Here is Post 7!--the Missing Post.
Somehow, Post 7 was never published! And the most recent Post to date is POST 18! So there is some catching up to do (Or, "catching back," to do). And this Post 7 is an especially valuable post in that it shows and describes Zenith Radio's first television set. And it shows the memorable Brian ("Bronc") Mahronic, Zenith's National Service Manager.
And to conform to the new format, we'll start by summarizing Post 7:
Zenith Radio’s first television set plays again! . . (Photo: Brian Mahronic and Zenith Radio Model 1939) . . .old Zenith Radio TV set is shown . . . Antique Radio club of Illinois is described . . . Sam Kaplan, inventor of the ChromaColor television picture tube, is introduced . . . ChromaColor and its loss to Zenith Radio . . . Sam Kaplan, the President of Zenith, and Revone Kluckman, another president, both R.I.P . . . early Zenith incredible stock profit . . . description of Zenith’s Plant 2. . . Ed Brown and Dr. Ellett . . . McDonald and product quality . . . photos of Frank Crotty and Philip Curtis . . . Karl Horn, R.I.P . . . Mizpah!
Now, let's see what was in Post 7. Here is the copy--
Although Zenith Radio Corporation is now history, we can take pleasure in looking back on its triumphs, and even its failures. And about that statement . . . "is now history," we'll look into more of that history in later Posts, and tell how and why Zenith and the entire American consumer electronics industry was destroyed by the cartel set up by RCA's David Sarnoff, who acted in league with the Japanese electronics industry. So, watch for the account of Zenith's Second War in a forthcoming post.
The following story was copied from the Zenith Magazine, Zenith ServiceWorld, published in 1974.
ZENITH'S FIRST TELEVISION SET PLAYS AGAIN!
Here is Brian Mahronic, National Service Manager, with an experimental model built in 1939. "Bronc" --as he was widely called--and his family watched it for several years before replacing it with one of Zenith's first production models. Then the set was banished to the basement.
The only television station in Chicago at the time was W9XCV, an experimental station built, of course, by Zenith--another one of Zenith's famous "firsts."
Mario Bertucci of the Zenith cabinet shop did the refinishing. The cabinet is a beauty of blond oak, with a hand-rubbed finish. Even today, it would be a credit to any living room.
Because the early picture tubes were so long, it was necessary to mount the tube vertically and project the image on a mirror mounted on the inside of the slanting lid.
Bronc and Henry Duncan, one of Joe Smith's electronic repair wizards, made it play again. It wasn't difficult--the tuner was cleaned, the electrolytics,which the years had dried out, were replaced, and a few adjustments were made. The radio also plays again, and plays with the surprising sound of a Zenith.
The power supply was a hazard during the repair --it was a "brute force" power supply wherein in the high voltage was built up in stages, with an amperage high enough to "melt your fillings" if you got in the way of it. Later television tubes used a much higher voltage of 30,000, but it was more like a static charge that would give you a tingle--but your fillings were safe.
Here is a photo of the mirrored image as the set received Channel 2.
The monochrome picture tubes of Zenith's 1974 12-inch models are 25 times as bright. Yet the old set still provides a viewable picture. It happened by chance that, while the image was being photographed, a Clark Gable movie was being shown. Do you recall "It Started in Naples," starring Clark Gable and Sophia Loren?
(Note: We must wonder where that set is now, and whether it is still operating. After all, the article above was published in Zenith Serviceworld magazine in 1974, 40 years ago! If found, it would be worth a pile$.)
Speaking of old television sets (mine!)--
The set shown is a 27-inch cabinet model, one of Zenith's prime sellers. This particular one played reliably for at least 20 years, and until the picture began to dim. A visit from one of the few remaining service people got it started again by replacing two "Duramodules"-- Zenith's way of repairing sets. Eventually though, the set died and was hauled away by two men (it was very heavy!) for $40. Perhaps it was revitalized and is playing somewhere.
If you cherish antique radios, why not join the Antique Radios Club of Illinois? The club comprises a nationwide family of over 500 people dedicated to the preservation of antique radios and related items. www.antique-radios.org/ Zenith Radios are there, of course. Below is a photo taken at an Antique Radios Club swap meet. (Looks like fun!)
The next meet of the Antique Radios Club is next December 7, 2014 at the American Legion Hall in Carol Stream, Illinois, at 7:00 a.m. Check the website for further information: www.antique-radios.org/
Incidental Note. It is said by sound experts that nothing equals the fidelity of the sound provided by an amplifier equipped with those old triode vacuum tubes. And for that matter, the experts also say that the highest sound fidelity is heard on 33-1/3-inch vinyl records.
This gentlemen is Sam Kaplan, inventor of the Zenith Radio ChromaColor television picture tube. Zenith television sets equipped with the Chromacolor tube far outshone the competition, making Zenith the leader and best seller in color. Zenith patented the ChromaColor technology of course, but not in Japan, an unfortunate oversight. Later, a Japanese company (Toshiba) filed a patent suit against Zenith on the basis that the Chromacolor concept was not original with Zenith and thus not patentable, and Japan won. The cost to Zenith in lost royalties?--an estimated $50 million, minimum. The unhappy story of the loss of ChromaColor is told in a forthcoming Post of this blog.
About Sam Kaplan--the inventor shown above, is not the only Sam Kaplan in Zenith's history--there was also another Sam Kaplan, one who became a president of Zenith! And that Sam Kaplan began his career with Zenith as an office boy. Zenith was a company where that could happen! Sadly, that Sam Kaplan died of a heart attack long before his time while exercising on his stationary bicycle.
Another casualty of the executive suite was Revone Kluckman, a later president of Zenith. His name means "clever fellow" in German. After a happy day of playing 18 holes of golf, he died--also of a heart attack--on the 19th hole, while enjoying an after-the-game drink. He had plans for revolutionizing Zenith which might have saved it from eventual failure.
Becoming an executive is a fine goal, but it can also mean a life of stress.
* * * * *
Zenith's incredible stock profit: 24,146%! Radio made our country and the world smaller. For the first time, you didn’t have to wait days for war news. For example, no longer did you have to wait for a newspaper to tell you how the Normandy invasion was going. And if the president wanted to raise money, he could talk to Americans live and directly, and persuade them to buy war bonds, and so helping fund the war much more quickly.
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
NOW!--Mizpah! once again.
Ralph Clarke, "Journalist" (I have to show my puss to publicize this weblog so that the spiders can find it.)
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Zenith Radio's Plant 2.
For much of its early existence, Zenith had been housed in an old building on Iron Street in Chicago known as "Plant 1." (Real stinky from the Chicago stockyards when the wind was in the right (wrong!) direction. From there, Zenith moved to what became known as Plant 2, located at the intersection of Austin Boulevard and Dickens avenue. Adjacent to the plant on the south was the railway line of the Northwestern Railway (now the Union Pacific). Commander McDonald’s office on the second floor that overlooked the intersection of Austin and Dickens, and it was not a view that he would spend much time gazing upon. On the opposite side of Austin was the factory of the Brody Seating Company, and Zenith had some small officers just east of there on Dickens, which housed the Zenith Field Engineers, and the writers of the customer instruction manuals, under Eddie Kob. In its early days, Zenith didn’t waste money on fancy buildings, preferring something cheap left over from the last Century. It got fancy later when the real money started to flow in.
Early on, almost the entirety of Zenith was contained in Plant 2. It comprised the general administrative offices, and the law and patent departments. As you moved west in the building, you came upon the engineering and research departments under engineering chief Jesse Edward Brown—and you called him Ed and never Jesse, or you would depart scalded.
Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
There is a story about Dr. Ellett which may be a fable, or not. Seems that a very noisy cart with irregular iron wheels used to traverse several times daily down the corridor just outside Dr. Ellett’s office. It did this incessantly, and one day, in a rage at the noisy interruption, Dr. Ellett surged out of his office and fired the guy with cart. Whether this aggravation was purposeful is not known, but suspected. (The guy with the noisy cart was quietly transferred to another location, with his job preserved.)Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
The ground floor of Plant 2 was full-fledged factory packed with production machinery and long benches clustered with workers, mostly women, busily welding soldering irons to hand-assemble Zenith radios and televisions. Most of them were from the west side of Chicago, and they comprised perhaps the most efficient work force ever assembled. If a piece of hook-up wire fell to the floor, it would be picked up and rewired into a chassis. They, like most Zenith employees, were devoted to Zenith.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
If the problem was minor, McDonald often relied the telephone to quest for the reason. His “three rings” on the phone was legendary—you knew that it was McDonald on the other end. It is said that one engineer, in responding to the three rings, literally flew across two desks to get to the phone. Of course that account may be exaggerated, but that is what the observer said. No one really minded—they loved McDonald for it, and knew what he did was for the common good, and all were rewarded by one of the most generous profit-sharing plans ever created.
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo of Philip J. Curtis. It is actually a photo-copy of an excerpt from an oil painting in which Phil Curtis appeared. (An actual photo is not available.)
Frank Crotty
Philip J. Curtis
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
And the time now has come to really publish this Post 7 of the Zenith Book weblog. Please contribute, comment, complain,or otherwise respond to this weblog. And spread the word about its existence. Why? Because Zenith is being forgotten. Think not?--just ask anyone under 30 years of age about Zenith and you will most likely be met with a puzzled look. This must not be!
As you may recall, Commander McDonald's yacht was named the "Mizpah," which the Columbia Encyclopedia says means, in Hebrew--May the lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from the other.
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge the text to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo of Philip J. Curtis. It is actually a photo-copy of an excerpt from an oil painting in which Phil Curtis appeared. (An actual photo is not available.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
Born in Hanover, Germany on Sept 20, 1923, Mr. Horn emigrated to the U.S. in 1951. He was Executive Vice President of Zenith Electronics Corporation, and until his retirement is 1987, president of its Systems and Components Group. Mr. Horn was a pioneer in the color television industry, and holds a number of patents in that field. Leonard Dietch* was his engineering assistant.
Author’s note: Horn was observed working and staying 24 hours-a-day at Rauland to bring a new television tube to perfection. He was officially retired at the time, but he just couldn’t stay away from an unfinished task.
__________
* Upon his retirement, Lennie took up cycling. He was hit by a car. As a result of the accident, his pelvis was broken in three places. He did not survive. R.I.P. --So, stay off bikes, you guys. And the time now has come to really publish this Post 7 of the Zenith Book weblog. Please contribute, comment, complain,or otherwise respond to this weblog. And spread the word about its existence. Why? Because Zenith is being forgotten. Think not?--just ask anyone under 30 years of age about Zenith and you will most likely be met with a puzzled look. This must not be!
Let's use this name as a blessing and a farewell between us! So, Mizpah! until next time!
*Comment and an apology from author (AKA the "journalist"). As noted previously in this Post, this Post 7 didn't get published in May, 2014,as it should have, but rather today, Friday, November 28!
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge the text to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
The Raulanders—a group of former employees of the Rauland Picure Tube Plant in Melrose Park are meeting at Russell’s Barbecue on Thursday, December 4, 2014! Time: 1PM to 3 PM. All former Rauland and Zenith employees are heartily welcomed. Russell’s Barbecue is located at 1621 N. Thatcher, Elmwood, Park. (It’s just North of North avenue and across from River Forest)
Ralph Clarke, "Journalist" (I have to show my puss to publicize this weblog so that the spiders can find it.)
Somehow, Post 7 was never published! And the most recent Post to date is POST 18! So there is some catching up to do (Or, "catching back," to do). And this Post 7 is an especially valuable post in that it shows and describes Zenith Radio's first television set. And it shows the memorable Brian ("Bronc") Mahronic, Zenith's National Service Manager.
And to conform to the new format, we'll start by summarizing the Post 7:
Zenith Radio’s first television set plays again! . . (Photo: Brian Mahronic and Zenith Radio Model 1939) . . .old Zenith Radio TV set is shown . . . Antique Radio club of Illinois is described . . . Sam Kaplan, inventor of the ChromaColor television picture tube, is introduced . . . ChromaColor and its loss to Zenith Radio . . . Sam Kaplan, the President of Zenith, and Revone Kluckman, another president, both R.I.P . . . early Zenith incredible stock profit . . . description of Zenith’s Plant 2. . . Ed Brown and Dr. Ellett . . . McDonald and product quality . . . photos of Frank Crotty and Philip Curtis . . . Karl Horn, R.I.P . . . Mizpah!
Now, let's see what was in Post 7--
Although Zenith Radio Corporation is now history, we can take pleasure in looking back on its triumphs, and even its failures. And about that statement . . . "is now history," we'll look into more of that history in later Posts, and tell how and why Zenith and the entire American consumer electronics industry was destroyed by the cartel set up by RCA's David Sarnoff, who acted in league with the Japanese electronics industry. So, watch for the account of Zenith's Second War in a forthcoming post.
The following story was copied from the Zenith Magazine, Zenith ServiceWorld, published in 1974.
ZENITH'S FIRST TELEVISION SET PLAYS AGAIN!
Here is Brian Mahronic, National Service Manager, with an experimental model built in 1939. "Bronc" --as he was widely called--and his family watched it for several years before replacing it with one of Zenith's first production models. Then the set was banished to the basement.
The only television station in Chicago at the time was W9XCV, an experimental station built, of course, by Zenith--another one of Zenith's famous "firsts."
Mario Bertucci of the Zenith cabinet shop did the refinishing. The cabinet is a beauty of blond oak, with a hand-rubbed finish. Even today, it would be a credit to any living room.
Because the early picture tubes were so long, it was necessary to mount the tube vertically and project the image on a mirror mounted on the inside of the slanting lid.
Bronc and Henry Duncan, one of Joe Smith's electronic repair wizards, made it play again. It wasn't difficult--the tuner was cleaned, the electrolytics,which the years had dried out, were replaced, and a few adjustments were made. The radio also plays again, and plays with the surprising sound of a Zenith.
The power supply was a hazard during the repair --it was a "brute force" power supply wherein in the high voltage was built up in stages, with an amperage high enough to "melt your fillings" if you got in the way of it. Later television tubes used a much higher voltage of 30,000, but it was more like a static charge that would give you a tingle--but your fillings were safe.
Here is a photo of the mirrored image as the set received Channel 2.
The monochrome picture tubes of Zenith's 1974 12-inch models are 25 times as bright. Yet the old set still provides a viewable picture. It happened by chance that, while the image was being photographed, a Clark Gable movie was being shown. Do you recall "It Started in Naples," starring Clark Gable and Sophia Loren?
(Note: We must wonder where that set is now, and whether it is still operating. After all, the article above was published in Zenith Serviceworld magazine in 1974, 40 years ago! If found, it would be worth a pile$.)
Speaking of old television sets (mine!)--
The set shown is a 27-inch cabinet model, one of Zenith's prime sellers. This particular one played reliably for at least 20 years, and until the picture began to dim. A visit from one of the few remaining service people got it started again by replacing two "Duramodules"-- Zenith's way of repairing sets. Eventually though, the set died and was hauled away by two men (it was very heavy!) for $40. Perhaps it was revitalized and is playing somewhere.
If you cherish antique radios, why not join the Antique Radios Club of Illinois? The club comprises a nationwide family of over 500 people dedicated to the preservation of antique radios and related items. www.antique-radios.org/ Zenith Radios are there, of course. Below is a photo taken at an Antique Radios Club swap meet. (Looks like fun!)
Incidental Note. It is said by sound experts that nothing equals the fidelity of the sound provided by an amplifier equipped with those old triode vacuum tubes. And for that matter, the experts also say that the highest sound fidelity is heard on 33-1/3-inch vinyl records.
This gentlemen is Sam Kaplan, inventor of the Zenith Radio ChromaColor television picture tube. Zenith television sets equipped with the Chromacolor tube far outshone the competition, making Zenith the leader and best seller in color. Zenith patented the ChromaColor technology of course, but not in Japan, an unfortunate oversight. Later, a Japanese company (Toshiba) filed a patent suit against Zenith on the basis that the Chromacolor concept was not original with Zenith and thus not patentable, and Japan won. The cost to Zenith in lost royalties?--an estimated $50 million, minimum. The unhappy story of the loss of ChromaColor is told in a forthcoming Post of this blog.
About Sam Kaplan--the inventor shown above, is not the only Sam Kaplan in Zenith's history--there was also another Sam Kaplan, one who became a president of Zenith! And that Sam Kaplan began his career with Zenith as an office boy. Zenith was a company where that could happen! Sadly, that Sam Kaplan died of a heart attack long before his time while exercising on his stationary bicycle.
Another casualty of the executive suite was Revone Kluckman, a later president of Zenith. His name means "clever fellow" in German. After a happy day of playing 18 holes of golf, he died--also of a heart attack--on the 19th hole, while enjoying an after-the-game drink. He had plans for revolutionizing Zenith which might have saved it from eventual failure.
Becoming an executive is a fine goal, but it can also mean a life of stress.
* * * * *
Zenith's incredible stock profit: 24,146%! Radio made our country and the world smaller. For the first time, you didn’t have to wait days for war news. For example, no longer did you have to wait for a newspaper to tell you how the Normandy invasion was going. And if the president wanted to raise money, he could talk to Americans live and directly, and persuade them to buy war bonds, and so helping fund the war much more quickly.
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Ralph Clarke, "Journalist"
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Zenith Radio's Plant 2.
For much of its early existence, Zenith had been housed in an old building on Iron Street in Chicago known as "Plant 1." (Real stinky from the Chicago stockyards when the wind was in the right (wrong!) direction. From there, Zenith moved to what became known as Plant 2, located at the intersection of Austin Boulevard and Dickens avenue. Adjacent to the plant on the south was the railway line of the Northwestern Railway (now the Union Pacific). Commander McDonald’s office on the second floor that overlooked the intersection of Austin and Dickens, and it was not a view that he would spend much time gazing upon. On the opposite side of Austin was the factory of the Brody Seating Company, and Zenith had some small officers just east of there on Dickens, which housed the Zenith Field Engineers, and the writers of the customer instruction manuals, under Eddie Kob. In its early days, Zenith didn’t waste money on fancy buildings, preferring something cheap left over from the last Century. It got fancy later when the real money started to flow in.
Early on, almost the entirety of Zenith was contained in Plant 2. It comprised the general administrative offices, and the law and patent departments. As you moved west in the building, you came upon the engineering and research departments under engineering chief Jesse Edward Brown—and you called him Ed and never Jesse, or you would depart scalded.
Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
There is a story about Dr. Ellett which may be a fable, or not. Seems that a very noisy cart with irregular iron wheels used to traverse several times daily down the corridor just outside Dr. Ellett’s office. It did this incessantly, and one day, in a rage at the noisy interruption, Dr. Ellett surged out of his office and fired the guy with cart. Whether this aggravation was purposeful is not known, but suspected. (The guy with the noisy cart was quietly transferred to another location, with his job preserved.)Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
The ground floor of Plant 2 was full-fledged factory packed with production machinery and long benches clustered with workers, mostly women, busily welding soldering irons to hand-assemble Zenith radios and televisions. Most of them were from the west side of Chicago, and they comprised perhaps the most efficient work force ever assembled. If a piece of hook-up wire fell to the floor, it would be picked up and rewired into a chassis. They, like most Zenith employees, were devoted to Zenith.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
If the problem was minor, McDonald often relied the telephone to quest for the reason. His “three rings” on the phone was legendary—you knew that it was McDonald on the other end. It is said that one engineer, in responding to the three rings, literally flew across two desks to get to the phone. Of course that account may be exaggerated, but that is what the observer said. No one really minded—they loved McDonald for it, and knew what he did was for the common good, and all were rewarded by one of the most generous profit-sharing plans ever created.
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo believed to be Philip J. Curtis--"believed to be " is stated because there is doubt that it is truly an image of Curtis. Someday, a photo will be found of him. In the interim, this will have to do.
Frank Crotty
Philip J. Curtis
(Author's Note: That is really a representation of Philip Curtis, and apparently the only one we will ever have, for no actual photo has been located to date. The one shown is said to be a copy of Phil as he appeared in a painting among a group of others. (Thanks to Anne Curtis for the copy and the information.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
As you may recall, Commander McDonald's yacht was named the "Mizpah," which the Columbia Encyclopedia says means, in Hebrew--May the lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from the other.
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge it to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo believed to be Philip J. Curtis--"believed to be " is stated because there is doubt that it is truly an image of Curtis. Someday, a photo will be found of him. In the interim, this will have to do.
(Author's Note: That is really a representation of Philip Curtis, and apparently the only one we will ever have, for no actual photo has been located to date. The one shown is said to be a copy of Phil as he appeared in a painting among a group of others. (Thanks to Anne Curtis for the copy and the information.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
Born in Hanover, Germany on Sept 20, 1923, Mr. Horn emigrated to the U.S. in 1951. He was Executive Vice President of Zenith Electronics Corporation, and until his retirement is 1987, president of its Systems and Components Group. Mr. Horn was a pioneer in the color television industry, and holds a number of patents in that field. Leonard Dietch* was his engineering assistant.
Author’s note: Horn was observed working and staying 24 hours-a-day at Rauland to bring a new television tube to perfection. He was officially retired at the time, but he just couldn’t stay away from an unfinished task.
__________
*Upon his retirement, Lennie took up cycling. He was hit by a car. As a result of the accident, his pelvis was broken in three places. He did not survive. R.I.P. --So, stay off bikes, you guys.
And the time now has come to really publish this Post 7 of the Zenith Book Blog. Please contribute, comment, complain,or otherwise respond to this blog. And spread the word about its existence. Why? Because Zenith is being forgotten. Think not?--just ask anyone under 30 years of age about Zenith and you will most likely be met with a puzzled look. This must not be!
Let's use this name as a blessing and a farewell between us! So, Mizpah! until next time!
*Comment and an apology from author (AKA the "journalist"). As noted previously in this Post, this Post 7 didn't get published in May, 2014,as it should have, but rather today, Friday, November 28!
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge it to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
The Raulanders—a group of former employees of the Rauland Picure Tube Plant in Melrose Park are meeting at Russell’s Barbecue on Thursday, December 4! Time: 1PM to 3 PM. All former Rauland and Zenith employees are heartily welcomed. Russell’s Barbecue is located at 1621 N. Thatcher, Elmwood, Park. (It’s just North of North avenue and across from River Forest) Great food!
NOW! Mizpah!Ralph Clarke, "Journalist"
Somehow, Post 7 was never published! And the most recent Post to date is POST 18! So there is some catching up to do (Or, "catching back," to do). And this Post 7 is an especially valuable post in that it shows and describes Zenith Radio's first television set. And it shows the memorable Brian ("Bronc") Mahronic, Zenith's National Service Manager.
And to conform to the new format, we'll start by summarizing the Post 7:
Zenith Radio’s first television set plays again! . . (Photo: Brian Mahronic and Zenith Radio Model 1939) . . .old Zenith Radio TV set is shown . . . Antique Radio club of Illinois is described . . . Sam Kaplan, inventor of the ChromaColor television picture tube, is introduced . . . ChromaColor and its loss to Zenith Radio . . . Sam Kaplan, the President of Zenith, and Revone Kluckman, another president, both R.I.P . . . early Zenith incredible stock profit . . . description of Zenith’s Plant 2. . . Ed Brown and Dr. Ellett . . . McDonald and product quality . . . photos of Frank Crotty and Philip Curtis . . . Karl Horn, R.I.P . . . Mizpah!
Now, let's see what was in Post 7--
Although Zenith Radio Corporation is now history, we can take pleasure in looking back on its triumphs, and even its failures. And about that statement . . . "is now history," we'll look into more of that history in later Posts, and tell how and why Zenith and the entire American consumer electronics industry was destroyed by the cartel set up by RCA's David Sarnoff, who acted in league with the Japanese electronics industry. So, watch for the account of Zenith's Second War in a forthcoming post.
The following story was copied from the Zenith Magazine, Zenith ServiceWorld, published in 1974.
ZENITH'S FIRST TELEVISION SET PLAYS AGAIN!
Here is Brian Mahronic, National Service Manager, with an experimental model built in 1939. "Bronc" --as he was widely called--and his family watched it for several years before replacing it with one of Zenith's first production models. Then the set was banished to the basement.
The only television station in Chicago at the time was W9XCV, an experimental station built, of course, by Zenith--another one of Zenith's famous "firsts."
Mario Bertucci of the Zenith cabinet shop did the refinishing. The cabinet is a beauty of blond oak, with a hand-rubbed finish. Even today, it would be a credit to any living room.
Because the early picture tubes were so long, it was necessary to mount the tube vertically and project the image on a mirror mounted on the inside of the slanting lid.
Bronc and Henry Duncan, one of Joe Smith's electronic repair wizards, made it play again. It wasn't difficult--the tuner was cleaned, the electrolytics,which the years had dried out, were replaced, and a few adjustments were made. The radio also plays again, and plays with the surprising sound of a Zenith.
The power supply was a hazard during the repair --it was a "brute force" power supply wherein in the high voltage was built up in stages, with an amperage high enough to "melt your fillings" if you got in the way of it. Later television tubes used a much higher voltage of 30,000, but it was more like a static charge that would give you a tingle--but your fillings were safe.
Here is a photo of the mirrored image as the set received Channel 2.
The monochrome picture tubes of Zenith's 1974 12-inch models are 25 times as bright. Yet the old set still provides a viewable picture. It happened by chance that, while the image was being photographed, a Clark Gable movie was being shown. Do you recall "It Started in Naples," starring Clark Gable and Sophia Loren?
(Note: We must wonder where that set is now, and whether it is still operating. After all, the article above was published in Zenith Serviceworld magazine in 1974, 40 years ago! If found, it would be worth a pile$.)
Speaking of old television sets (mine!)--
The set shown is a 27-inch cabinet model, one of Zenith's prime sellers. This particular one played reliably for at least 20 years, and until the picture began to dim. A visit from one of the few remaining service people got it started again by replacing two "Duramodules"-- Zenith's way of repairing sets. Eventually though, the set died and was hauled away by two men (it was very heavy!) for $40. Perhaps it was revitalized and is playing somewhere.
If you cherish antique radios, why not join the Antique Radios Club of Illinois? The club comprises a nationwide family of over 500 people dedicated to the preservation of antique radios and related items. www.antique-radios.org/ Zenith Radios are there, of course. Below is a photo taken at an Antique Radios Club swap meet. (Looks like fun!)
Incidental Note. It is said by sound experts that nothing equals the fidelity of the sound provided by an amplifier equipped with those old triode vacuum tubes. And for that matter, the experts also say that the highest sound fidelity is heard on 33-1/3-inch vinyl records.
This gentlemen is Sam Kaplan, inventor of the Zenith Radio ChromaColor television picture tube. Zenith television sets equipped with the Chromacolor tube far outshone the competition, making Zenith the leader and best seller in color. Zenith patented the ChromaColor technology of course, but not in Japan, an unfortunate oversight. Later, a Japanese company (Toshiba) filed a patent suit against Zenith on the basis that the Chromacolor concept was not original with Zenith and thus not patentable, and Japan won. The cost to Zenith in lost royalties?--an estimated $50 million, minimum. The unhappy story of the loss of ChromaColor is told in a forthcoming Post of this blog.
About Sam Kaplan--the inventor shown above, is not the only Sam Kaplan in Zenith's history--there was also another Sam Kaplan, one who became a president of Zenith! And that Sam Kaplan began his career with Zenith as an office boy. Zenith was a company where that could happen! Sadly, that Sam Kaplan died of a heart attack long before his time while exercising on his stationary bicycle.
Another casualty of the executive suite was Revone Kluckman, a later president of Zenith. His name means "clever fellow" in German. After a happy day of playing 18 holes of golf, he died--also of a heart attack--on the 19th hole, while enjoying an after-the-game drink. He had plans for revolutionizing Zenith which might have saved it from eventual failure.
Becoming an executive is a fine goal, but it can also mean a life of stress.
* * * * *
Zenith's incredible stock profit: 24,146%! Radio made our country and the world smaller. For the first time, you didn’t have to wait days for war news. For example, no longer did you have to wait for a newspaper to tell you how the Normandy invasion was going. And if the president wanted to raise money, he could talk to Americans live and directly, and persuade them to buy war bonds, and so helping fund the war much more quickly.
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Ralph Clarke, "Journalist"
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Zenith Radio's Plant 2.
For much of its early existence, Zenith had been housed in an old building on Iron Street in Chicago known as "Plant 1." (Real stinky from the Chicago stockyards when the wind was in the right (wrong!) direction. From there, Zenith moved to what became known as Plant 2, located at the intersection of Austin Boulevard and Dickens avenue. Adjacent to the plant on the south was the railway line of the Northwestern Railway (now the Union Pacific). Commander McDonald’s office on the second floor that overlooked the intersection of Austin and Dickens, and it was not a view that he would spend much time gazing upon. On the opposite side of Austin was the factory of the Brody Seating Company, and Zenith had some small officers just east of there on Dickens, which housed the Zenith Field Engineers, and the writers of the customer instruction manuals, under Eddie Kob. In its early days, Zenith didn’t waste money on fancy buildings, preferring something cheap left over from the last Century. It got fancy later when the real money started to flow in.
Early on, almost the entirety of Zenith was contained in Plant 2. It comprised the general administrative offices, and the law and patent departments. As you moved west in the building, you came upon the engineering and research departments under engineering chief Jesse Edward Brown—and you called him Ed and never Jesse, or you would depart scalded.
Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
There is a story about Dr. Ellett which may be a fable, or not. Seems that a very noisy cart with irregular iron wheels used to traverse several times daily down the corridor just outside Dr. Ellett’s office. It did this incessantly, and one day, in a rage at the noisy interruption, Dr. Ellett surged out of his office and fired the guy with cart. Whether this aggravation was purposeful is not known, but suspected. (The guy with the noisy cart was quietly transferred to another location, with his job preserved.)Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
The ground floor of Plant 2 was full-fledged factory packed with production machinery and long benches clustered with workers, mostly women, busily welding soldering irons to hand-assemble Zenith radios and televisions. Most of them were from the west side of Chicago, and they comprised perhaps the most efficient work force ever assembled. If a piece of hook-up wire fell to the floor, it would be picked up and rewired into a chassis. They, like most Zenith employees, were devoted to Zenith.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
If the problem was minor, McDonald often relied the telephone to quest for the reason. His “three rings” on the phone was legendary—you knew that it was McDonald on the other end. It is said that one engineer, in responding to the three rings, literally flew across two desks to get to the phone. Of course that account may be exaggerated, but that is what the observer said. No one really minded—they loved McDonald for it, and knew what he did was for the common good, and all were rewarded by one of the most generous profit-sharing plans ever created.
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo believed to be Philip J. Curtis--"believed to be " is stated because there is doubt that it is truly an image of Curtis. Someday, a photo will be found of him. In the interim, this will have to do.
Frank Crotty
Philip J. Curtis
(Author's Note: That is really a representation of Philip Curtis, and apparently the only one we will ever have, for no actual photo has been located to date. The one shown is said to be a copy of Phil as he appeared in a painting among a group of others. (Thanks to Anne Curtis for the copy and the information.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
As you may recall, Commander McDonald's yacht was named the "Mizpah," which the Columbia Encyclopedia says means, in Hebrew--May the lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from the other.
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge it to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo believed to be Philip J. Curtis--"believed to be " is stated because there is doubt that it is truly an image of Curtis. Someday, a photo will be found of him. In the interim, this will have to do.
(Author's Note: That is really a representation of Philip Curtis, and apparently the only one we will ever have, for no actual photo has been located to date. The one shown is said to be a copy of Phil as he appeared in a painting among a group of others. (Thanks to Anne Curtis for the copy and the information.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
Born in Hanover, Germany on Sept 20, 1923, Mr. Horn emigrated to the U.S. in 1951. He was Executive Vice President of Zenith Electronics Corporation, and until his retirement is 1987, president of its Systems and Components Group. Mr. Horn was a pioneer in the color television industry, and holds a number of patents in that field. Leonard Dietch* was his engineering assistant.
Author’s note: Horn was observed working and staying 24 hours-a-day at Rauland to bring a new television tube to perfection. He was officially retired at the time, but he just couldn’t stay away from an unfinished task.
__________
*Upon his retirement, Lennie took up cycling. He was hit by a car. As a result of the accident, his pelvis was broken in three places. He did not survive. R.I.P. --So, stay off bikes, you guys.
And the time now has come to really publish this Post 7 of the Zenith Book Blog. Please contribute, comment, complain,or otherwise respond to this blog. And spread the word about its existence. Why? Because Zenith is being forgotten. Think not?--just ask anyone under 30 years of age about Zenith and you will most likely be met with a puzzled look. This must not be!
Let's use this name as a blessing and a farewell between us! So, Mizpah! until next time!
*Comment and an apology from author (AKA the "journalist"). As noted previously in this Post, this Post 7 didn't get published in May, 2014,as it should have, but rather today, Friday, November 28!
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge it to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
The Raulanders—a group of former employees of the Rauland Picure Tube Plant in Melrose Park are meeting at Russell’s Barbecue on Thursday, December 4! Time: 1PM to 3 PM. All former Rauland and Zenith employees are heartily welcomed. Russell’s Barbecue is located at 1621 N. Thatcher, Elmwood, Park. (It’s just North of North avenue and across from River Forest) Great food!
NOW! Mizpah!Ralph Clarke, "Journalist"
Somehow, Post 7 was never published! And the most recent Post to date is POST 18! So there is some catching up to do (Or, "catching back," to do). And this Post 7 is an especially valuable post in that it shows and describes Zenith Radio's first television set. And it shows the memorable Brian ("Bronc") Mahronic, Zenith's National Service Manager.
And to conform to the new format, we'll start by summarizing the Post 7:
Zenith Radio’s first television set plays again! . . (Photo: Brian Mahronic and Zenith Radio Model 1939) . . .old Zenith Radio TV set is shown . . . Antique Radio club of Illinois is described . . . Sam Kaplan, inventor of the ChromaColor television picture tube, is introduced . . . ChromaColor and its loss to Zenith Radio . . . Sam Kaplan, the President of Zenith, and Revone Kluckman, another president, both R.I.P . . . early Zenith incredible stock profit . . . description of Zenith’s Plant 2. . . Ed Brown and Dr. Ellett . . . McDonald and product quality . . . photos of Frank Crotty and Philip Curtis . . . Karl Horn, R.I.P . . . Mizpah!
Now, let's see what was in Post 7--
Although Zenith Radio Corporation is now history, we can take pleasure in looking back on its triumphs, and even its failures. And about that statement . . . "is now history," we'll look into more of that history in later Posts, and tell how and why Zenith and the entire American consumer electronics industry was destroyed by the cartel set up by RCA's David Sarnoff, who acted in league with the Japanese electronics industry. So, watch for the account of Zenith's Second War in a forthcoming post.
The following story was copied from the Zenith Magazine, Zenith ServiceWorld, published in 1974.
ZENITH'S FIRST TELEVISION SET PLAYS AGAIN!
Here is Brian Mahronic, National Service Manager, with an experimental model built in 1939. "Bronc" --as he was widely called--and his family watched it for several years before replacing it with one of Zenith's first production models. Then the set was banished to the basement.
The only television station in Chicago at the time was W9XCV, an experimental station built, of course, by Zenith--another one of Zenith's famous "firsts."
Mario Bertucci of the Zenith cabinet shop did the refinishing. The cabinet is a beauty of blond oak, with a hand-rubbed finish. Even today, it would be a credit to any living room.
Because the early picture tubes were so long, it was necessary to mount the tube vertically and project the image on a mirror mounted on the inside of the slanting lid.
Bronc and Henry Duncan, one of Joe Smith's electronic repair wizards, made it play again. It wasn't difficult--the tuner was cleaned, the electrolytics,which the years had dried out, were replaced, and a few adjustments were made. The radio also plays again, and plays with the surprising sound of a Zenith.
The power supply was a hazard during the repair --it was a "brute force" power supply wherein in the high voltage was built up in stages, with an amperage high enough to "melt your fillings" if you got in the way of it. Later television tubes used a much higher voltage of 30,000, but it was more like a static charge that would give you a tingle--but your fillings were safe.
Here is a photo of the mirrored image as the set received Channel 2.
The monochrome picture tubes of Zenith's 1974 12-inch models are 25 times as bright. Yet the old set still provides a viewable picture. It happened by chance that, while the image was being photographed, a Clark Gable movie was being shown. Do you recall "It Started in Naples," starring Clark Gable and Sophia Loren?
(Note: We must wonder where that set is now, and whether it is still operating. After all, the article above was published in Zenith Serviceworld magazine in 1974, 40 years ago! If found, it would be worth a pile$.)
Speaking of old television sets (mine!)--
The set shown is a 27-inch cabinet model, one of Zenith's prime sellers. This particular one played reliably for at least 20 years, and until the picture began to dim. A visit from one of the few remaining service people got it started again by replacing two "Duramodules"-- Zenith's way of repairing sets. Eventually though, the set died and was hauled away by two men (it was very heavy!) for $40. Perhaps it was revitalized and is playing somewhere.
If you cherish antique radios, why not join the Antique Radios Club of Illinois? The club comprises a nationwide family of over 500 people dedicated to the preservation of antique radios and related items. www.antique-radios.org/ Zenith Radios are there, of course. Below is a photo taken at an Antique Radios Club swap meet. (Looks like fun!)
Incidental Note. It is said by sound experts that nothing equals the fidelity of the sound provided by an amplifier equipped with those old triode vacuum tubes. And for that matter, the experts also say that the highest sound fidelity is heard on 33-1/3-inch vinyl records.
This gentlemen is Sam Kaplan, inventor of the Zenith Radio ChromaColor television picture tube. Zenith television sets equipped with the Chromacolor tube far outshone the competition, making Zenith the leader and best seller in color. Zenith patented the ChromaColor technology of course, but not in Japan, an unfortunate oversight. Later, a Japanese company (Toshiba) filed a patent suit against Zenith on the basis that the Chromacolor concept was not original with Zenith and thus not patentable, and Japan won. The cost to Zenith in lost royalties?--an estimated $50 million, minimum. The unhappy story of the loss of ChromaColor is told in a forthcoming Post of this blog.
About Sam Kaplan--the inventor shown above, is not the only Sam Kaplan in Zenith's history--there was also another Sam Kaplan, one who became a president of Zenith! And that Sam Kaplan began his career with Zenith as an office boy. Zenith was a company where that could happen! Sadly, that Sam Kaplan died of a heart attack long before his time while exercising on his stationary bicycle.
Another casualty of the executive suite was Revone Kluckman, a later president of Zenith. His name means "clever fellow" in German. After a happy day of playing 18 holes of golf, he died--also of a heart attack--on the 19th hole, while enjoying an after-the-game drink. He had plans for revolutionizing Zenith which might have saved it from eventual failure.
Becoming an executive is a fine goal, but it can also mean a life of stress.
* * * * *
Zenith's incredible stock profit: 24,146%! Radio made our country and the world smaller. For the first time, you didn’t have to wait days for war news. For example, no longer did you have to wait for a newspaper to tell you how the Normandy invasion was going. And if the president wanted to raise money, he could talk to Americans live and directly, and persuade them to buy war bonds, and so helping fund the war much more quickly.
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Ralph Clarke, "Journalist"
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Zenith Radio's Plant 2.
For much of its early existence, Zenith had been housed in an old building on Iron Street in Chicago known as "Plant 1." (Real stinky from the Chicago stockyards when the wind was in the right (wrong!) direction. From there, Zenith moved to what became known as Plant 2, located at the intersection of Austin Boulevard and Dickens avenue. Adjacent to the plant on the south was the railway line of the Northwestern Railway (now the Union Pacific). Commander McDonald’s office on the second floor that overlooked the intersection of Austin and Dickens, and it was not a view that he would spend much time gazing upon. On the opposite side of Austin was the factory of the Brody Seating Company, and Zenith had some small officers just east of there on Dickens, which housed the Zenith Field Engineers, and the writers of the customer instruction manuals, under Eddie Kob. In its early days, Zenith didn’t waste money on fancy buildings, preferring something cheap left over from the last Century. It got fancy later when the real money started to flow in.
Early on, almost the entirety of Zenith was contained in Plant 2. It comprised the general administrative offices, and the law and patent departments. As you moved west in the building, you came upon the engineering and research departments under engineering chief Jesse Edward Brown—and you called him Ed and never Jesse, or you would depart scalded.
Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
There is a story about Dr. Ellett which may be a fable, or not. Seems that a very noisy cart with irregular iron wheels used to traverse several times daily down the corridor just outside Dr. Ellett’s office. It did this incessantly, and one day, in a rage at the noisy interruption, Dr. Ellett surged out of his office and fired the guy with cart. Whether this aggravation was purposeful is not known, but suspected. (The guy with the noisy cart was quietly transferred to another location, with his job preserved.)Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
The ground floor of Plant 2 was full-fledged factory packed with production machinery and long benches clustered with workers, mostly women, busily welding soldering irons to hand-assemble Zenith radios and televisions. Most of them were from the west side of Chicago, and they comprised perhaps the most efficient work force ever assembled. If a piece of hook-up wire fell to the floor, it would be picked up and rewired into a chassis. They, like most Zenith employees, were devoted to Zenith.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
If the problem was minor, McDonald often relied the telephone to quest for the reason. His “three rings” on the phone was legendary—you knew that it was McDonald on the other end. It is said that one engineer, in responding to the three rings, literally flew across two desks to get to the phone. Of course that account may be exaggerated, but that is what the observer said. No one really minded—they loved McDonald for it, and knew what he did was for the common good, and all were rewarded by one of the most generous profit-sharing plans ever created.
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo believed to be Philip J. Curtis--"believed to be " is stated because there is doubt that it is truly an image of Curtis. Someday, a photo will be found of him. In the interim, this will have to do.
Frank Crotty
Philip J. Curtis
(Author's Note: That is really a representation of Philip Curtis, and apparently the only one we will ever have, for no actual photo has been located to date. The one shown is said to be a copy of Phil as he appeared in a painting among a group of others. (Thanks to Anne Curtis for the copy and the information.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
As you may recall, Commander McDonald's yacht was named the "Mizpah," which the Columbia Encyclopedia says means, in Hebrew--May the lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from the other.
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge it to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo believed to be Philip J. Curtis--"believed to be " is stated because there is doubt that it is truly an image of Curtis. Someday, a photo will be found of him. In the interim, this will have to do.
(Author's Note: That is really a representation of Philip Curtis, and apparently the only one we will ever have, for no actual photo has been located to date. The one shown is said to be a copy of Phil as he appeared in a painting among a group of others. (Thanks to Anne Curtis for the copy and the information.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
Born in Hanover, Germany on Sept 20, 1923, Mr. Horn emigrated to the U.S. in 1951. He was Executive Vice President of Zenith Electronics Corporation, and until his retirement is 1987, president of its Systems and Components Group. Mr. Horn was a pioneer in the color television industry, and holds a number of patents in that field. Leonard Dietch* was his engineering assistant.
Author’s note: Horn was observed working and staying 24 hours-a-day at Rauland to bring a new television tube to perfection. He was officially retired at the time, but he just couldn’t stay away from an unfinished task.
__________
*Upon his retirement, Lennie took up cycling. He was hit by a car. As a result of the accident, his pelvis was broken in three places. He did not survive. R.I.P. --So, stay off bikes, you guys.
And the time now has come to really publish this Post 7 of the Zenith Book Blog. Please contribute, comment, complain,or otherwise respond to this blog. And spread the word about its existence. Why? Because Zenith is being forgotten. Think not?--just ask anyone under 30 years of age about Zenith and you will most likely be met with a puzzled look. This must not be!
Let's use this name as a blessing and a farewell between us! So, Mizpah! until next time!
*Comment and an apology from author (AKA the "journalist"). As noted previously in this Post, this Post 7 didn't get published in May, 2014,as it should have, but rather today, Friday, November 28!
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge it to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
The Raulanders—a group of former employees of the Rauland Picure Tube Plant in Melrose Park are meeting at Russell’s Barbecue on Thursday, December 4! Time: 1PM to 3 PM. All former Rauland and Zenith employees are heartily welcomed. Russell’s Barbecue is located at 1621 N. Thatcher, Elmwood, Park. (It’s just North of North avenue and across from River Forest) Great food!
NOW! Mizpah!Ralph Clarke, "Journalist"
Somehow, Post 7 was never published! And the most recent Post to date is POST 18! So there is some catching up to do (Or, "catching back," to do). And this Post 7 is an especially valuable post in that it shows and describes Zenith Radio's first television set. And it shows the memorable Brian ("Bronc") Mahronic, Zenith's National Service Manager.
And to conform to the new format, we'll start by summarizing the Post 7:
Zenith Radio’s first television set plays again! . . (Photo: Brian Mahronic and Zenith Radio Model 1939) . . .old Zenith Radio TV set is shown . . . Antique Radio club of Illinois is described . . . Sam Kaplan, inventor of the ChromaColor television picture tube, is introduced . . . ChromaColor and its loss to Zenith Radio . . . Sam Kaplan, the President of Zenith, and Revone Kluckman, another president, both R.I.P . . . early Zenith incredible stock profit . . . description of Zenith’s Plant 2. . . Ed Brown and Dr. Ellett . . . McDonald and product quality . . . photos of Frank Crotty and Philip Curtis . . . Karl Horn, R.I.P . . . Mizpah!
Now, let's see what was in Post 7--
Although Zenith Radio Corporation is now history, we can take pleasure in looking back on its triumphs, and even its failures. And about that statement . . . "is now history," we'll look into more of that history in later Posts, and tell how and why Zenith and the entire American consumer electronics industry was destroyed by the cartel set up by RCA's David Sarnoff, who acted in league with the Japanese electronics industry. So, watch for the account of Zenith's Second War in a forthcoming post.
The following story was copied from the Zenith Magazine, Zenith ServiceWorld, published in 1974.
ZENITH'S FIRST TELEVISION SET PLAYS AGAIN!
Here is Brian Mahronic, National Service Manager, with an experimental model built in 1939. "Bronc" --as he was widely called--and his family watched it for several years before replacing it with one of Zenith's first production models. Then the set was banished to the basement.
The only television station in Chicago at the time was W9XCV, an experimental station built, of course, by Zenith--another one of Zenith's famous "firsts."
Mario Bertucci of the Zenith cabinet shop did the refinishing. The cabinet is a beauty of blond oak, with a hand-rubbed finish. Even today, it would be a credit to any living room.
Because the early picture tubes were so long, it was necessary to mount the tube vertically and project the image on a mirror mounted on the inside of the slanting lid.
Bronc and Henry Duncan, one of Joe Smith's electronic repair wizards, made it play again. It wasn't difficult--the tuner was cleaned, the electrolytics,which the years had dried out, were replaced, and a few adjustments were made. The radio also plays again, and plays with the surprising sound of a Zenith.
The power supply was a hazard during the repair --it was a "brute force" power supply wherein in the high voltage was built up in stages, with an amperage high enough to "melt your fillings" if you got in the way of it. Later television tubes used a much higher voltage of 30,000, but it was more like a static charge that would give you a tingle--but your fillings were safe.
Here is a photo of the mirrored image as the set received Channel 2.
The monochrome picture tubes of Zenith's 1974 12-inch models are 25 times as bright. Yet the old set still provides a viewable picture. It happened by chance that, while the image was being photographed, a Clark Gable movie was being shown. Do you recall "It Started in Naples," starring Clark Gable and Sophia Loren?
(Note: We must wonder where that set is now, and whether it is still operating. After all, the article above was published in Zenith Serviceworld magazine in 1974, 40 years ago! If found, it would be worth a pile$.)
Speaking of old television sets (mine!)--
The set shown is a 27-inch cabinet model, one of Zenith's prime sellers. This particular one played reliably for at least 20 years, and until the picture began to dim. A visit from one of the few remaining service people got it started again by replacing two "Duramodules"-- Zenith's way of repairing sets. Eventually though, the set died and was hauled away by two men (it was very heavy!) for $40. Perhaps it was revitalized and is playing somewhere.
If you cherish antique radios, why not join the Antique Radios Club of Illinois? The club comprises a nationwide family of over 500 people dedicated to the preservation of antique radios and related items. www.antique-radios.org/ Zenith Radios are there, of course. Below is a photo taken at an Antique Radios Club swap meet. (Looks like fun!)
Incidental Note. It is said by sound experts that nothing equals the fidelity of the sound provided by an amplifier equipped with those old triode vacuum tubes. And for that matter, the experts also say that the highest sound fidelity is heard on 33-1/3-inch vinyl records.
This gentlemen is Sam Kaplan, inventor of the Zenith Radio ChromaColor television picture tube. Zenith television sets equipped with the Chromacolor tube far outshone the competition, making Zenith the leader and best seller in color. Zenith patented the ChromaColor technology of course, but not in Japan, an unfortunate oversight. Later, a Japanese company (Toshiba) filed a patent suit against Zenith on the basis that the Chromacolor concept was not original with Zenith and thus not patentable, and Japan won. The cost to Zenith in lost royalties?--an estimated $50 million, minimum. The unhappy story of the loss of ChromaColor is told in a forthcoming Post of this blog.
About Sam Kaplan--the inventor shown above, is not the only Sam Kaplan in Zenith's history--there was also another Sam Kaplan, one who became a president of Zenith! And that Sam Kaplan began his career with Zenith as an office boy. Zenith was a company where that could happen! Sadly, that Sam Kaplan died of a heart attack long before his time while exercising on his stationary bicycle.
Another casualty of the executive suite was Revone Kluckman, a later president of Zenith. His name means "clever fellow" in German. After a happy day of playing 18 holes of golf, he died--also of a heart attack--on the 19th hole, while enjoying an after-the-game drink. He had plans for revolutionizing Zenith which might have saved it from eventual failure.
Becoming an executive is a fine goal, but it can also mean a life of stress.
* * * * *
Zenith's incredible stock profit: 24,146%! Radio made our country and the world smaller. For the first time, you didn’t have to wait days for war news. For example, no longer did you have to wait for a newspaper to tell you how the Normandy invasion was going. And if the president wanted to raise money, he could talk to Americans live and directly, and persuade them to buy war bonds, and so helping fund the war much more quickly.
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Ralph Clarke, "Journalist"
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Zenith Radio's Plant 2.
For much of its early existence, Zenith had been housed in an old building on Iron Street in Chicago known as "Plant 1." (Real stinky from the Chicago stockyards when the wind was in the right (wrong!) direction. From there, Zenith moved to what became known as Plant 2, located at the intersection of Austin Boulevard and Dickens avenue. Adjacent to the plant on the south was the railway line of the Northwestern Railway (now the Union Pacific). Commander McDonald’s office on the second floor that overlooked the intersection of Austin and Dickens, and it was not a view that he would spend much time gazing upon. On the opposite side of Austin was the factory of the Brody Seating Company, and Zenith had some small officers just east of there on Dickens, which housed the Zenith Field Engineers, and the writers of the customer instruction manuals, under Eddie Kob. In its early days, Zenith didn’t waste money on fancy buildings, preferring something cheap left over from the last Century. It got fancy later when the real money started to flow in.
Early on, almost the entirety of Zenith was contained in Plant 2. It comprised the general administrative offices, and the law and patent departments. As you moved west in the building, you came upon the engineering and research departments under engineering chief Jesse Edward Brown—and you called him Ed and never Jesse, or you would depart scalded.
Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
There is a story about Dr. Ellett which may be a fable, or not. Seems that a very noisy cart with irregular iron wheels used to traverse several times daily down the corridor just outside Dr. Ellett’s office. It did this incessantly, and one day, in a rage at the noisy interruption, Dr. Ellett surged out of his office and fired the guy with cart. Whether this aggravation was purposeful is not known, but suspected. (The guy with the noisy cart was quietly transferred to another location, with his job preserved.)Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
The ground floor of Plant 2 was full-fledged factory packed with production machinery and long benches clustered with workers, mostly women, busily welding soldering irons to hand-assemble Zenith radios and televisions. Most of them were from the west side of Chicago, and they comprised perhaps the most efficient work force ever assembled. If a piece of hook-up wire fell to the floor, it would be picked up and rewired into a chassis. They, like most Zenith employees, were devoted to Zenith.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
If the problem was minor, McDonald often relied the telephone to quest for the reason. His “three rings” on the phone was legendary—you knew that it was McDonald on the other end. It is said that one engineer, in responding to the three rings, literally flew across two desks to get to the phone. Of course that account may be exaggerated, but that is what the observer said. No one really minded—they loved McDonald for it, and knew what he did was for the common good, and all were rewarded by one of the most generous profit-sharing plans ever created.
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo believed to be Philip J. Curtis--"believed to be " is stated because there is doubt that it is truly an image of Curtis. Someday, a photo will be found of him. In the interim, this will have to do.
Frank Crotty
Philip J. Curtis
(Author's Note: That is really a representation of Philip Curtis, and apparently the only one we will ever have, for no actual photo has been located to date. The one shown is said to be a copy of Phil as he appeared in a painting among a group of others. (Thanks to Anne Curtis for the copy and the information.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
As you may recall, Commander McDonald's yacht was named the "Mizpah," which the Columbia Encyclopedia says means, in Hebrew--May the lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from the other.
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge it to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo believed to be Philip J. Curtis--"believed to be " is stated because there is doubt that it is truly an image of Curtis. Someday, a photo will be found of him. In the interim, this will have to do.
(Author's Note: That is really a representation of Philip Curtis, and apparently the only one we will ever have, for no actual photo has been located to date. The one shown is said to be a copy of Phil as he appeared in a painting among a group of others. (Thanks to Anne Curtis for the copy and the information.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
Born in Hanover, Germany on Sept 20, 1923, Mr. Horn emigrated to the U.S. in 1951. He was Executive Vice President of Zenith Electronics Corporation, and until his retirement is 1987, president of its Systems and Components Group. Mr. Horn was a pioneer in the color television industry, and holds a number of patents in that field. Leonard Dietch* was his engineering assistant.
Author’s note: Horn was observed working and staying 24 hours-a-day at Rauland to bring a new television tube to perfection. He was officially retired at the time, but he just couldn’t stay away from an unfinished task.
__________
*Upon his retirement, Lennie took up cycling. He was hit by a car. As a result of the accident, his pelvis was broken in three places. He did not survive. R.I.P. --So, stay off bikes, you guys.
And the time now has come to really publish this Post 7 of the Zenith Book Blog. Please contribute, comment, complain,or otherwise respond to this blog. And spread the word about its existence. Why? Because Zenith is being forgotten. Think not?--just ask anyone under 30 years of age about Zenith and you will most likely be met with a puzzled look. This must not be!
Let's use this name as a blessing and a farewell between us! So, Mizpah! until next time!
*Comment and an apology from author (AKA the "journalist"). As noted previously in this Post, this Post 7 didn't get published in May, 2014,as it should have, but rather today, Friday, November 28!
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge it to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
The Raulanders—a group of former employees of the Rauland Picure Tube Plant in Melrose Park are meeting at Russell’s Barbecue on Thursday, December 4! Time: 1PM to 3 PM. All former Rauland and Zenith employees are heartily welcomed. Russell’s Barbecue is located at 1621 N. Thatcher, Elmwood, Park. (It’s just North of North avenue and across from River Forest) Great food!
NOW! Mizpah!Ralph Clarke, "Journalist"
Somehow, Post 7 was never published! And the most recent Post to date is POST 18! So there is some catching up to do (Or, "catching back," to do). And this Post 7 is an especially valuable post in that it shows and describes Zenith Radio's first television set. And it shows the memorable Brian ("Bronc") Mahronic, Zenith's National Service Manager.
And to conform to the new format, we'll start by summarizing the Post 7:
Zenith Radio’s first television set plays again! . . (Photo: Brian Mahronic and Zenith Radio Model 1939) . . .old Zenith Radio TV set is shown . . . Antique Radio club of Illinois is described . . . Sam Kaplan, inventor of the ChromaColor television picture tube, is introduced . . . ChromaColor and its loss to Zenith Radio . . . Sam Kaplan, the President of Zenith, and Revone Kluckman, another president, both R.I.P . . . early Zenith incredible stock profit . . . description of Zenith’s Plant 2. . . Ed Brown and Dr. Ellett . . . McDonald and product quality . . . photos of Frank Crotty and Philip Curtis . . . Karl Horn, R.I.P . . . Mizpah!
Now, let's see what was in Post 7--
Although Zenith Radio Corporation is now history, we can take pleasure in looking back on its triumphs, and even its failures. And about that statement . . . "is now history," we'll look into more of that history in later Posts, and tell how and why Zenith and the entire American consumer electronics industry was destroyed by the cartel set up by RCA's David Sarnoff, who acted in league with the Japanese electronics industry. So, watch for the account of Zenith's Second War in a forthcoming post.
The following story was copied from the Zenith Magazine, Zenith ServiceWorld, published in 1974.
ZENITH'S FIRST TELEVISION SET PLAYS AGAIN!
Here is Brian Mahronic, National Service Manager, with an experimental model built in 1939. "Bronc" --as he was widely called--and his family watched it for several years before replacing it with one of Zenith's first production models. Then the set was banished to the basement.
The only television station in Chicago at the time was W9XCV, an experimental station built, of course, by Zenith--another one of Zenith's famous "firsts."
Mario Bertucci of the Zenith cabinet shop did the refinishing. The cabinet is a beauty of blond oak, with a hand-rubbed finish. Even today, it would be a credit to any living room.
Because the early picture tubes were so long, it was necessary to mount the tube vertically and project the image on a mirror mounted on the inside of the slanting lid.
Bronc and Henry Duncan, one of Joe Smith's electronic repair wizards, made it play again. It wasn't difficult--the tuner was cleaned, the electrolytics,which the years had dried out, were replaced, and a few adjustments were made. The radio also plays again, and plays with the surprising sound of a Zenith.
The power supply was a hazard during the repair --it was a "brute force" power supply wherein in the high voltage was built up in stages, with an amperage high enough to "melt your fillings" if you got in the way of it. Later television tubes used a much higher voltage of 30,000, but it was more like a static charge that would give you a tingle--but your fillings were safe.
Here is a photo of the mirrored image as the set received Channel 2.
The monochrome picture tubes of Zenith's 1974 12-inch models are 25 times as bright. Yet the old set still provides a viewable picture. It happened by chance that, while the image was being photographed, a Clark Gable movie was being shown. Do you recall "It Started in Naples," starring Clark Gable and Sophia Loren?
(Note: We must wonder where that set is now, and whether it is still operating. After all, the article above was published in Zenith Serviceworld magazine in 1974, 40 years ago! If found, it would be worth a pile$.)
Speaking of old television sets (mine!)--
The set shown is a 27-inch cabinet model, one of Zenith's prime sellers. This particular one played reliably for at least 20 years, and until the picture began to dim. A visit from one of the few remaining service people got it started again by replacing two "Duramodules"-- Zenith's way of repairing sets. Eventually though, the set died and was hauled away by two men (it was very heavy!) for $40. Perhaps it was revitalized and is playing somewhere.
If you cherish antique radios, why not join the Antique Radios Club of Illinois? The club comprises a nationwide family of over 500 people dedicated to the preservation of antique radios and related items. www.antique-radios.org/ Zenith Radios are there, of course. Below is a photo taken at an Antique Radios Club swap meet. (Looks like fun!)
Incidental Note. It is said by sound experts that nothing equals the fidelity of the sound provided by an amplifier equipped with those old triode vacuum tubes. And for that matter, the experts also say that the highest sound fidelity is heard on 33-1/3-inch vinyl records.
This gentlemen is Sam Kaplan, inventor of the Zenith Radio ChromaColor television picture tube. Zenith television sets equipped with the Chromacolor tube far outshone the competition, making Zenith the leader and best seller in color. Zenith patented the ChromaColor technology of course, but not in Japan, an unfortunate oversight. Later, a Japanese company (Toshiba) filed a patent suit against Zenith on the basis that the Chromacolor concept was not original with Zenith and thus not patentable, and Japan won. The cost to Zenith in lost royalties?--an estimated $50 million, minimum. The unhappy story of the loss of ChromaColor is told in a forthcoming Post of this blog.
About Sam Kaplan--the inventor shown above, is not the only Sam Kaplan in Zenith's history--there was also another Sam Kaplan, one who became a president of Zenith! And that Sam Kaplan began his career with Zenith as an office boy. Zenith was a company where that could happen! Sadly, that Sam Kaplan died of a heart attack long before his time while exercising on his stationary bicycle.
Another casualty of the executive suite was Revone Kluckman, a later president of Zenith. His name means "clever fellow" in German. After a happy day of playing 18 holes of golf, he died--also of a heart attack--on the 19th hole, while enjoying an after-the-game drink. He had plans for revolutionizing Zenith which might have saved it from eventual failure.
Becoming an executive is a fine goal, but it can also mean a life of stress.
* * * * *
Zenith's incredible stock profit: 24,146%! Radio made our country and the world smaller. For the first time, you didn’t have to wait days for war news. For example, no longer did you have to wait for a newspaper to tell you how the Normandy invasion was going. And if the president wanted to raise money, he could talk to Americans live and directly, and persuade them to buy war bonds, and so helping fund the war much more quickly.
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Ralph Clarke, "Journalist"
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Zenith Radio's Plant 2.
For much of its early existence, Zenith had been housed in an old building on Iron Street in Chicago known as "Plant 1." (Real stinky from the Chicago stockyards when the wind was in the right (wrong!) direction. From there, Zenith moved to what became known as Plant 2, located at the intersection of Austin Boulevard and Dickens avenue. Adjacent to the plant on the south was the railway line of the Northwestern Railway (now the Union Pacific). Commander McDonald’s office on the second floor that overlooked the intersection of Austin and Dickens, and it was not a view that he would spend much time gazing upon. On the opposite side of Austin was the factory of the Brody Seating Company, and Zenith had some small officers just east of there on Dickens, which housed the Zenith Field Engineers, and the writers of the customer instruction manuals, under Eddie Kob. In its early days, Zenith didn’t waste money on fancy buildings, preferring something cheap left over from the last Century. It got fancy later when the real money started to flow in.
Early on, almost the entirety of Zenith was contained in Plant 2. It comprised the general administrative offices, and the law and patent departments. As you moved west in the building, you came upon the engineering and research departments under engineering chief Jesse Edward Brown—and you called him Ed and never Jesse, or you would depart scalded.
Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
There is a story about Dr. Ellett which may be a fable, or not. Seems that a very noisy cart with irregular iron wheels used to traverse several times daily down the corridor just outside Dr. Ellett’s office. It did this incessantly, and one day, in a rage at the noisy interruption, Dr. Ellett surged out of his office and fired the guy with cart. Whether this aggravation was purposeful is not known, but suspected. (The guy with the noisy cart was quietly transferred to another location, with his job preserved.)Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
The ground floor of Plant 2 was full-fledged factory packed with production machinery and long benches clustered with workers, mostly women, busily welding soldering irons to hand-assemble Zenith radios and televisions. Most of them were from the west side of Chicago, and they comprised perhaps the most efficient work force ever assembled. If a piece of hook-up wire fell to the floor, it would be picked up and rewired into a chassis. They, like most Zenith employees, were devoted to Zenith.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
If the problem was minor, McDonald often relied the telephone to quest for the reason. His “three rings” on the phone was legendary—you knew that it was McDonald on the other end. It is said that one engineer, in responding to the three rings, literally flew across two desks to get to the phone. Of course that account may be exaggerated, but that is what the observer said. No one really minded—they loved McDonald for it, and knew what he did was for the common good, and all were rewarded by one of the most generous profit-sharing plans ever created.
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo believed to be Philip J. Curtis--"believed to be " is stated because there is doubt that it is truly an image of Curtis. Someday, a photo will be found of him. In the interim, this will have to do.
Frank Crotty
Philip J. Curtis
(Author's Note: That is really a representation of Philip Curtis, and apparently the only one we will ever have, for no actual photo has been located to date. The one shown is said to be a copy of Phil as he appeared in a painting among a group of others. (Thanks to Anne Curtis for the copy and the information.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
As you may recall, Commander McDonald's yacht was named the "Mizpah," which the Columbia Encyclopedia says means, in Hebrew--May the lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from the other.
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge it to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo believed to be Philip J. Curtis--"believed to be " is stated because there is doubt that it is truly an image of Curtis. Someday, a photo will be found of him. In the interim, this will have to do.
(Author's Note: That is really a representation of Philip Curtis, and apparently the only one we will ever have, for no actual photo has been located to date. The one shown is said to be a copy of Phil as he appeared in a painting among a group of others. (Thanks to Anne Curtis for the copy and the information.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
Born in Hanover, Germany on Sept 20, 1923, Mr. Horn emigrated to the U.S. in 1951. He was Executive Vice President of Zenith Electronics Corporation, and until his retirement is 1987, president of its Systems and Components Group. Mr. Horn was a pioneer in the color television industry, and holds a number of patents in that field. Leonard Dietch* was his engineering assistant.
Author’s note: Horn was observed working and staying 24 hours-a-day at Rauland to bring a new television tube to perfection. He was officially retired at the time, but he just couldn’t stay away from an unfinished task.
__________
*Upon his retirement, Lennie took up cycling. He was hit by a car. As a result of the accident, his pelvis was broken in three places. He did not survive. R.I.P. --So, stay off bikes, you guys.
And the time now has come to really publish this Post 7 of the Zenith Book Blog. Please contribute, comment, complain,or otherwise respond to this blog. And spread the word about its existence. Why? Because Zenith is being forgotten. Think not?--just ask anyone under 30 years of age about Zenith and you will most likely be met with a puzzled look. This must not be!
Let's use this name as a blessing and a farewell between us! So, Mizpah! until next time!
*Comment and an apology from author (AKA the "journalist"). As noted previously in this Post, this Post 7 didn't get published in May, 2014,as it should have, but rather today, Friday, November 28!
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge it to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
The Raulanders—a group of former employees of the Rauland Picure Tube Plant in Melrose Park are meeting at Russell’s Barbecue on Thursday, December 4! Time: 1PM to 3 PM. All former Rauland and Zenith employees are heartily welcomed. Russell’s Barbecue is located at 1621 N. Thatcher, Elmwood, Park. (It’s just North of North avenue and across from River Forest) Great food!
NOW! Mizpah!Ralph Clarke, "Journalist"
Somehow, Post 7 was never published! And the most recent Post to date is POST 18! So there is some catching up to do (Or, "catching back," to do). And this Post 7 is an especially valuable post in that it shows and describes Zenith Radio's first television set. And it shows the memorable Brian ("Bronc") Mahronic, Zenith's National Service Manager.
And to conform to the new format, we'll start by summarizing the Post 7:
Zenith Radio’s first television set plays again! . . (Photo: Brian Mahronic and Zenith Radio Model 1939) . . .old Zenith Radio TV set is shown . . . Antique Radio club of Illinois is described . . . Sam Kaplan, inventor of the ChromaColor television picture tube, is introduced . . . ChromaColor and its loss to Zenith Radio . . . Sam Kaplan, the President of Zenith, and Revone Kluckman, another president, both R.I.P . . . early Zenith incredible stock profit . . . description of Zenith’s Plant 2. . . Ed Brown and Dr. Ellett . . . McDonald and product quality . . . photos of Frank Crotty and Philip Curtis . . . Karl Horn, R.I.P . . . Mizpah!
Now, let's see what was in Post 7--
Although Zenith Radio Corporation is now history, we can take pleasure in looking back on its triumphs, and even its failures. And about that statement . . . "is now history," we'll look into more of that history in later Posts, and tell how and why Zenith and the entire American consumer electronics industry was destroyed by the cartel set up by RCA's David Sarnoff, who acted in league with the Japanese electronics industry. So, watch for the account of Zenith's Second War in a forthcoming post.
The following story was copied from the Zenith Magazine, Zenith ServiceWorld, published in 1974.
ZENITH'S FIRST TELEVISION SET PLAYS AGAIN!
Here is Brian Mahronic, National Service Manager, with an experimental model built in 1939. "Bronc" --as he was widely called--and his family watched it for several years before replacing it with one of Zenith's first production models. Then the set was banished to the basement.
The only television station in Chicago at the time was W9XCV, an experimental station built, of course, by Zenith--another one of Zenith's famous "firsts."
Mario Bertucci of the Zenith cabinet shop did the refinishing. The cabinet is a beauty of blond oak, with a hand-rubbed finish. Even today, it would be a credit to any living room.
Because the early picture tubes were so long, it was necessary to mount the tube vertically and project the image on a mirror mounted on the inside of the slanting lid.
Bronc and Henry Duncan, one of Joe Smith's electronic repair wizards, made it play again. It wasn't difficult--the tuner was cleaned, the electrolytics,which the years had dried out, were replaced, and a few adjustments were made. The radio also plays again, and plays with the surprising sound of a Zenith.
The power supply was a hazard during the repair --it was a "brute force" power supply wherein in the high voltage was built up in stages, with an amperage high enough to "melt your fillings" if you got in the way of it. Later television tubes used a much higher voltage of 30,000, but it was more like a static charge that would give you a tingle--but your fillings were safe.
Here is a photo of the mirrored image as the set received Channel 2.
The monochrome picture tubes of Zenith's 1974 12-inch models are 25 times as bright. Yet the old set still provides a viewable picture. It happened by chance that, while the image was being photographed, a Clark Gable movie was being shown. Do you recall "It Started in Naples," starring Clark Gable and Sophia Loren?
(Note: We must wonder where that set is now, and whether it is still operating. After all, the article above was published in Zenith Serviceworld magazine in 1974, 40 years ago! If found, it would be worth a pile$.)
Speaking of old television sets (mine!)--
The set shown is a 27-inch cabinet model, one of Zenith's prime sellers. This particular one played reliably for at least 20 years, and until the picture began to dim. A visit from one of the few remaining service people got it started again by replacing two "Duramodules"-- Zenith's way of repairing sets. Eventually though, the set died and was hauled away by two men (it was very heavy!) for $40. Perhaps it was revitalized and is playing somewhere.
If you cherish antique radios, why not join the Antique Radios Club of Illinois? The club comprises a nationwide family of over 500 people dedicated to the preservation of antique radios and related items. www.antique-radios.org/ Zenith Radios are there, of course. Below is a photo taken at an Antique Radios Club swap meet. (Looks like fun!)
Incidental Note. It is said by sound experts that nothing equals the fidelity of the sound provided by an amplifier equipped with those old triode vacuum tubes. And for that matter, the experts also say that the highest sound fidelity is heard on 33-1/3-inch vinyl records.
This gentlemen is Sam Kaplan, inventor of the Zenith Radio ChromaColor television picture tube. Zenith television sets equipped with the Chromacolor tube far outshone the competition, making Zenith the leader and best seller in color. Zenith patented the ChromaColor technology of course, but not in Japan, an unfortunate oversight. Later, a Japanese company (Toshiba) filed a patent suit against Zenith on the basis that the Chromacolor concept was not original with Zenith and thus not patentable, and Japan won. The cost to Zenith in lost royalties?--an estimated $50 million, minimum. The unhappy story of the loss of ChromaColor is told in a forthcoming Post of this blog.
About Sam Kaplan--the inventor shown above, is not the only Sam Kaplan in Zenith's history--there was also another Sam Kaplan, one who became a president of Zenith! And that Sam Kaplan began his career with Zenith as an office boy. Zenith was a company where that could happen! Sadly, that Sam Kaplan died of a heart attack long before his time while exercising on his stationary bicycle.
Another casualty of the executive suite was Revone Kluckman, a later president of Zenith. His name means "clever fellow" in German. After a happy day of playing 18 holes of golf, he died--also of a heart attack--on the 19th hole, while enjoying an after-the-game drink. He had plans for revolutionizing Zenith which might have saved it from eventual failure.
Becoming an executive is a fine goal, but it can also mean a life of stress.
* * * * *
Zenith's incredible stock profit: 24,146%! Radio made our country and the world smaller. For the first time, you didn’t have to wait days for war news. For example, no longer did you have to wait for a newspaper to tell you how the Normandy invasion was going. And if the president wanted to raise money, he could talk to Americans live and directly, and persuade them to buy war bonds, and so helping fund the war much more quickly.
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Ralph Clarke, "Journalist"
One company that rode the wave of this revolution was Zenith Radio. If you had seen this tipping point of communication in 1932,and had invested in Zenith Radio, you could have ridden the stock to a profit of 24,146% between 1932–1954. How would that look in your bank account? If you had invested just $5,000… it would have grown to $1.2 million!
Now let’s take turns kicking each other! [Um . . . most of us weren't around at that time. But our parents were around, so let's blame them. "Dad, why didn't you buy stock in Zenith Radio corporation . . . ."]
Zenith Radio's Plant 2.
For much of its early existence, Zenith had been housed in an old building on Iron Street in Chicago known as "Plant 1." (Real stinky from the Chicago stockyards when the wind was in the right (wrong!) direction. From there, Zenith moved to what became known as Plant 2, located at the intersection of Austin Boulevard and Dickens avenue. Adjacent to the plant on the south was the railway line of the Northwestern Railway (now the Union Pacific). Commander McDonald’s office on the second floor that overlooked the intersection of Austin and Dickens, and it was not a view that he would spend much time gazing upon. On the opposite side of Austin was the factory of the Brody Seating Company, and Zenith had some small officers just east of there on Dickens, which housed the Zenith Field Engineers, and the writers of the customer instruction manuals, under Eddie Kob. In its early days, Zenith didn’t waste money on fancy buildings, preferring something cheap left over from the last Century. It got fancy later when the real money started to flow in.
Early on, almost the entirety of Zenith was contained in Plant 2. It comprised the general administrative offices, and the law and patent departments. As you moved west in the building, you came upon the engineering and research departments under engineering chief Jesse Edward Brown—and you called him Ed and never Jesse, or you would depart scalded.
Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
There is a story about Dr. Ellett which may be a fable, or not. Seems that a very noisy cart with irregular iron wheels used to traverse several times daily down the corridor just outside Dr. Ellett’s office. It did this incessantly, and one day, in a rage at the noisy interruption, Dr. Ellett surged out of his office and fired the guy with cart. Whether this aggravation was purposeful is not known, but suspected. (The guy with the noisy cart was quietly transferred to another location, with his job preserved.)Ed Brown
(Sorry, Ed: the camera shutter caught you in mid-blink.)
Dr. Ellett, Vice President of Reseach, was nominally the head of the Research department. “Nominally” is the operative word here as the research activity was supposed to be under Ed Brown, but you had better not say that to Dr. Ellett. In fact, a table of organization of the time shows Research and Dr. Ellett kind of hanging out separately, and vaguely under Ed Brown. (Dr. Ellett was much esteemed by the Commander.)
The ground floor of Plant 2 was full-fledged factory packed with production machinery and long benches clustered with workers, mostly women, busily welding soldering irons to hand-assemble Zenith radios and televisions. Most of them were from the west side of Chicago, and they comprised perhaps the most efficient work force ever assembled. If a piece of hook-up wire fell to the floor, it would be picked up and rewired into a chassis. They, like most Zenith employees, were devoted to Zenith.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
Overhead conveyors rumbled and jerked as they carried picture tubes around in a never-ending loop. Space wasn’t wasted. There wasn’t a square inch that wasn’t bustling with activity. The building pulsed with it in a continuous hum and a vibration, reminding everyone that it was production that brought in the money.
If the problem was minor, McDonald often relied the telephone to quest for the reason. His “three rings” on the phone was legendary—you knew that it was McDonald on the other end. It is said that one engineer, in responding to the three rings, literally flew across two desks to get to the phone. Of course that account may be exaggerated, but that is what the observer said. No one really minded—they loved McDonald for it, and knew what he did was for the common good, and all were rewarded by one of the most generous profit-sharing plans ever created.
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo believed to be Philip J. Curtis--"believed to be " is stated because there is doubt that it is truly an image of Curtis. Someday, a photo will be found of him. In the interim, this will have to do.
Frank Crotty
Philip J. Curtis
(Author's Note: That is really a representation of Philip Curtis, and apparently the only one we will ever have, for no actual photo has been located to date. The one shown is said to be a copy of Phil as he appeared in a painting among a group of others. (Thanks to Anne Curtis for the copy and the information.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
As you may recall, Commander McDonald's yacht was named the "Mizpah," which the Columbia Encyclopedia says means, in Hebrew--May the lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from the other.
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge it to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
In the last weblog, you were told about the "fleabag" incident when Phil Curtis and Frank Crotty were confined in a hell-hole supplied by RCA. There they searched for three months looking through useless "wall-paper" supplied by RCA just to delay their search for information relative to the anti-trust case against RCA. Frank Crotty is pictured below behind his desk, and when he later became the Vice-President for Technical Affairs. Shown below Crotty is an early photo believed to be Philip J. Curtis--"believed to be " is stated because there is doubt that it is truly an image of Curtis. Someday, a photo will be found of him. In the interim, this will have to do.
(Author's Note: That is really a representation of Philip Curtis, and apparently the only one we will ever have, for no actual photo has been located to date. The one shown is said to be a copy of Phil as he appeared in a painting among a group of others. (Thanks to Anne Curtis for the copy and the information.)
TIME PASSES, and with it so many of those we have known at Zenith. Here are two others. (Thanks to Howard Lange for the notice.)
Karl Horn, 1923-2014
Born in Hanover, Germany on Sept 20, 1923, Mr. Horn emigrated to the U.S. in 1951. He was Executive Vice President of Zenith Electronics Corporation, and until his retirement is 1987, president of its Systems and Components Group. Mr. Horn was a pioneer in the color television industry, and holds a number of patents in that field. Leonard Dietch* was his engineering assistant.
Author’s note: Horn was observed working and staying 24 hours-a-day at Rauland to bring a new television tube to perfection. He was officially retired at the time, but he just couldn’t stay away from an unfinished task.
__________
*Upon his retirement, Lennie took up cycling. He was hit by a car. As a result of the accident, his pelvis was broken in three places. He did not survive. R.I.P. --So, stay off bikes, you guys.
And the time now has come to really publish this Post 7 of the Zenith Book Blog. Please contribute, comment, complain,or otherwise respond to this blog. And spread the word about its existence. Why? Because Zenith is being forgotten. Think not?--just ask anyone under 30 years of age about Zenith and you will most likely be met with a puzzled look. This must not be!
Let's use this name as a blessing and a farewell between us! So, Mizpah! until next time!
*Comment and an apology from author (AKA the "journalist"). As noted previously in this Post, this Post 7 didn't get published in May, 2014,as it should have, but rather today, Friday, November 28!
Another point: we all love Google for giving us this weblog format, but it is not wsywig --"what you see is what you get." The appearance will often change from what is seen in the draft when it is published. Just one example: paragraph spacing, format, and type size may often change from that shown in the original draft. Also, the type may become very tiny, as seen in the type beneath the foregoing Sam Kaplan description, plus uncalled for "hanging indents." I tried to enlarge it to the proper size many times, but failed. And of course, if I read the draft a thousand times, hair-raising mistakes will still creep in ( mine!) .
WAIT! A meeting announcement!--
The Raulanders—a group of former employees of the Rauland Picure Tube Plant in Melrose Park are meeting at Russell’s Barbecue on Thursday, December 4! Time: 1PM to 3 PM. All former Rauland and Zenith employees are heartily welcomed. Russell’s Barbecue is located at 1621 N. Thatcher, Elmwood, Park. (It’s just North of North avenue and across from River Forest) Great food!
NOW! Mizpah!Ralph Clarke, "Journalist"
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