Space Age Electronics

Although the first man-made rocket to breach the boundaries of space was the German made V-2 rocket in 1942 Space Age is considered to have begun with the Soviet Union’s Sputnik satellite in 1957. The fear of the Cold War (1946-1991) and the imaginations of the Western world at the time surrounding the race into space dramatically influenced popular culture. From fashion, product, graphic and interior design to music and technological advances – the world from the mid 50s to the late 70s was fixated on Space Age. Tie in the psychedelic qualities of the 60s and you easily have a revolutionary departure from the calm pastels and utilitarian designs that accompanied the “white flight” of the growing suburban 50s.

Many describe the bright colors, bold and transformative designs of this era commonly as mod, retro, or vintage. Perhaps those descriptions are misnomers as they never quite define Space Age. Astronaut helmets, flying saucers, planetary-referencing orbs, spaceships and satellites all became part of the pop culture landscape of the time. It could be said that few designs since have reflected a more futuristic optimism than these electronic gizmos of the past.

Here we take a look at how the Space Age influenced electronics. A common similarity is the absence of or high saturation of color. Until this point in design history, electronic devices – be that of the radio, telephone, record player, television and later the 8 track and reel-to-reel players etc. – were commonly pretty bland. Occasionally you’d have rouge aluminum-encased Victrolas designed by some early out-of-the-box thinker and great Bakelite radios from the art deco period, but all-in-all your options came in wood grain and black. The 50’s introduced a number of brighter plastic models but the standard corals and avocados were about as daring as the American consumer would or could buy. Space Age electronics were a departure.

It was no mistake that at this time the technological switch was being made from massive, heavy tube and circuit boards to Solid State. Designs from Europe, the Americas and all over Asia trickled into the magazine pages and then onto the department store shelves. That trickle soon turned into a flood as Asian manufacturers worked with willing superpowers to produce the fun objects that were not only design icons but also much more portable. Portability was key in the development and popularity of these items and consumers flocked to these new designs.

Considering collecting Space Age Electronics?

If ever on the hunt for Space Age electronics be sure to look for the following popular brands; Weltron, Aquatron, Philco, Grundig, Panasonic, Magnavox, Brother, Prominent and Wyndford Hall. Many more fantastic designs exist that were specifically sold to the European market. You may find that very similar designs have different brand names on them. This is because patents for the internal works were often sold or copied. Weltron could have produced the iconic 2001 model and then sold the patent to a Korean company who manufactured the same radio system but housed it in a different case.

A few details to keep in mind: The quality and condition of the case, missing knobs, tested working or not working units and most importantly – the condition of the battery compartment (you don’t want corroded and acid-filled units). If the seller of the unit notes that the sound is “scratchy” when adjusting the knobs – don’t worry! These sets are anywhere from 30-50 years old. Dust is normal and a quick trip to the electronics store can solve this problem. On the other hand, you could just enjoy the “sweet spots” on the dial where the sound comes in perfectly. Happy hunting!

Memphis Milano: The Dennis Zanone Collection

Dennis Zanone’s Malabar Room with Various Memphis Collections

The Memphis group comprised of designers and architects (mainly Italians) who created a series of influential products in the 1980’s. They challenged the idea that products had to follow conventional shapes, colors, textures and patterns. Expensive elements such as granite and marble were paired with materials such as plastics, plywood, laminates and Formica. Often was the case that color and pattern were saturated beyond many observer’s level of comfort. Form followed function – or did it?

The Memphis group was founded in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass who called Memphis design the ‘New International Style’. Among its members were Alessandro Mendini, Martine Bedin, Andrea Branzi, Aldo Cibic, Michele de Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Michael Graves, Hans Hollein, Arata Isozaki, Shiro Kuramata, Matteo Thun, Javier Mariscal, George Sowden, and Marco Zanini

Certainly ground breaking at the time, the creations – which ranged from small housewares to entire buildings – were a stark contrast to the chrome-laden black and brown leather creations stemming from the much earlier Bauhaus School and mid 20th century modernism. They took this approach to the “redefinition of design” and soon began exhibiting clocks, lighting, furniture and ceramics created by internationally famous architects and designers.

The work of the Memphis Group has been described as vibrant, eccentric and ornamental. Art Deco, Pop Art, and Futurism were some design inspirations although the work coming out of their group were certainly unique creations.

Sottsass dismantled the group in 1988 and although Memphis may no longer exist it has certainly influenced many and designers in all fields to this day.

The Memphis Milano collection of Dennis Zanone

Dennis Zanone is a photographer and avid Memphis Milano collector living in Memphis, Tennessee. With over 20 years of investment it would be harder to believe that any individual (or museum) has a larger and more comprehensive Memphis Milano collection – even though the likes of MOMA and even Karl Lagerfield  have/had also caught the Memphis bug. We are very fortunate that Zanone meticulously documents and shares the pieces on his Memphis Milano Flickr stream and shares the love and knowledge via his Memphis Milano Facebook Page.

Philco Predicta – The Original Flat Screen TV

One could argue that throughout modern history no one single product has made a larger impact on culture than the television. Perhaps the automobile, personal computer and the combustion engine are right up there – but pound for pound and hour for hour the television has become a staple for human life and defines aspects such as the people we admire, vote for, like (or dislike), the music we listen to, the products we buy. You get the point. We’re going to talk about one of the most innovative designs of the telivision – The Philco Predicta.

Although commercially available since the mid 1920’s TVs – like most new technologies – were expensive commodities.  It wasn’t until advances were made in their dependability and size that the average consumer could have one of their own. Until the 1940’s the typical method of home media entertainment outside of playing your own records on the Victrola was the radio. Current events, weather, sports, and of course the entertainment of the Lone Ranger and a host other programs for all age groups drew families into the den to tune in. At that time the radio provided you with the story line while leaving the visualizations up to the imaginations of the listener. Often was the case that a movie picture at the theater or a comic book coincided with a radio program and provided some starting point of visual reference. As with radio the main driving force behind TV remains the ability to advertise directly to consumers.

Even though the populous had seen moving pictures in the theater that experience of watching a seemingly endless barrage of programs right in the comfort of their own homes was proven to be one we all became addicted to. Science Fiction and the  display of imaginary time far off in the future opened the doors for product engineers to become front-runners in the development of the flat panel monitors and personal computers we all know and use today. It is well documented that the creators of Microsoft, IBM and Apple were inspired by these visual representation of people using personal desktop displays in everyday life.

The Philco Predicta

Taking a look at the history of flat panel monitors and when they first became available to the average consumer one cannot help but highlight the beloved and highly collectable Predicta by Philco. Until the Predicta, TVs were massive objects viewed more as a piece of furniture. Typical sets were extremely heavy units filled with circuitry and picture tubes – both notorious for malfunctioning. The Predicta was first introduced in two sizes; the 21 and the 17 inch. The 21 inch set failed often. Predicta’s reputation for failure paired with the lack of a color version and its  incredibly outlandish styling eventually lead Philco into bankruptcy in the 1960’s.

The idea to have this floating screen not surrounded by a thick bulky box was revolutionary. The Predicta’s screen itself worked like most common TVs of its age with the main picture tube translating and deciphering high frequency radio signals into moving imagery on the screen – But there was a major difference. Instead of building a boxy set around this general function the box at the base did all of the work, held all of the circuitry and controlled the picture and sound quality.  The screen of the Predicta is attached by a tether or umbilical cord. The monitors could actually be lifted off the stand while still functioning. This umbilical cord held the mass of wires – mostly attached to the main picture tube at the back of the screen – and connected it to all of the controls like the vertical and horizontal hold, the brightness and contrast. It was a marvel of engineering for its day.

Telstar now produces new versions of the Predicta after purchasing the rights to the Predicta brand. Take a look at their fun gallery of models. If you love these old sets we recommend contacting Telstar or saving an old one off eBay and taking a shot at restoration. If anything, just for looks!

Telstar was kind enough to send us these images of a few of their fully restored and functional beauties!