feet away from the sideboard. All the kids sat on the floor in front of the sideboard looking up at about a 45 degree angle at the little tv screen several feet above our heads.

Watching tv was a big time social event in the early days of television, when the vast majority of homes still did not have a set. The host would prepare snacks for everyone and there would of course be plenty of Milwaukee's finest for the adults and soda for the kids. When the show came on, the lights in the room were turn off and we sat in the dark watching this tiny little screen. It was exciting! Live boxing from Madison Square Garden, every Friday night.

Certain things in life make an impression on you that sticks in your mind all your life. Watching The Friday Night Fights at the Sapaznick home in the early days of television, was just one of those things that made an indelible impression on my mind when I was just a little kid. I also remember the first "Color tv" I ever saw in 1956 in the home of one of my fathers freinds. I guess I was born in the vangard of the television revolution and probably has something to do with being a collector/restorer today.

Bob, do you remember if they put on their "Sunday-Go-To-Meetin'" duds when they all met up at Sam's place ?