Old TV Pics

[AUdubon5425]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

Are any of the residences, or the TV shop, shown in these pictures still around, or were most of them destroyed or badly damaged in Katrina?

Well, keep in mind that all of these pictures were taken for realtors, so we can safely assume that at least the furnishings were moved elsewhere way back when.

That being said, I can tell you this looking at these addresses on Google street view:

1st pic - CTC-5 - this house faces a country club golf course in just about the most expensive section of Metairie. This area received several feet of water and there have been some houses torn down back there, usually replaced with modern mansions.

2nd pic - Zenith porthole - this area was not subject to severe flooding and this house is probably still standing

3rd pic - TV shop - this whole block is a parking lot and probably has been for over 30 years. That little building was in a less desirable area in 1952 but would be in the heart of the CBD today, surrounded by skyscrapers and a few blocks from the Superdome.

4th pic - combo - a block away from the CTC-5 - same story

5th pic - Philco/uhf - this house is close to the lake and probably escaped major flooding. It is still standing.

[AUdubon5425]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

Couple of things that strike me funny about the Uhf converter/Philco tv picture:

The TV is in a metal cabinet but the RCA UHF converter is in a wood cabinet...

The TV is "UHF Ready", it was a simple field job to remove the center plate and install a Philco converter.

I'd guess the converter was left over from an earlier set. We only had one UHF station (WJMR) from 1953-59, when it moved to VHF. From January 1959 until October 1967 we did not have any UHF stations in New Orleans (to the best of my knowledge.)

[Robert Grant]

Thanks for the really nice pics and links, AUdubon.

Sad to hear about Metairie getting flooded, it did not make the news much in 2005 and I had assumed it had been spared.

Zooming in on the CTC-5, I notice it has a sticker on the upper right of the cover glass, but I can't read it.

Perhaps "This television receiver has only an analog broadcast tuner and will require a converter box after Feb. 17, 2009," ?? (LOL)

[Sandy G]

The shot w/the CTC-5 reminds me of the late, lamented TV show "Crime Story", they had a few shots of a swanky house in the early '60s that had an OPERATING early roundie...And it didn't look like they'd cheated & "Blue-screened" a fake picture on it, either. Seems like it was a blond 5 or 7....

[AUdubon5425]

A Philco dealer's showroom in 1956: http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/CLF,5859


http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/CLF,5858


http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/CLF,4079


http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/CLF,10773


A Holiday Inn room in 1958: http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/CLF,5955
This hotel is still standing but is now pretty "low-rent"


Display window in 1956: http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/CLF,6658

There's also a Capehart sign on the building: http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/CLF,6659


1957 - A Zenith sign and Regency transistor radios in the window: http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/CLF,6694


1949 - TV station camera on location: http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/CLF,9631

[DaveWM]

Those are great pics, I love the way everyone is dressed like they care about how they look. I sure do miss those old TV stores and repair shops.

[jeyurkon]

This looks like a color Admiral. I'm guessing that because of the large round CRT. Anyone know what model it is? Seems to be blonde with doors. The TV that is.

It appears that she was tuning in Amos & Andy.

John

[Ralph S]

The shot of the WDSU RCA TK-10 is strictly a publicity shot. The correct camera cable is not attached to this camera and therefore it could not be functional when the shot was taken. So much for "truth in advertising!"

[old_tv_nut]

I think that TV with the girl may say Packard Bell

[Jeffhs]

Was I seeing things, or does the lettering on that WDSU-TV camera state "WDSU-TV channel 5"? I always thought the station was on channel 6 the entire time it has been in New Orleans. When did it switch, and if so why?

BTW, what station did New Orleans' WJMR-TV become when it switched to a VHF channel, and what UHF channel was it on? Was it a network affiliate? I'm surprised it didn't remain a UHF station from the beginning. If it had, it probably would have been a pioneer, New Orleans' first UHF station. My best guess is that, like a lot of early UHF TV stations, it began on a very high UHF channel (sixty-nine or higher; 70 thru 83 were still being used for TV broadcasting until 1970) and had a very weak signal (by today's standards), viewable only in a very small area, possibly only a small section of the city of New Orleans itself, leaving most of the rest of the metro area with no signal whatsoever from that station. I live near Cleveland and remember when the city's first UHF station, NET (now PBS) affiliate WVIZ, channel 25, went on the air in 1965. The station had a one-megawatt (!) ERP signal at the time and was darned nearly unwatchable in many areas far from Cleveland, including the suburb where I grew up, which was only 15 miles east of the city. I think clear OTA reception of WVIZ may have been darn near impossible in 1965 in the area where I live today (Fairport Harbor, Ohio, 35 miles east of downtown and very low elevation--610 feet ASL, above sea level) unless a UHF antenna on a tower was used, as this area is far enough removed from where all seven Cleveland TV transmitters are located (Parma, Ohio, a southwestern suburb of Cleveland some 40 miles from here) that the signals are very weak and outdoor antennas are required for any kind of decent OTA TV reception. (That was for analog TV; I hate to think of the problems some folks here are having with OTA digital--most have probably given up on antennas and switched to cable by now.) One station, NBC channel 3, doesn't reach here at all using rabbit ears, and the other two VHF network stations, channels 5 and eight, are barely watchable; the area's four UHF stations, except the CBS affiliate on channel 19, are unwatchable much of the time OTA as well, unless a good antenna is employed, which is why most folks around here these days have cable or satellite service. I'm thinking WJMR-TV had the same problems (weak signal with spotty coverage of the city, and little or no signal in the suburbs), which may have been why it eventually switched to a VHF channel and probably increased power at the same time.

[Jeffhs]

Oooops!....duplicate post; please disregard


Was I seeing things, or does the lettering on that WDSU-TV camera state "WDSU-TV channel 5"? I always thought the station was on channel 6 the entire time it has been in New Orleans. When did it switch, and if so why?

BTW, what station did New Orleans' WJMR-TV become when it switched to a VHF channel, and what UHF channel was it on? Was it a network affiliate? I'm surprised it didn't remain a UHF station from the beginning. If it had, it probably would have been a pioneer, New Orleans' first UHF station. My best guess is that, like a lot of early UHF TV stations, it began on a very high UHF channel (sixty-nine or higher; 70 thru 83 were still being used for TV broadcasting until 1970) and had a very weak signal (by today's standards), viewable only in a very small area, possibly only a small section of the city of New Orleans itself, leaving most of the rest of the metro area with no signal whatsoever from that station.

[jeyurkon]

Originally Posted by old_tv_nut

I think that TV with the girl may say Packard Bell

You might be right. I tried magnifying the original photo, but all I can see is a blurry outline. The outline seems to match Packard Bell better, but I've never seen the style they used.

John

[bandersen]

Thanks for posting all these amazing photos

Originally Posted by AUdubon5425

http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/CLF,10773

I think that's a Philco 49-1040 - kinda of a funny looking little set.
I've been slowly restoring one.

[old_tv_nut]

Originally Posted by jeyurkon

You might be right. I tried magnifying the original photo, but all I can see is a blurry outline. The outline seems to match Packard Bell better, but I've never seen the style they used.

John

it's shown here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pa...3radiologo.png
and seems to match

[Robert Grant]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

Oooops!....duplicate post; please disregard


Was I seeing things, or does the lettering on that WDSU-TV camera state "WDSU-TV channel 5"? I always thought the station was on channel 6 the entire time it has been in New Orleans. When did it switch, and if so why?

I zoomed in on the photo on the louislibraries site that originally posted it.
Sure looks like a "6" to me.