Futuristic television set (1958)
"The Philco Predicta is a television made in several cabinet models in a 17” or 21” screen by the American company Philco
from 1958-1960. The Predicta was marketed as the world's first swivel
screen television. The picture tube was surrounded in Eastman plastics
new product called “tenite” which protected the glass and gave it its
greenish tint... Predicta television sets were
constructed with a variety of cabinet configurations, some detachable,
but all separate from the tube itself and connected by wires. Initially introduced in 1958 for the Holiday Inn hotel chain and rolled out for general consumers shortly thereafter, the Predicta was discontinued in the early 1960s."
American design style in the 50s and 60s was fantastic.
ReplyDeleteReally world leading, everybody looked up to the USA, wanted to be there, wanted to be American.
From the 1956 Chevy Bel-Air to the moon landing, the USA was the centre of the universe.
You even had JFK, an icon of such venerability that has only had the peanut farmer walk on any level close (the present guy doesn't even rate)
Everybody talks about Italian design, but nothing matches the USA in those classic decades.
I love the modernist design. I would love to know more about the designer.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of the room featuring modernist furniture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.
Designed by SEVERIN JONASSEN and RICHARD WHIPPLE
ReplyDeletePER
https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18715437/
Did not Did not know about the Philco Predicta-Holiday Inn connection. Nor have I ever see a photo of the model in your post. It most certainly seems that their designers took into account Holiday inn's design language in the wooden support structure of this particular model. Take a look at the H.I. signs shown in this link. https://www.fastcompany.com/1553446/why-old-holiday-inn-signage-should-stay-us Designwise, I think Philco was firing on all cylinders in the fifties. They also made some of the most amazing refrigerators of all time. center mounted v shaped handle that controlled opening the fridge door from either side.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea if you can manage to extract this vid from this FB page on their refrigerators, but this is pretty cool. https://www.facebook.com/100006075075576/videos/1840238089522009/UzpfSTE2MDM0MDAxNzM2MDk2NzoxNDU4NDEyMzc3NTUzNzE4/
Alternately, a web image search for - - philco v handle refrigerator - - will bring up many pics of the front doors of these appliances with their handles. I lived in an apartment in 1980s that had one of these beauties. a 1956 model, working perfectly. In addition to the 2 way door, it had bright bronze plated condenser panel with -unusual for the time- collection reservoir in the fridge compartment All around.. very well designed. with -oh so ‘50s- pink & bronze interior design elements.
The video works fine. Thanks, Lars.
DeleteI would love to own this!! Do you know where I would be able to find this beauty?
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