The technological advancements have been incredible, when you think how far we’ve come since the 1960s!
Do you ever get nostalgic for a bygone era, with its simpler appliances?
I don’t dislike new technology, but get a little frustrated sometimes, when I can’t figure out how something works immediately. Patience is definitely not my strong is suit!
At the risk of sounding like an old curmudgeon, 1960s multi-media tools were much simpler to operate. For example, the image above shows the exact models of items I used as a child.
PHILCO PREDICTA SWIVEL-TOP TV
The Philco Predicta is a black and white television, chassis style, which was made in several cabinet models with 17”or 21” screens by the American company Philco, from 1958 to 1960.
The Predicta was marketed as the world’s first swivel-screen television. – Wikipedia
My parents bought this tabletop TV in 1959, when we moved to London (Canada), and kept it until 1965, when we returned to Germany.
Westerns were king in those days, and I had six favourites:
The Beatles’ first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. Library of Congress, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
YASHICA YT-300 TRANSISTOR RADIO
The YT-300 portable radio was made by camera manufacturer Yashica, of Tokyo Japan, around 1960.
It came with a luxurious, removable leather case.
My parents gave me this snazzy transistor radio as a birthday gift in 1961. I had it tuned to the local top 40 station and would often listen to it under the covers at night, with the volume low.
When we moved to Germany in 1965, the radio became even more interesting, with several stations to choose from, including British Pirate Radio.
A single speed, battery-operatedrecorder, manufactured by Dutch company Philips, in 1964*
The basic controls included three keys: rewind, play, and fast forward, along with a record button on the right that worked with the play button.
*Marketed as Norelco continental 101 in the USA
This tape recorder was one of the many electronic and other items my father brought back from Egypt during his UN peace-keeping mission there in 1964-65. (Cheaper prices!) By 1967, I had claimed it for myself, as he had lost interest.
I distinctly remember the first song I recorded, from British Forces Radio, The Troggs’ Love Is All Around:
PHILIPS AG4257 PORTABLE RECORD PLAYER
The AG4257 isa suitcase-style portable, all-transistor record player, with 4 speeds: 16, 33 1/3. 45 & 78. Manufactured by Dutch company, Philips, in 1965.
My grandmother bought me this record player shortly after we had moved to Germany. I loved it and took it everywhere, including back to Canada in 1969.
It came along in 1973, together with all my 45s and albums, when I moved to an apartment with future hubby. We wanted a stereo, though, so look what we found! 😎
Apollo stereo, circa 1973, complete with AM/FM radio and 8-Track player. Manufactured by Canadian company Electrohome.
We still have it, along with all the albums and singles. The 8-Track no longer works, but everything else does!
Now, we have two flat-screen TVs, an older HD model and a new 4K one, a PVR, two Roku streaming devices, and a BluRay player. I have a smartphone, but hubby refuses, hanging on to his flip phone. 😄 Oh, and two laptops – one I bought for hubby that he barely looks at.
Our reluctance to fully embrace the present is obvious, with two turntables, a CD player, 100s of CDs, a double cassette deck, dozens of tapes, and landline phones. Believe it or not, we also have a VCR and a few hundred VHS tapes. 😃 My Kindle is crammed full, but I still prefer hardcovers and the look of books on shelves. Not that I read books regularly anymore. That was BC! (Before Computer)
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
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I remember that Troggs song very well. I, too, had a little transistor radio with a snazzy leather case–and an earphone! We still have that King Crimson album.
Those leather clad transistors were all the rage. 🙂 The Court of the Crimson King is one of my favourite albums of all time! Musical art. 💖 Thanks for coming by Liz.
That is a lot of old technology. We have gotten rid most of our old technology. Well, I just remembered that our wedding is on a VHS tape and so are movies we took of our kids when they were little. Maybe we should transfer to more modern technology. I don’t feel nostalgic about, but maybe I will as I start digging through the old stuff we still have. A very interesting post and great photos.
I’m fond of the memories attached to all the old stuff, Thomas. Likely an age-related quirk. 🙂 The picture quality of VHS isn’t great when played on modern TVs, so it would be best to get your old family tapes converted. I’m glad you enjoyed my trip down memory lane. Thanks for coming by!
Brilliant Debbie, remember most of them particularly the Westerns which my father introduced me to and the portable record player which was only allowed to be played in the basement with its dreadful modern music! A lot of happy memories..♥ sharing in the blogger weekly.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Sally. 🙂 Thank you so much for adding it to your weekly roundup! 🌹 Isn’t it funny how each generation dislikes music from the younger ones? Some of today’s offerings are truly horrendous to my ears. 😀
It feels weird knowing that we had all of these things, but from different companies. Televisions were much smaller back then for us, since we were a military family, but otherwise it felt like magic was happening. 🙂
Same generation, Mitch. I loved that Philco TV! It was large for its time and the swivel feature was unique. Those were the days. 🙂 Thanks for coming by.
My brother has this King Crimson record and he loved showing it to my mom and our Aunt and Uncle who would not appreciate the art work. It’s a brilliant record. My mom had a portable record player that I played records on and it had the 78 on it too. I love seeing the TVs and the radios and record players you used to own. It’s full of nostalgia
It’s a startling but effective piece of art and I agree – the album is brilliant! This was a fun post to write, and I enjoyed reliving those memories. Thanks, Birgit! 🙂
What a fun and nostalgic post Deb. I’d never seen a swivel TV, and I wasn’t much into westerns, but my hubby loved all those shows. I’d gladly go back to pre-tech days! <3 ( PS, there is no ‘like’ button or share buttons on this post?)
Thanks, Deb. I loved that TV. 🙂 Yikes! I hate when there’s a technical problem, but thanks for letting me know. For some reason, the Jetpack share and like buttons have disappeared on this post only. If you’re using a laptop or desktop, there is a set of floating share buttons on the right-hand side of the screen, at least. Hopefully, I can figure out and fix the problem soon.
First, Debbie, thanks for tagging me. I’m glad I inspired you!
That’s a space-age looking TV set. I bet it only received VHF stations. I’m not sure if Canada was ahead of us or behind us as far as moving TV stations to the UHF band (that would be channels 14 thru 83).
I knew most of the Westerns you talk about. The only one that was a mystery was Yancy Derringer; since it only ran one season, it probably never went into syndication. My favorite of these is The Rifleman: Lucas McCain was the widowed father of Mark, and the love and affection they show each other is heartwarming. I remember the episode where Sammy Davis Jr. played a gunslinger. That was a first for those days, to have a Black character, even as a guest star.
I also saw The Beatles’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. My 16-year-old aunt was watching with me, and she was screaming (not too loudly) when they played. I didn’t realize at the time just how hug they’d be in a very short period of time.
Did you ever try to listen to shortwave with that radio? I had a bigger radio that had short and longwave bands, but never picked up anything on them.
Yes, you really sent me off on a tangent, and such a fun idea! 🙂 I loved that TV, even though we only had the VHF stations. Living close to the border, we got all the Detroit channels, plus the Canadian ones.
It’s too bad Yancy Derringer didn’t last longer. Amazing that I can even remember it, but it obviously left an impression. When the Beatles first appeared on Ed Sullivan, I was nine. Doesn’t seem all that long ago!
Can’t recall which bandwidth I listened to, specifically. It probably varied, depending on the station. My grandparents had a large radio console with short, medium, and longwave buttons.
Thanks for coming by. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. 🙂
I had all those, but the portable record player was a Dansette, the TV screen was only 10 inches, and the 8-track player was in a car I owned in the early 1970s. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
A 10 inch TV must have had you squinting, Pete! 🙂 We used to have a lot of 8-tracks, but then the player crapped out, so we got rid of them. I remember having one in the car as well. Thanks for coming by!
Wow, that Philco! Our radio was like that, I think, but the leather was black. And Tall and thinner, not short and squat. Never had the reel to reel- I believe my Bro-in-law did. I think that’s what I first heard Bloodrock on.
The Philco was ahead of its time! 🙂 I think there are a few still kicking around. There were a lot of different transistor radios back in the day. I’m guessing Bloodrock was a heavy metal or hard rock band? Cool name!
I loved my turntable as a kid. A few Christmases ago, my son gave me a portable record player similar to my childhood one. I still have my old records. 🙂
I just bought a turntable with speakers. I still had all my vinyls but had sold off the 1970’s stereo equipment ages ago. I love listening to the vinyl again. A friend came by and I was playing Dennis Yost and the Classics. She thought she was in a time warp.
Vinyl has become popular again, Denise. 🙂 Difference is, it costs more than CDs, because it’s considered a collector’s item. I often listen to the old records. Some are a little scratched, but the memories are priceless.
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29 thoughts on “CHILDHOOD MEDIA MEMORIES: A SALUTE TO OLD TECHNOLOGY”
These things look very cool, they are now vintage and very precious, someones pay almost whatever to have one. Have a good weekend Debbie!
Yes, I’m sure those antique media items are worth a lot now. I should have kept them, but at least the 1973 stereo is still with us. 🙂
I remember that Troggs song very well. I, too, had a little transistor radio with a snazzy leather case–and an earphone! We still have that King Crimson album.
Those leather clad transistors were all the rage. 🙂 The Court of the Crimson King is one of my favourite albums of all time! Musical art. 💖 Thanks for coming by Liz.
A fun post, Debby I had a transistor almost identical with a leather cover and I agree they were so much easier to use back then than now …
Glad you enjoyed it, Carol! 🙂 The “good old days” were definitely less complicated. It’s amazing what technology is capable of now, though.
That is a lot of old technology. We have gotten rid most of our old technology. Well, I just remembered that our wedding is on a VHS tape and so are movies we took of our kids when they were little. Maybe we should transfer to more modern technology. I don’t feel nostalgic about, but maybe I will as I start digging through the old stuff we still have. A very interesting post and great photos.
I’m fond of the memories attached to all the old stuff, Thomas. Likely an age-related quirk. 🙂 The picture quality of VHS isn’t great when played on modern TVs, so it would be best to get your old family tapes converted. I’m glad you enjoyed my trip down memory lane. Thanks for coming by!
Brilliant Debbie, remember most of them particularly the Westerns which my father introduced me to and the portable record player which was only allowed to be played in the basement with its dreadful modern music! A lot of happy memories..♥ sharing in the blogger weekly.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Sally. 🙂 Thank you so much for adding it to your weekly roundup! 🌹 Isn’t it funny how each generation dislikes music from the younger ones? Some of today’s offerings are truly horrendous to my ears. 😀
It feels weird knowing that we had all of these things, but from different companies. Televisions were much smaller back then for us, since we were a military family, but otherwise it felt like magic was happening. 🙂
Same generation, Mitch. I loved that Philco TV! It was large for its time and the swivel feature was unique. Those were the days. 🙂 Thanks for coming by.
My brother has this King Crimson record and he loved showing it to my mom and our Aunt and Uncle who would not appreciate the art work. It’s a brilliant record. My mom had a portable record player that I played records on and it had the 78 on it too. I love seeing the TVs and the radios and record players you used to own. It’s full of nostalgia
It’s a startling but effective piece of art and I agree – the album is brilliant! This was a fun post to write, and I enjoyed reliving those memories. Thanks, Birgit! 🙂
My old turntable and transistor radio were my favorites. We had a TV that looked very similar to yours.
I love new technology, when it works. Sigh….
Same generation. 🙂 I love new technology too, but sometimes find it difficult to figure out. Thanks for coming by, Eugi!
What a fun and nostalgic post Deb. I’d never seen a swivel TV, and I wasn’t much into westerns, but my hubby loved all those shows. I’d gladly go back to pre-tech days! <3 ( PS, there is no ‘like’ button or share buttons on this post?)
Thanks, Deb. I loved that TV. 🙂 Yikes! I hate when there’s a technical problem, but thanks for letting me know. For some reason, the Jetpack share and like buttons have disappeared on this post only. If you’re using a laptop or desktop, there is a set of floating share buttons on the right-hand side of the screen, at least. Hopefully, I can figure out and fix the problem soon.
First, Debbie, thanks for tagging me. I’m glad I inspired you!
That’s a space-age looking TV set. I bet it only received VHF stations. I’m not sure if Canada was ahead of us or behind us as far as moving TV stations to the UHF band (that would be channels 14 thru 83).
I knew most of the Westerns you talk about. The only one that was a mystery was Yancy Derringer; since it only ran one season, it probably never went into syndication. My favorite of these is The Rifleman: Lucas McCain was the widowed father of Mark, and the love and affection they show each other is heartwarming. I remember the episode where Sammy Davis Jr. played a gunslinger. That was a first for those days, to have a Black character, even as a guest star.
I also saw The Beatles’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. My 16-year-old aunt was watching with me, and she was screaming (not too loudly) when they played. I didn’t realize at the time just how hug they’d be in a very short period of time.
Did you ever try to listen to shortwave with that radio? I had a bigger radio that had short and longwave bands, but never picked up anything on them.
Great post!
Yes, you really sent me off on a tangent, and such a fun idea! 🙂 I loved that TV, even though we only had the VHF stations. Living close to the border, we got all the Detroit channels, plus the Canadian ones.
It’s too bad Yancy Derringer didn’t last longer. Amazing that I can even remember it, but it obviously left an impression. When the Beatles first appeared on Ed Sullivan, I was nine. Doesn’t seem all that long ago!
Can’t recall which bandwidth I listened to, specifically. It probably varied, depending on the station. My grandparents had a large radio console with short, medium, and longwave buttons.
Thanks for coming by. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. 🙂
I had all those, but the portable record player was a Dansette, the TV screen was only 10 inches, and the 8-track player was in a car I owned in the early 1970s. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
A 10 inch TV must have had you squinting, Pete! 🙂 We used to have a lot of 8-tracks, but then the player crapped out, so we got rid of them. I remember having one in the car as well. Thanks for coming by!
Wow, that Philco! Our radio was like that, I think, but the leather was black. And Tall and thinner, not short and squat. Never had the reel to reel- I believe my Bro-in-law did. I think that’s what I first heard Bloodrock on.
The Philco was ahead of its time! 🙂 I think there are a few still kicking around. There were a lot of different transistor radios back in the day. I’m guessing Bloodrock was a heavy metal or hard rock band? Cool name!
I loved my turntable as a kid. A few Christmases ago, my son gave me a portable record player similar to my childhood one. I still have my old records. 🙂
Turntables are great! 🙂 I have all my old records too and I see that vinyl is making a comeback, so hang on to that record player.
I just bought a turntable with speakers. I still had all my vinyls but had sold off the 1970’s stereo equipment ages ago. I love listening to the vinyl again. A friend came by and I was playing Dennis Yost and the Classics. She thought she was in a time warp.
Vinyl has become popular again, Denise. 🙂 Difference is, it costs more than CDs, because it’s considered a collector’s item. I often listen to the old records. Some are a little scratched, but the memories are priceless.