Article about General Electric 15CL100

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by etype2

I'm still trying to find other newspaper clippings about the Admiral set. I found a newspaper clipping in April, 1954 stating that "Admiral has begun to ship its second series of color sets with a price reduction of $175." No doubt to match the price of the RCA CT-100 that went on sale in April, 1954.

That certainly strongly implies that the earlier sets and the second series were indeed for sale to the public....Otherwise why even price them?

[Steve D.]

Originally Posted by benman94

etype2,

Your points are well taken, but also consider that some of the sets in those stores may have actually been strictly for demo purposes. J.L. Hudson's, Detroit's flagship department store (and at one time the second largest in the world behind Macy's) had numerous 15G based sets on display in 1954. A period ad on microfiche at the Detroit Public Library lists Majestic and Raytheon-Belmont as among the manufacturers with a set at Hudson's. To my knowledge no examples of either survive, so it isn't unreasonable to conclude they were probably prototypes not destined for the public.

Is it possible that Beacon TV was lent the Admiral, with the understanding that it NOT be sold?

Taking a cue from Ben's last post, here is a Feb. 9, 1954 NY Times ad from
The John Wanamaker Dept. Store. It invites folks to attend a viewing of their color receivers from various manufacturers. The list includes Zenith which is known to have only provided prototype color sets at this time. Admiral is not on the list.


I'm sure these were all demo/prototype sets to peak the public's interest.

-Steve D.

[Steve D.]

Also posting these 2 ads inviting customers to view Pacific Mercury color receivers
at Los Angeles area stores. #1 is from the Dec-31-53 L.A. Times for the Dorn's Dept. Store showing a broadcast of the 1st color telecast of the Rose Parade from NBC, Jan 1, 1954.

Ad #2 is from a March, 1954 So. Ca. newspaper also inviting folks to view a Pacific Mercury prototype color TV at an L.A. area appliance store. The ad also states that production of color tv's will begin as soon as TV stations begin regular color broadcasts.

The chassis for this prototype set still survives as seen in the attached photos.

-Steve D.

[etype2]

Originally Posted by Steve D.

Taking a cue from Ben's last post, here is a Feb. 9, 1954 NY Times ad from
The John Wanamaker Dept. Store. It invites folks to attend a viewing of their color receivers from various manufacturers. The list includes Zenith which is known to have only provided prototype color sets at this time. Admiral is not on the list.


I'm sure these were all demo/prototype sets to peak the public's interest.

-Steve D.

Interesting article. There is even an implication that the sets were for sale. The verbiage "whether you choose black and white or color"

Possibly Wanamaker was not franchised to sell Admiral?

Edit: I didn't see your second posting while typing this. Very interesting information. There was an Admiral set available for the Rose parade in Milwaukee.

The thing about the Admiral set is that we have it priced with an announcement on December 30, 1953. We have evidence that the Admiral was added to the 1954 line of televisions in Chicago, Admiral's home base on January 4, 1954. We have a statement in a published book that Admiral sold the set in 1953 so they could take a tax deduction on their color manufacturing facilities. We have evidence that Beacons TV which was an Admiral dealer was indeed offering the Admiral set for sale as early as February 21, 1954. We have evidence that Admiral reduced the price of the Admiral set in April 9, 1954, most likely to match the price of RCA's first color set and also saying this was "the second series of color sets being shipped". We have evidence that a company was offering parts for the new Admiral set and we have evidence of a dealer handout advertisement for the Admiral set.

If you read the handout, at the bottom, it talks about the set "for your home". It was written for the consumer. I have seem similar handouts where they were geared to the distributors such as "your customers will appreciate this feature (so and so) ....

The author of the book needed to check his sources. If Admiral were audited, they would have to prove a sale(s) in 1953 or that they indeed offered the set for sale in 1953.

Lastly Steve, your own words: "Taking Pete Deksnis' argument that RCA produced several thousand CT-100's starting in March, 1954 and were available to distributors & dealers by late April,'54 does not trump the fact that the public could could go into a Westinghouse dealer and purchase a color tv in Feb. 1954."

I understand the advertising you found solidified your belief. I have debated why there was not much advertising done for the Admiral above in this thread.

If you choose not to believe that Beacons TV was offering the set for sale despite what they said in their ad and call it "hype" I can't defend that. We are friends this is a great debate.


I guess this debate will go on. :-) I still believe the Admiral was the first all electronic color set to be offered for sale.