They were watching the first Mercury manned mission. https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/244465179_1308690979571535_8402305366984787911_n.j pg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=825194&_nc_ohc=jZfKHeVSGzwAX93uBzR&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=94dc13cbe3f5da617e8dbe6b2b5e0ae5&oe=617FEA59
I would have thought that they'd have regular console TVs in the White House back then. Looks like a staffer brought in their personal portable to watch the space mission.

It's an RCA, 1958 or so.

They were watching the first Mercury manned mission. https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/244465179_1308690979571535_8402305366984787911_n.j pg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=825194&_nc_ohc=jZfKHeVSGzwAX93uBzR&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=94dc13cbe3f5da617e8dbe6b2b5e0ae5&oe=617FEA59
I would have thought that they'd have regular console TVs in the White House back then. Looks like a staffer brought in their personal portable to watch the space mission.

As I understand it the oval office had a CTC-9 or CTC-10 from Eisenhower to LBJ (who replaced it with that custom tri-screen console).
I've got a CTC-9 in the same cabinet as the oval office set.

Sort of reminds me of the Setchell-Carlson of the same vintage.

Ah, the days when American ingenuity was viewed
on a USA-made set. We really need to revisit some of these principles today.(!)