Television History - The First 75 Years
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Pre-1935 Advertising

This page is devoted to advertising to support the promotion and sales & service of early "mechanical" television sets. 

1928 Baird Television Constructor's License

1928 Baird TV Licence.JPG (169560 bytes) (170K) >> If you bought a Baird television kit, it was also necessary to purchase this constructor's license.  Only a few copies of this license are extant.

1930 "ICA" Television Advertising (USA)

1930 ICA TV Advert -USA- (164K bytes) (164K)    1930 ICA TV Advert #2 -USA- (72K bytes) (72K)

1930 Nov-Dec Baird Television Programmes
Courtesy Early Technology Library - Scotland

1930 Nov 13th - Baird Programmes UK (128K bytes) (128K)    1930 Nov 21st - Baird Programmes UK (108K bytes) (108K)    1930 Dec 4th - BAIRD Programmes -UK- (104K bytes) (104K)

1930 Dec 18th Baird Programmes -UK- (96K bytes) (96K)    1930 Dec 24th Baird Programmes -UK- (96K bytes) (96K)    1930 Dec 31 Baird Programmes -UK- (100K bytes) (100K)

1931 Western Television Advertisement
(Courtesy Richard Dean)

1931 Western Television Advert -USA- (160K bytes) (160K)
 

1932 Radio Trading Co. Catalog, New York - Covers Hollis-Baird, See-All and Pioneer Models

1932 SEE-ALL Advert -USA- (252K bytes) (252K)    1932 See-All & Pioneer TV Sets -USA- (352K bytes) (352K)    1932 Hollis Baird TVs -USA- (636K bytes) (636K - Large File!)
 

 

1931 Baird Stock Prospectus

Baird Prospectus Side One.JPG (143833 bytes) (145 Kb)

1930-1931 Baird Sales Brochure

1930 Baird Brochure -UK- (40K bytes) (40K)   Baird Brochure z.jpg (255708 bytes) (255K) - High resolution file!

1933 Baird Television Demo Booklet

1933 Baird TV Souvenir Program.JPG (35654 bytes) (36K)    1933 Baird TV Souvenir Program2.JPG (47446 bytes) (47K)    1933 Baird TV Souvenir Program3.JPG (45457 bytes) (46K)    1933 Baird TV Souvenir Program4.JPG (47611 bytes) (48K)
"Television - The Latest Wonder" >> February 1st, 1933 Souvenir Booklet of the Demonstration of the Baird Television System.  (Courtesy of Richard Dean).

1933 Plew Television Ltd.
Courtesy Early Technology Library - Scotland

1933 Plew Television Pg1 -UK- (36K bytes) (36K)    1933 Plew Pg2 -UK- (52K bytes) (52K)    1933 Plew Pg3 -UK- (92K bytes) (92K)    1933 Plew Pg4 -UK- (72K bytes) (72K)
1933 Plew Television Ltd  Model No. 1 -- List Price: 10 guineas; Standard Model 18 guineas; Long Range Model 22 guineas

1934 "Daily Express" Television Kit
Made by Mervyn Sound & Vision Co. Ltd. - London

1934 Daily Express Kit -UK- (64K bytes) (64K) - Unused Kit  (Photo courtesy Christie's, London)

1934 Daily Express - Meryvn -UK- (44K bytes) (44K)    1934 "Daily Express" by Mervyn -UK- (44K bytes) (44K) - Assembled kit (courtesy Early Technology Collection)

The "Daily Express" was (and is) a British national newspaper. In 1934 it marketed a television kit made by Mervyn Sound & Vision Co Ltd. London for  £5  9s 6d  ($26 approx)

 

1933 Television Business Card

1933 TV Service Card.JPG (70846 bytes) (70K)
Perhaps the oldest dated surviving television service business card in the United States?!  This was found stashed in a book in Wilmore, Kentucky recently.  Accidentally saved from destruction, this card was valid for "one free service call ... until June 1, 1933" !!   Mentioned on this card is that Mr. C. F. Bonbright was a former General Motors Radio Engineer, in charge of all servicing.  He offered both "Day and Night Service".

 

1929 Television Business Card -- OLDEST known in USA!

MercierCard1.JPG (12174 bytes) (12K)
M. J. Mercier & Sons - Radio and Television Experimental Laboratory

Soon after I posted the 1933 business card, Steve McVoy met and interviewed Mr. Murry Mercier, an 89 year old resident of the Columbus, Ohio area.  Mr. Mercier opened the first TV repair shop in Columbus, around April, 1929 .... and a newspaper article from that time states his shop was believed to be the first TV repair facility in the United States!  Coincidently, Mr. Mercier had saved his first business cards, and Steve shared them with me.  Cards from later years are posted below. 

1951 Columbus Dispatch Story about Merciers (150K bytes) (150K)
Feb. 18th, 1951 Columbus Dispatch Story about the Mercier's TV of 1928 (Courtesy of Steve McVoy)

Visit Steve's website      to read even more about Mr. Mercier! 

MercierCard2.JPG (11211 bytes) (11K)    MercierCard3.JPG (11341 bytes) (11K)    MercierCard4.JPG (10153 bytes) (10K)
Mercier business cards from 1930, 1931 and 1950.



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