There's a picture (only a picture) on eBay of what looks like a 15GP22 set.

Edit, I see this same picture is on the ETF.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-7-x-8-Photo-Art-Deco-Fada-Television-TV-40s-50s_W0QQitemZ380125560250QQcmdZViewItemQQptZArt_Ph oto_Images?hash=item58813fbdba&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A10|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1 |293%3A1|294%3A50

And the closer one looks at that picture, the more one's inclined to answer "no".

It looks like a composite to me.

Can you say, Artist's Rendering.....?

I thought FADA was more or less done for by the time color TV came along...

This image began as a photograph, but was greatly retouched. Notice the shadow cast by the 'set' (left side of photo) but the chair does not cast a similar shadow on the set (right side). 'Photoshopping' back then was done by a skilled artist with an airbrush and other manual stuff; it's usually pretty easy to spot such retouching today, but less so back then when it was viewed as a halftone on a printed page.

Can you say, Artist's Rendering.....?

I said it to myself before reading your post.... Definitely an artist's rendering. Not even the same face as a 15GP22.

I thought FADA was more or less done for by the time color TV came along...

Somebody got hold of the name, as I've seen Andrea VCRs from the 90s. And small Japanese TV sets in the 60s/70s have turned up as "Andrea" and "FADA".

Charles

I thought FADA was more or less done for by the time color TV came along...

Are you saying they FADA'd away? :D

I think the image looks like a drawing of a TV plopped into a photo. Notice how the cabinet's feet are floating in air. You can see brush marks in the "grain" on the lower bottom and near the small controls.

You wonder if they ever produced a complete prototype, or just messed with electronics in a lab and handed the artist a cabinet sketch to work from.

Still, it would be cool to run across one of these in a basement!

Phil Nelson

I speculate that FADA likely did produce a small number of these sets for demonstration. Several other manufacturers did this, and did not offer the sets for sale. CBS, Hoffman and Zenith to mention a few.

I would tend to agree with John Folsom that FADA did experiment with the 15GP22. That the photo is "real" or not I will leave to others' opinions. "Andrea" did produce color receivers later on, most of which were offered as chassis assemblies for custom installations, although some complete models might have been manufactured as well. Just my $.02!
Kevin

I guess it's possible that FADA did make a 15G set, but that sure isn't an actual photo of one.

I just noticed how off center the controls are in the picture. :yes:

According to Tom Genova's TV History site, Fada produced their last TV receiver in 1956. There is NO listing for a Fada color receiver in the SAMS Photofact index color tv section. Fada may have produced a 15" prototype, many smaller manufacturers did. The airbrushed picture may be just an exercise to enhance the companies' image.

-Steve D.

According to Tom Genova's TV History site, Fada produced their last TV receiver in 1956. There is NO listing for a Fada color receiver in the SAMS Photofact index color tv section. Fada may have produced a 15" prototype, many smaller manufacturers did. The airbrushed picture may be just an exercise to enhance the companies' image.

-Steve D.

FADA = Frank A.D. Andrea Radio Company branded their pre-war sets "Andrea", then adopted "FADA" postwar. They dropped "Frank A.D." from FADA, and became just "Andrea" again in the 50s. Not sure if they changed hands, or just reinstated their original trademark. It gets confusing, when you think about the RCA trade name timeline; Victor, RCA, RCA-Victor, Brunswick, RCA, GE-RCA, RCA-Thompson, back to just plain RCA, etc etc etc.

Charles

I believe FADA and Andrea were two entirely separate companies when both were making postwar TVs. The story I heard goes something like Frank D'Andrea starting up Andrea radio after his first firm, FADA, went under. If so, then somehow the name was revived by somebody else, as the early postwar sets made by Andrea and FADA are nothing alike (FADA had a 630 clone, Andrea was unique).

I believe FADA and Andrea were two entirely separate companies when both were making postwar TVs. The story I heard goes something like Frank D'Andrea starting up Andrea radio after his first firm, FADA, went under. If so, then somehow the name was revived by somebody else, as the early postwar sets made by Andrea and FADA are nothing alike (FADA had a 630 clone, Andrea was unique).

No debate on the separate nameplates, but they started out (or merged) in some way, both originating from Frank A.D. Andrea? Kind of like Silver-Marshall Radio and McMurdo-Silver Radio, but unlike HH Scott vs. EH Scott...

I've seen the 630 clone, and also I've seen an early 50s set that said FADA on the bezel, and Andrea Radio on the tube chart. Andrea had put tons of $ into prewar TV, and probably made a business decision to buy a 630 chassis after the War to avoid more costs, until TV got back into full swing. Then the early 50s set went back to the Andrea(Fada)-built chassis, with the usual RCA licensing lab circuitry and a continuous tuner.

Charles