TV Wonderland: The Enchantment of Early Television [Paperback]

Brad Schepp (Author), Debra Schepp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2005

From big screens to high-definition, America’s obsession with the television started more than 50 years ago when the first TV catalogs and print advertisements began defining the suburban family by the size, color, and features of its television. TV WONDERLAND looks at the unique history of the television through the lens of advertising the campaigns, slogans, and sales pitches revealing the cultural fabric of the time. The centerpiece of the home, the television united families as moms, dads, kids, and sometimes neighbors, too, gathered together to watch their favorite programs. It entertained, it educated, it celebrated the holidays! No wonder it secured a place in the home for so long. The television was a permanent part of the family.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

*A look at television culture then and now. *Facts and figures about TV through the decades. *Fabulous full-color print ads showcasing early televisions.

About the Author

BRAD and DEBRA SCHEPP have blended their interests in technology and popular culture throughout their careers as journalists and authors. For more than 20 years they’ve written about tech trends from solar energy to telecommuting to the Internet. Together they’ve written 10 books, including The Complete Passive Solar Home Book, The Telecommuter’s Handbook, and Kidnet: The Kid’s Guide to Surfing Through Cyberspace. Their most recent book is eBay PowerSeller Secrets. Their work has also been featured in publications such as Newsweek, Chicago Tribune, and U.S. News & World Report. They live in Middletown, Maryland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Collectors Press (June 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933112050
• ISBN-13: 978-1933112053
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,417,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A TV BOOK ABOUT...TV'S!!!, July 18, 2005

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: TV Wonderland: The Enchantment of Early Television (Paperback)

Remember the episode of Seinfeld where Kramer wrote a coffee table book about coffee tables? Well this is a TV book about...TV's. Not TV shows or TV actors, but that glorious box from which we derive so much entertainment. Specifically this is about TV of the 50's and 60's and one of those retro, pop-culture books that Collector's Press does so well. Through this collection of vintage advertising and lively bits of trivia, we see the development of television throughout TV's golden age.

We'll see as TV's develop from tiny 10" screens in mammoth, radio-type cabinets, to 21" color TVs in the 1960's. Along the way you'll revisit long forgotten brands such as Spartan, Capehart Farnsworth, Arvin, Air King, and Crosley. You'll chuckle at what passed for a portable TV with the large, box-like models from Philco and G.E. The ads tell the story of TVs advancement as they tout new antennas designed to give better reception in those pre-cable days and Westinghouse's new models for 1954 which were supposed to cut down on glare if watching in a dark room.

In those days, the TV was as much a part of the décor as any other piece of furniture and manufacturers gave customers a wide selection of different wood cabinets to choose from like cherry and maple. Some even housed radios making the first entertainment centers. TVs came in a rainbow of colors in the 50's and 60's too, especially the portables coming in bright reds, light blues, and yellows. Tacky? You bet...a lot more fun than today's cookie-cutter models.

And don't forget color pictures! TV Wonderland presents the very first color TVs such as the RCA Victor Color which started at a whopping $495.00, quite a sum back in the 1950's. The book is also sprinkled with interesting bits of trivia. As a testament to the popularity of westerns in the early days, during the 1958-1959 TV season seven of the top ten shows were westerns.

This is a marvelous little book. Well written with hundreds of classic advertising that will make you yearn for the days of your black & white Zenith!