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M I L E S T O N E S & M E M O R I E SA HISTORY OF TELEVISION

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RCA, the company that dominated the radio business in the United States with its two NBC networks, invested $50 million in the development of electronic televi-sion. To direct the effort, the company’s president, David Sarnoff, hired the Russian-born scientist Vladimir Kosma Zworykin, who had participated in Rosing’s experiments. In 1939, RCA televised the opening of the New York World’s Fair, including a speech by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was the first president to appear on television. Later that year RCA paid for a license to use Farnsworth’s television patents. RCA began selling television sets with 5 by 12 in (12.7 by 25.4 cm) picture tubes. The company also began broadcasting regular programs, including scenes captured by a mobile unit and, on May 17, 1939, the first televised baseball game between Princeton and Colum-bia universities. By 1941 the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), RCA’s main competition in radio, was broadcasting two 15-minute newscasts a day to a tiny audience on its New York television station.

By 1949 Americans who lived within range of the growing number of television stations in the country could watch, for example, The Texaco Star Theater (1948), starring Milton Berle, or the children’s program, Howdy Doody (1947-60). They could also choose between two 15-minute newscasts CBS TV News (1948) with Douglas Edwards and NBC’s Camel News Caravan (1948) with John Cameron Swayze (who was required by the tobacco company sponsor to have a burning cigarette always visible when he was on camera). Many early programs such as Amos ‘n’ Andy (1951) or The Jack Benny Show (1950-65) were borrowed from early television’s older, more established Big Brother: network radio. Most of the formats of the new programs newscasts, situation comedies, variety shows, and dramas were borrowed from radio, too (see radio broadcasting and television programming). NBC and CBS took the funds needed to establish this new medium from their radio profits. However, television networks soon would be making substantial profits of their own, and network radio would all but disappear, except as a carrier of hourly newscasts. Ideas on what to do with the element television added to radio, the visuals, sometimes seemed in short supply. On news programs, in particular, the temptation was to fill the screen with “talking heads,” newscast-ers simply reading the news, as they might have for radio. For shots of news events, the networks relied initially on the newsreel companies, whose work had been shown previously in movie studios. The number of television sets in use rose from 6,000 in 1946 to some 12 million by 1951. No new invention entered American homes faster than black and white television sets; by 1955 half of all U.S. homes had one.

Between 1953 and 1955, television programming began to take some steps away from radio formats. NBC television president Sylvester Weaver devised the “spectacular,” a notable example of which was Peter Pan (1955), starring Mary Martin, which attracted 60 million viewers. Weaver also developed the magazine-format programs Today, which made its debut in 1952 with Dave Garroway as host (until 1961), and The Tonight Show, which began in 1953 hosted by Steve Allen (until 1957). The third network, ABC, turned its first profit with youth-oriented shows such as Disneyland, which debuted in 1954 (and has since been broadcast under different names), and The Mickey Mouse Club (1955-59). The programming that dominated the two major networks in the mid-1950s borrowed heavily from another medium: theater. NBC and CBS presented such noteworthy, and critically acclaimed, dramatic anthologies as Kraft Television Theater (1947), Studio One (1948), Playhouse 90 (1956), and The U.S. Steel Hour (1953). Memorable television dramas of the era most of them broadcast live included Paddy Chayefsky’s Marty (1955), starring Rod Steiger (Ernest Borgnine starred in the film), and Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men (1954). By the 1955-56 television season, 14 of these live-drama anthology series were being broadcast. This is often looked back on as the “Golden Age” of television. However, by 1960 only one of these series was still on the air. Viewers apparently preferred dramas or comedies that, while perhaps less literary, at least had the virtue of sustaining a familiar set of characters week after week. I Love Lucy, the hugely successful situation comedy starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, had been recorded on film since it debuted in 1951 (lasting until 1957). It had many imitators. The Honeymooners, starring Jackie Gleason, was first broadcast, also via film, in 1955 (lasting until 1956 with the original cast). The first videotape recorder was invented by Ampex in 1956 (see video; video recording; video technology). Another format introduced in the mid-1950s was the big-money quiz show. The $64,000 Question (1955-58) and Twenty-One (1956-58) quickly shot to the top of the ratings. In 1959, however, the creator of The $64,000 Question, Louis C. Cowan, by that time president of CBS television, was forced to resign from the network amid revelations of widespread fixing of game shows.

From Grolier Encyclopedia / Article by Mitchell Stephens

A H I S T O R Y O F T E L E V I S I O N

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1 “Television Launched”: The first broadcast aired, David Sarnoff announcing “the birth in this country of a new art” at the 1939 World’s Fair (NBC Photo) - April 27, 1939 - Vintage Gelatin Silver Print - 10.25“ x 7.25” - $3,500

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2 “Behind the Television Scenes”NBC Transmitting Experimental Television Signals from Empire State Building Studio(NBC Photo)February 25, 1937Vintage Gelatin Silver Print7.5“ x 9.5“$1,500

3 “Television Show Must Go On, Continuously”: One of the First Commercial Broadcasting Studios(Daily Times)May 28, 1939Vintage Gelatin Silver Print14” x 11”$3,500

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4 “The Eye and the Ear”(NBC Photo)1937Vintage Gelatin Silver Print9.5” x 7.5”$2,000

5 NBC Studio Photomontage(NBC Studio)c. 1938Vintage Gelatin Silver Print10” x 8”$1,500* reverse is blank

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6 “Mr. W. S. Stephenson, London Inventor of the Machine of the Transmission of Pictures by Wireless”(Keystone View Co.)September 19, 1924Vintage Gelatin Silver Print6“ x 8”$3,000

7 “Receiving First Synchronized Sight & Sound Broadcast”(International Newsreel Photo)April 24, 1931Vintage Gelatin Silver Print10.25“ x 7.25”$3,500

8 “First Pictures Transmitted from Moving Plane”(International Newsreel Photo)August 19, 1928Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8“ x 6”$2,000

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9 “Suitcase Television Makes Debut”(Daily Times)1940Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8“ x 10”$1,500

11 “First Televised Football Game”Triborough Stadium, Randall’s Island, New York City(NBC Photo)October 4, 1939Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8“ x 10”$3,000

10 “Television’s First Baseball Game”Baker Field, New York City(NBC Photo)May 25, 1939Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8“ x 10”$3,000

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13 Imogen Coca & Sid Caesar(Anonymous)c. 1949Vintage Gelatin Silver Print9“ x 7”$600

12 “Television Outside Broadcast Cameras Visit a London Railway Depot”(BBC Television Service)May 15, 1949Vintage Gelatin Silver Print6.5“ x 8.25”$1,200

14 Howdy Doody(Anonymous)1950Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8” x 8.5”$1,200

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15 I Love Lucy(Anonymous Publicity Photo)c. 1951Vintage Gelatin Silver Print9“ x 7”$1,200

16 Life with Buster Keaton(Rothschild Photo)c. 1951Vintage Gelatin Silver Print10“ x 8”$600

17 Omnibus, Pre-Cursor to Educational Magazine Format Broadcast Series(Roy Stevens)c. 1951Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8” x 8.5”$1,500

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19 Eisenhower Inauguration Motorcade(Anonymous)January 20, 1953Vintage Gelatin Silver Print7.25” x 9”$800

20 Eisenhower Inaugural Address(Anonymous)January 20, 1953Vintage Gelatin Silver Print7.25” x 9”$1,200

18 President Truman Hosts the First Televised White House Tour(Anonymous)1952Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8“ x 10”$1,500

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21 First Televised Coronation of a British Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II (Anonymous)June 2, 1953Vintage Gelatin Silver Print9.25” x 7”$1,800 for set of 3

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22 Early Broadcast of the “Today” Show(Anonymous NBC Publicity Photo)1954Vintage Gelatin Silver Print7.25” x 9”$1,500

23 “Color Television Set to Go on Sale”(Chicago Sun Times)April 2, 1954Vintage Gelatin Silver Print10” x 8”$1,500

24 “A Color Television Rehersal is Shown Under Way at NBC’s Colonial Theater, World’s First Fully Equipped Compatible Color Studio”(Roy Stevens)January 1954Vintage Gelatin Silver Print9” x 7”$1,500

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27 Jerry Mathers, Leave It to Beaver(Anonymous)1956Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8” x 8.5”$1,200

26 Mary Martin & Noel Coward in Ford Star Jubilee(CBS Photo)September 23, 1955Vintage Gelatin Silver Print9” x 7”$800

25 “Fifth Test Match Between England and South Africa”(BBC Television Service)August 16, 1955Vintage Gelatin Silver Print6.25“ x 8.5”$800

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28 First Televised Presidential Debate:John F. Kennedy & Richard Nixon(Bill Kuenzel - Miami Herald Staff Photo)1960Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8” x 10” $2,500 for set of 5

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30 Jacqueline Kennedy Hosting a Televised Tour of the White House(Field Enterprises, Inc.)1962Vintage Gelatin Silver Print6.5” x 6.5”$1,500

31 “President Johnson Watches the Launching of the Saturn Rocket on a Television Set in his White House Office” (Associated Press Photos)January 30, 1964Vintage Gelatin Silver Print7” x 10”$1,500

29 Jerry Mathers, Leave It to Beaver(Anonymous)1960Vintage Gelatin Silver Print9” x 7”$1,200

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32 Joan Crawford “Subbing for Daughter” Christine on The Secret Storm(United Press International Photo)October 24, 1968Vintage Gelatin Silver Print7” x 10”$1,200

33 Edward R. Murrow, “See It Now”(Anonymous)c. 1951Vintage Gelatin Silver Print6.75“ x 8.5“$800

34 An American Family: Proto Reality Television Series(United Press International Photo)May 4, 1973Vintage Gelatin Silver Print10” x 8”$1,500

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35 Ed Wynn(Anonymous)c. 1950Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8.5“ x 6.5“$500

36 Charles Van Doren Totals His Winnings on the Quiz Show “21” (AP Newsfeatures Photo)1959Vintage Gelatin Silver Print6.75“ x 8.5“$600

37 “Star Spangled Revue” with Douglas Fairbanks, Bob Hope, & Beatrice Lillie(Anonymous)1950Vintage Gelatin Silver Print6.75“ x 8.75“$600

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38 Margot Fonteyn performs SleepingBeauty on “The Ed Sullivan Show”: The First Ever Color Telecast of a Ballet(Anonymous)1955Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8.5“ x 6.75“$750

39 “Life with Father”(Anonymous)1947Vintage Gelatin Silver Print6.5“ x 8.5“$500

40 Jack Benny, Bing Crosby, & George Burns(Anonymous)1954Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8.5“ x 6.75“$750

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42 Noel Coward & Mary Martin(Anonymous)c. 1955Vintage Gelatin Silver Print8.5“ x 6.25“$600

41 Kukla, Fran, and Ollie(NBC Photo)c. 1950Vintage Gelatin Silver Print6.75“ x 8.5“$600

43 First Transatlantic TV Broadcast(Anonymous)1962Vintage Gelatin Silver Print“ x “$2,000

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