Following is a term paper that Mother wrote in, I believe, her freshman year at Mary Hardin-Baylor (1948-49). From our current 2026 perspective, it is somewhat impossible to believe some of the early technological challenges and proposed solutions....but it is a glimpse at how far technology has come in approximately 78 years. Reading through this study, I found myself thinking that nobody in 1949 would have predicted that we would be watching television on our phones in 2026.
In addition to being somewhat impressed that a 17 year old student would be addressing the birth and rise of television, this paper was typewritten. I know a certain typewriter played an important role in Mother's story "My Fiend Lucife" in later years (story available in this blog). I could not help but wonder to whom the typewriter belonged (Mother did not have the funds for one) and if this was the same typewriter she used as the inspiration for that story.
MARVEL OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Term Theme, English 131, Nettie Hodge
It is being hailed as a twentieth century miracle, and only about one in ten Americans have seen it. It was born in 1873, and has a future as bright as man's imagination can conceive. For, although the age of miracles is supposedly past, "...suddenly, in 1948, out of years of talk and promise, the television industry has at last emerged to join the automobile, the airplane, and the radio as the twentieth century's fourth major contribution to communication and transportation".
But television has almost become a menace in spite of its wonderful potentialities. For, although it is high priced, over half of all sales are made to people who cannot reasonably afford it. More sets are sold to people in the lower middle or poor income brackets than are sold to families in the higher income class, who can afford it. The buying group seems exceedingly anxious to possess television sets. They trade refrigerators, cars, and washing machines for the box with the magic screen. Often, in the cities near video transmitters, lowly shacks are seen sporting shiny television antennae. In spite of the new type of inflation it has brought on, however, television is still hailed as the outstanding scientific achievement of the century.
Credit for the discovery of television must be given to a young Irish telegrapher. It happened in 1873, soon after the laying of Cyrus Field's transatlantic cable. The setting was a telegraph office in Valencia, Ireland, the terminus of the cable. One morning Joseph May, the young Irish operator, noticed a queer hum coming from his code receiver. Upon investigation he learned the cause. A stray beam of sunlight was streaming through the open window at his back, and playing on the electrical register, causing the code receiver to jam. Puzzled, May passed his hand between the register and the sunshine. The hum stopped. Why? After experimenting with the fateful ray of light, May came to the conclusion that either the register or the selenium coating it must have what we now call photoelectric qualities. This meant that it could change light values into electric values.
May immediately made known his experience, and hundred of scientists began work on his tentative answer to the mystery. Down through the years, the endeavors of those scientists and of others, together with the works of many inventors, have improved television to such an extent that in 1948 it was ready to emerge and be hailed as an important aid to entertainment and communication.
The first real contribution to the progress of television came in 1844, when Paul Nipkow, the German scientist, invented a rapidly whirling disc which picked up vague picture outlines. Italy made a very valuable contribution when her son, Marconi, brought forth his wireless, and gave sound to television. Then America's Thomas A Edison invented the motion picture and added movement.
Not until 1906 did the next milestone for television, as well as for radio, appear. At that time Lee de Forest invented the vacuum tube. And in 1923, Dr Vladimir K Zworykin, a Russian immigrant who is now an engineer for the Radio Corporation of America, patented a tube that converted television from a mechanical science to an electronic one. This important new device was called the iconoscope.
In 1928, John Logic Baird succeeded in telecasting a woman's face from London to the S.S. Berengaria, which was a thousand miles at sea. During the same year, in America, men were able to televise shaky likenesses of Felix the Cat.
Three years later, in 1931, Dr Allen B DuMont, after long hours of work in the basement of his Mont Clair, New Jersey house, brought to light a workable television receiver. And by 1939, electronic television was considered so greatly improved that it was introduced to the public at the New York World Fair. In 1947, there were already 9 broadcasting stations and about 17,000 receiving sets.
One of the greatest improvements in television was made only recently. Cameras were made that are a hundred times as sensitive to light as were the cameras of a few years ago. The old cameras required a dazzling glare of light, and naturally the heat was intense. Wax candles and jello immediately melted, and television diners were blistered by hot silverware. Now, however, clear pictures can be gotten by candlelight. The television set is comfortably cool, and lights do not glare down into the actors' eyes.
Video undoubtedly has promise. Jack R Poppele, president of T-V Broadcasters' Association, says, "Television's future is as expansive as the human mind can comprehend. Television holds the key to enlightenment which may unlock the door to world understanding". But at present, it is beset by innumerable difficulties. The question is--will the industry be able to overcome the obstacles confronting it, and carry out the things expected of it?
Perhaps the worst drawbacks are the problems of a technical nature, although in time it may be possible to greatly reduce or eliminate them entirely.
One difficulty is that of relaying the high frequency signal. Unlike radio waves, which follow the curve of the earth, the television beam is limited to the horizon, because when it reaches that point, it travels on out into space. This means that a station can only broadcast to receivers within a range of 50-60 miles. There are several possible solutions for this problem. It might be solved by using wires resembling those carrying telephone messages to carry the television signal. Or it might be piped along wires enclosed in gas-filled tubes called coaxial cables. Still another possible solution is to have a fleet of planes circle constantly at 25,000 feet over points 400 miles apart. These planes could pick up signals from the ground stations, and re-broadcast to an area 525 miles in diameter.
Another difficulty concerning the transmitting of the signal is the fact that the straight flying beam is either warped or completely blocked by objects between the transmitter and the receiver. Poor pictures or no pictures at all are caused when the signal hits a tall building or a mountain, and bounces. "Many owners have found that their sets cannot pick up all, or even most of the stations in their area. Airplanes overhead cause the pictures to squirm, fade, or whirl."
Many home owners, whose houses are wired for DC current, have been exasperated to learn that their new sets will not operate at all, since all sets are made to operate on AC only. Some of them have tried using power converters to operate the sets in spite of this fact, but poor pictures are obtained. Perhaps sets will soon be made to operate on DC as well as AC current.
An even more serious handicap is the shortage of trained repairmen and equipment. A repairman must be carefully and expertly trained, if he is to do a good job of servicing faulty sets. As yet, not enough men have been trained to meet the demand.
Lack of equipment is scute also. To televise a single football game requires a special air-conditioned, soundproof location truck, with one-half ton of equipment and fifteen specialists. Since cameras and other equipment is so expensive, it is easy to see why most stations telecast only four hours daily.
But the greatest problem of all is a skimpy budget. The cost of producing a television broadcast is necessarily great. The Philco Corporation spends $10,000 each week in producing its "Philco Television Playhouse", and to this expense is added $2,400 for time charges on the seven NBC stations carrying this broadcast. Other smaller shows cost between $6,000 and $7,000 weekly. The Standard Oil Company of New Jersey gave up sponsorship of the NBC television newsreel because, although it was only a ten minute program, it cost $2,400 each week, exclusive of station time charges. Perhaps when circulation is greater, the broadcasts will produce dividends outweighing the expenses, but at present the telecasting stations are still operating in the red.
Other difficulties encountered are of a relatively minor nature, and tend to give program directors a headache. They have found that radio actors have very poor memories and do not learn parts quickly. Since scripts cannot be used on television shows, this proves to be quite a problem. Each program requires ten days of rehearsal, dress rehearsal, construction of sentry and collecting of props for a single performance.
It has also been found that in spite of all precautions, the heads of bald program participants reflect odd lights. Actresses are astonished when told they must discard all but the simplest of jewelry, such as watches, before they go on the television stage. Bracelets, necklaces, sparkling pins and earrings distract too much attention from the actual performances.
Television cameras also have an exasperating way of penetrating the skin of a male actor's face, and making him appear bearded, no matter how recent his shave. The only solution yet found for this is to have the men wear heavy coats of pancake makeup.
There are other problems however, that are more serious. One is the fact that Hollywood has definitely given television a cold shoulder. The reason is perfectly obvious. If people have screen entertainment available in their own home, they will not attend movies. Although television broadcasts often consist of movie films, they are mostly ancient comedies and badly outdated westerns, because Hollywood refuses to release good films to television. They are afraid that video will completely kill their theater market. However, "Most telecasters believe that eventually Hollywood will be forced to spend at least fifty percent of time and effort on making films that television can afford."
In spite of all the trouble and worry, the industry has a cheerful outlook. They are certain that television's potentialities greatly outnumber the obstacles standing in its way. In fact, they say the possible uses of video are practically countless. Every day a new value comes to light.
Perhaps the most important recent use of television is the teaching of medical students. By televising an operation, many students are enabled to get a clear, uncrowded view at every step taken. In order to televise the surgery, a camera is suspended over the patient on the operating table. The image it obtains is sent to a control desk, and piped on by coaxial cable to the receiver located in a lecture hall. The picture is also being microwaved to medical convention halls at the same time. There it appears on life-sized screens. Home receivers cannot detect this microwave relay, because the signal is carried over a special high frequency channel assigned by the Federal Communications Commission. Taking advantage of this valuable means of instruction, the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore is designing special operating rooms so that all surgery may be televised.
There are various opportunities for home instruction also. Brides find televised cooking lessons invaluable. The star instruction in this field is Mrs Dione Lucas, manager of the Cordon Bleu Restaurant and cooking school in Manhattan. In order that her pupils may see how the finished dishes would look, she cooks a sample of everything beforehand so that it will not be necessary to wait for them to cook or jell. CBS places only two restrictions on her program. She must never put emphasis on brandy or rum, and she must kill lobsters and other live food before the program opens. Mrs Lucas does all the marketing, planning, cooking, teaching and telecasting herself.
Eventually, telecasters say, housewives will no longer trudge up and down through grocery stores on shopping trips, but will see on their television screen the foods they want, and order all their groceries by telephone. Members of the family may, without stirring from the living room couch, receive instructions in tennis, bowling, billiards, airplane flying, sculpturing, posture, dress, makeup, etc. by television.
Advertising has an entire new field in video. "Television," said Kenneth W Hinks, "provides advertising with a new tool." Sight has proved many times more convincing than mere talk. If potential customers actually see the article being advertised, and see it demonstrated on the screen, they buy it much quicker, and with more faith in its ability than if they had merely heard it praised on the radio.
Politics also will be greatly affected by video. Political campaigns will be conducted by television, and presidential candidates will win their elections from the telecasting studio. RCA chairman, David Sarnoff, says, "Political candidates may have to adopt new techniques...Their dress, their smiles and gestures...may determine to an appreciable extent, their popularity".
The present cost of television sets is high, and though at the end of 1948, there was no drop in sight, by the latter part of 1949, there is a chance that prices will not be so high. The charge for installing a set now is approximately $100.00, but the new owner is given a year of free repair service.
The most popular receiving sets on the market today are Philco's seven-inch-tube model at $199.50 and RCA's ten-inch-tube model for $375.00. Other sets range widely in price. The cheapest set on sale now is Pilot Radio's Candid T-V model at $99.50. It has a 2x3 inch screen and weighs only 15 pounds. Motorola's seven-inch-tube model (26 sq. in. screen) costs $179.95, and about the most expensive set is DuMont's $2,495.00 console combinations, with a twenty inch tube.
Television's future is being foretold in glowing terms, and the best part is that it's probably all true. In 1948, Tele-Tech, a trade publication, predicted that January, 1949, would find "65 stations in 42 cities in 28 states, feeding video to 910,000 sets and a potential audience of 66,868,200."
In reply to the eager questions of those wondering when television will go coast to coast, Sidney Strotz, NBC vice-president in charge of television, predicted in June or 1948 that there would be no two-way coast to coast video until January, 1953. At present, the networks are centered on the east and west costs and the Chicago region.
Time Magazine says, "If the trend holds, television will have 16,000,000 receivers and an audience of 65,000,000 in 1954", and Joseph B Elliott, vice-president in charge of RCA-Victor home instrument department, predicts that the television industry will produce 1,500,000 sets in 1949.
There is one other prediction for which most people do not understand the reason. It is well known that the industry has produced a method of telecasting performances in full color. Yet the telecasters say there will be no color video for at least five or six years. The public cannot understand this.
Color television was first demonstrated in 1940, by Dr Peter Goldmark, CBS scientist. In 1948, CBS applied for a color-television broadcasting license, but was denied by the Federal Communications Commission. Pressed for an explanation, the FCC made known their motive for banning color broadcasts. They calculated that the use of color video would further boost the cost of television, and that the black-and-white sets now in use would not pick up color broadcasts, nor could they be converted. This would cause all television sets now owned to be hopelessly outdated. For these reasons, the FCC has forbidden color video until the present cost of television declines.
In future years, television will probably become as common as the radio. It will also become highly improved. Video scientists are by no means satisfied with the present state of affairs. They are constantly working at improvements, and in time they will probably solve all the irritating problems now confronting them. By 1960, television will no longer be regarded as a miracle, but will be taken as much for granted as the radio and the telephone are now.
This was our television set in the early 1950s.
