View Full Version : RCA color TV reply card - date?


old_tv_nut
09-05-2011, 11:30 AM
Just picked this up on ebay, but the seller had no date info.

Seems to be early, just from having the reply go to a specific person in Camden, plus referring to the TV as the "instrument."

Can anyone identify when and to what models this would have been attached?

Ed in Tx
09-05-2011, 12:29 PM
Cool! It certainly pre-dates 1963 since it has the old postal zone number in the address. I like old stuff like that. Like my old Pep Boys tube TV troublesooting guide.

Robert Grant
09-05-2011, 08:43 PM
I would say it is well older than 1963. It seems to be aimed at thousands of color TV customers, not 1/2 million.

BTW, people were not as quick to adapt the ZIP code as one might think. The schematics for my Zenith 5317U from late 1965 are addressed "Indianapolis, 6 Indiana" (not 46206). I remember getting mail to "Detroit 24, Mich." well into the early 1970's.

bgadow
09-05-2011, 10:17 PM
I would research: when did RCA move the offices from Camden to Indianapolis? Maybe get a bio on the fellow it is addressed to? I think this is very early.

ChrisW6ATV
09-06-2011, 01:13 AM
Old TV Nut-

That appears to match the "hang tag" that came with my CTC-5, so it may be from 1956. I do not have the tag now (it is on loan to San Francisco Airport until early 2012), so I cannot confirm that it is the same.

AUdubon5425
09-06-2011, 01:29 AM
Around 2002 I mailed a letter to a friend addressed "New Orleans 27, La." and he received it without incident.

old_tv_nut
09-06-2011, 03:03 PM
Old TV Nut-

That appears to match the "hang tag" that came with my CTC-5, so it may be from 1956. I do not have the tag now (it is on loan to San Francisco Airport until early 2012), so I cannot confirm that it is the same.

Thanks for that info. As it does not mention "big screen" color, I thought maybe it could belong with a CT-100.

Edit: D'oh! it has a space for model number, so definitely later than an CT-100!

old_tv_nut
09-06-2011, 03:16 PM
This text of Radio Age from 1955 has a long article on RCA color TV factory development and many quotes from Seidel.

http://www.archive.org/stream/radioageresearch195557newyrich/radioageresearch195557newyrich_djvu.txt

old_tv_nut
09-06-2011, 03:19 PM
Seidel joined RCA from W.T. Grant as head of distribution in 1949, locating in Camden:
http://books.google.com/books?id=MvYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=R.A.+Seidel+at+Radio+Corporation+of+America+RCA +victor&source=bl&ots=GEFv6PNvmE&sig=SFF334jmvrCxLLgNUpsdociMzUw&hl=en#v=onepage&q=R.A.%20Seidel%20at%20Radio%20Corporation%20of%20 America%20RCA%20victor&f=false

old_tv_nut
09-06-2011, 03:25 PM
His picture (partially cut off ) on p.4 of this 1957 Electronic Age:
http://www.vacuumtubeera.net/RadioAge-1957-10.pdf

old_tv_nut
09-06-2011, 03:28 PM
more on Seidel:
http://www.archive.org/stream/radioageresearch195354newyrich/radioageresearch195354newyrich_djvu.txt