My sister sent me this photo of the two of us in front of the first TV that my Dad got in the 1950s. I'm the dude on the left, with his beloved red straw cowboy hat and probably wearing cowboy boots under his rolled-up jeans.

It's an RCA -- maybe 21-inch? -- in a black metal cube cabinet with a metal swiveling stand. A similar (but not identical) set popped up on eBay this week, hence my interest.

If I knew the model number, it would be fun to watch for one, just for old time's sake. This pic would have been taken in the mid-1950s, perhaps 1954 or 1955? I remember this being a great TV. We watched it daily for a number of years . . . well into the late 1960s, as I recall.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

Phil:

I have an ad from December of 1954 that shows a 21 inch Ebony cabinet that looks very much like that set. It is the "Medalist 21" Model 21S501. That set however has a slightly different style pencil box. The other sets in the ad including an ebony box style 24 inch and the other 21 inch consoles have a pencil box like the one in your photo.

Steve

Phil -

Here is an RCA 21-S-509 that looks very much the same. The "Pencil Box" is black however. It looks like your original set was white or gold. I don't know if this makes them different models. I think it's pretty close though.

- Kirk

Yes, that looks the same TV except for the pencil box cover.

Phil Nelson

That's a big tube (compare to the head sizes). Could be 24"?

Does the ad give a model number for the 24-inch set on the right?

Phil

On the 24-inch set, the right-hand (channel) knob is significantly left of the right edge of the screen-bezel frame. On the 21, it's nearly flush with the right edge. I took the liberty of enhancing the knob on your original photo (attached). It's flush like the 21. It's a 21-inch set. Model 21-S-5XX series. Unfortunately, the Sams index lists about 30 sets between 21S500 and 21S510 -- but fortunately there's only 3 sheets covering them all. Sheet 277-10, 282-13, or 294-10. Maybe pulling those sheets will give you another clue as to which one has the white pencil box.

Hate to disagree, but I measured from the Channel knob to the bottom of the CRT bezel, and it looks like the 24 to me! Also, the advert only shows the pencil-box "vee" on the 24-incher.

I had a later ebony 21 w/stand as well. It had the IF PCB with those awful "coil-pacitor" networks that used a penny-sized flat washer on a screw hovering over a flat film with the flat winding inside. I tried turning it into a 'scope in '68 with plans ordered from a magazine ad. Smoked it.

My photo from the other post is of a TV currently in my workshop. Mine's definitely a 21 (from CRT neck and from model number, and from measuring it). Mine has a "vee" pencil box. The distance from the top of the knob to the bottom of the bezel on mine is consistent with Phil's original photo.

Assuming the same chassis is used with both the 21- and 24-inch sets, it's the width of the screen, vs the width of the two knobs, that's the telling clue. That's why I chose the right-hand edge of the knob for measuring. The 24 in the ad is too far left.

Nice catch, measuring the distance from the knob's top edge, on the 21 in the ad. Proves Phil's set isn't the 21 in the ad. Neither one matches, IMHO. If the ad is from '54, it's probably of the coming '55 models. Phil's TV was probably earlier.

Disagreement is cool. I'll have to disagree back though. 21 Inches.

Nice catch, measuring the distance from the knob's top edge, on the 21 in the ad. Proves Phil's set isn't the 21 in the ad. Neither one matches, IMHO. If the ad is from '54, it's probably of the coming '55 models. Phil's TV was probably earlier.

Disagreement is cool. I'll have to disagree back though. 21 Inches.

I vote for 21" as well. Also, I just realized that Phil's TV has the same style knobs and pencil box as my KCS92 "Benson". Sure enough, two of the table models illustrated on the cover of the RCA service manual look a lot like Phil's set-- the "Arlen" and the "Dorrance". From the manual, it appears that the "Arlen" has a lighted channel selector and phono jack, whereas the "Dorrance" does not (which is counter to RCA's usual general pattern of "higher-numbered" models in a series having increasingly more features). I'm pretty sure these sets are 1955 models; this manual is dated 12/16/1954.
[Note: The attached image shows only a portion of the front cover; there are of course several other models (mostly consoles) illustrated which share this chassis.]

There you go, Phil. One of those, almost certainly. Is my 509 in the catalog?

There you go, Phil. One of those, almost certainly. Is my 509 in the catalog?

Hmm. Actually, there isn't a 21-S-509 listed there. Perhaps that model was introduced after this edition of the service manual was printed, though. The scan I posted was from the 2nd edition. It so happens that I also have the 1st edition of this same manual as well (dated 9/27/1954), and it only shows/itemizes about half the models that the 2nd ed. has, so perhaps RCA didn't introduce all of the models with this chassis (even in the same model year) at exactly the same time.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320141644733

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120160194115

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280222244940

First one on that ePay place I've ever seen with a light-colored pencil box. Might be it.

I just brought two of these home the other day. I'll tell you one thin g, they weigh a ton! The pencil box doors on mine are not light, though. They're ebony with gold lettering.