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CBS Field Sequential Color Cameras at Studio 57 I am quite pleased to be able to present here these twenty or so pictures of the fabled CBS Color camera in action that I believe have not been seen before. The only 2 or 3 pictures I have ever seen of these historic cameras have been small, poor quality copies.
This page is only about the pictures and a tiny bit of history, but the full story, beautifully told and impeccably accurate is available at Ed Reitan's great site, The History of Color Television. I've included a link below that relates directly to what you are seeing on this page, but Ed has the entire story and chronology about the great battle between CBS and their Field Sequential Color System and RCA's Dot Sequential Color System and how we morphed into the NTSC standard. Interestingly, this story is a lot like the one told in the NBC 8G Camera section of this site. Both prototype cameras had their own studio, were built by network engineers and, in limited numbers. There were 4 of the 8G cameras, but I can only identify 3 of the CBS Color cameras and only by their left side (Operators left) vent, no vent or mesh configurations. The source of these photos is Life Magazine, but the only reference was the date of June 1951. Using the information from Ed's CBS Color Programming page, I believe these pictures were all made the same day…probably June 24, 1951 at the final dress rehearsal of the first broadcast of Premier. The air date was the next day, June 25th from 4:35 till 5:30 and originated in Studio 57. CBS Color Studio 57 was located at 109th Street and 5th Avenue. The host was Arthur Godfrey and, among others on that days show, there was Faye Emerson, Ed Sullivan, Garry Moore, Robert Alda and Isabel Bigley (stars of Broadway's new hit Guys and Dolls), Sol Hurok's New York City Ballet (arranged by George Balanchine), William S. Paley (CBS Chairman) and Frank Stanton (President of CBS), with Archie Bleyer's Orchestra. ENJOY!
The first thing I noticed in this shot was that everybody is hot and mopping sweat. I've heard it got so hot in there the floor buckled. This is June in New York with massive lights in a huge studio Photo courtesy Life Magazine
With monitor in view, this crew member sit on the pedestal of one of the cameras…notice the metal mesh like sides on this camera. As we go along, you'll see that every camera had different side panel modifications for cooling. Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Before we get to far along with the cameras, remember, the CBS Field Sequential Color system worked on the basis of a synchronized spinning color wheel. There was a wheel in the camera and a wheel in the receiver…eventually. I'm guessing here, but this seems to be a external color wheel distributed for home demonstrations of the CBS color broadcasts as I don't think there were any receivers in 1951 with the wheel inside. Only a few hundred were ever made and then were actually recalled. Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Host of Premiere Arthur Godfrey in a Ritz live spot run through. Notice solid sides on this camera…no vents. Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Given what I've seen in the full set of pictures, I believe there may have only been 3 of these cameras. The one they are mounting on the Chapman crane below seem to be the same ped mounted camera in the picture above (notice the vents and the feature unique to this camera, the small, square metal extension on the camera's side just above the panhandle in the above). If that is correct, that would mean there would have to be a quick pedestal to crane camera change during the live show. Interesting. Photo courtesy Life Magazine
CBS Chairman (in the crane chair…naturally) William Paley and CBS President Frank Stanton as guests on the Premier's debut show. Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Host Arthur Godfrey ukes it up with one of the shows beautiful guest stars as this wife looks on angrily in the background. Get it…ukes it up…like in ukulele? I don't know if the woman is his wife or not…just some light humor…I think, but enough of my input. Since I do not recognize any of the people in the remaining pictures below, I'll just let them explain themselves with no further captions. Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
Photo courtesy Life Magazine
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