estatesale_gary
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Try Dayton's in downtown Minneapolis...they have several to choose from in their window!
It's 1956 and you want a color TV
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estatesale_gary
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Another shot
Dayton's downtown Minneapolis 1956
Dayton's downtown Minneapolis 1956
estatesale_gary
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Color too much cash? Try Southdale
Southdale was the first indoor shopping mall in Minnesota. This is from the early to mid-60's. Dayton's used to have a large appliance dept.
Southdale was the first indoor shopping mall in Minnesota. This is from the early to mid-60's. Dayton's used to have a large appliance dept.
estatesale_gary
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Southdale isn't convenient for me....
...how about the Motorola dealer in Golden Valley?
...how about the Motorola dealer in Golden Valley?
estatesale_gary
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Maybe Donaldson's at Southdale?
..now where are the tv's?
FYI - The MN Historical Society database has some really great old photos - these are just a few!
..now where are the tv's?
FYI - The MN Historical Society database has some really great old photos - these are just a few!
oooh look at those lovely airconditioners and I see Hoover convertibles too
scott55405
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Wow, that was enough to bring me out of hibernation!
These are fantastic pictures Gary! I will have to go to that site and see what else I see. The Dayton's picture would have been when the furniture and appliances were still in the department store building; relatively early on (in the 70s) they moved to a separate store down France, which I think (?) Macy's still operates.
Both Dayton's and Donaldson's stores at Southdale had 4 shopping levels, quite large by suburban mall standards. Donaldson's appliance dept. was in the basement. They left the appliance business relatively early, in about 1973. I think Dayton's lasted into the early 90s if memory serves, and electronics (tvs etc) even slightly longer.
I see the Hoovers and the Maytag wringer and I think some Maytag Auto washers in the Donaldsons picture, I know there were some Frigidaires lurking in probably the next row! I wonder what the a/cs are; I know Fedders always had that round grille on front. Those were the days when window ac's were serviceable and made to last, not the throwaways we know today.
I'm not sure that any of the original Donaldson's buildings exist in any form today; Southdale and Rosedale were demo'd and replaced by Mervyns, gone now too; not sure what became of Brookdale's. Even the Power's locations they occupied after that merger are largely gone. Dayton's still has the two downtowns and Brookdale, the latter of which I understand is going to fold.
You can still see the original Dayton's midcentury facade at Southdale even though the store is no longer in that location. The original not surprisingly was much more interesting in many ways than that which replaced it 10 or 15 years ago. (Anyone remember the Valley View Room?) Donaldson's had a neat looking building too; there was a row of windows at the top where the restaurant had been located.
This is going way back, but there was even an outbuilding on the mall property near 66th and France that housed ski equipment, all manner of sporting goods, and you could even buy boats (from Dayton's)! I don't think Donaldson's did, but Dayton's had the obligatory auto repair centers like Sears, Wards, Penneys and othes at their stores into the 70s (even downtown).
These are fantastic pictures Gary! I will have to go to that site and see what else I see. The Dayton's picture would have been when the furniture and appliances were still in the department store building; relatively early on (in the 70s) they moved to a separate store down France, which I think (?) Macy's still operates.
Both Dayton's and Donaldson's stores at Southdale had 4 shopping levels, quite large by suburban mall standards. Donaldson's appliance dept. was in the basement. They left the appliance business relatively early, in about 1973. I think Dayton's lasted into the early 90s if memory serves, and electronics (tvs etc) even slightly longer.
I see the Hoovers and the Maytag wringer and I think some Maytag Auto washers in the Donaldsons picture, I know there were some Frigidaires lurking in probably the next row! I wonder what the a/cs are; I know Fedders always had that round grille on front. Those were the days when window ac's were serviceable and made to last, not the throwaways we know today.
I'm not sure that any of the original Donaldson's buildings exist in any form today; Southdale and Rosedale were demo'd and replaced by Mervyns, gone now too; not sure what became of Brookdale's. Even the Power's locations they occupied after that merger are largely gone. Dayton's still has the two downtowns and Brookdale, the latter of which I understand is going to fold.
You can still see the original Dayton's midcentury facade at Southdale even though the store is no longer in that location. The original not surprisingly was much more interesting in many ways than that which replaced it 10 or 15 years ago. (Anyone remember the Valley View Room?) Donaldson's had a neat looking building too; there was a row of windows at the top where the restaurant had been located.
This is going way back, but there was even an outbuilding on the mall property near 66th and France that housed ski equipment, all manner of sporting goods, and you could even buy boats (from Dayton's)! I don't think Donaldson's did, but Dayton's had the obligatory auto repair centers like Sears, Wards, Penneys and othes at their stores into the 70s (even downtown).
scott55405
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One more piece of fun Dayton's trivia
For most years of its existence, the downtown TV department was located on 7th floor. When I first worked downtown in the late 70s/early 80s and who knows how long before that, Dayton's had made a sort of "corral" with short walls in the TV department in which it placed some seating and a tv, where working (mostly) women would gather on their lunch hours to catch up on what they could of their soap operas (no VCRs in those days).
For most years of its existence, the downtown TV department was located on 7th floor. When I first worked downtown in the late 70s/early 80s and who knows how long before that, Dayton's had made a sort of "corral" with short walls in the TV department in which it placed some seating and a tv, where working (mostly) women would gather on their lunch hours to catch up on what they could of their soap operas (no VCRs in those days).
toggleswitch2
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You have been missed Scott!
scott55405
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TVs were sold on the furniture floor
Gary I just saw one of your headings. I think Donaldson's Southdale Furniture Dept. was on the 3rd floor, and the tv section would have been with that. Both stores always had that section nearest furniture (maybe because in those days tvs and stereos often were furniture?)
The major appliances were generally on the same floor as other housewares (ie mixers, vacuums, etc) (not that that explains Doaldson's Southdale, whose housewares were upstairs, moving to the basement only years later after the appliances and bargain basement were gone). Only time I remember tv and appliances adjoining was at Dayton's St. Paul, where furniture, housewares, tvs, appliances (and toys) were on the same floor. There was even a smaller version of Minneapolis' 8th floor auditorium, and in those days both downtowns had walk-through holiday displays, as the Minneapolis store still does. Appropriately enough in both those stores during that season, toys were located on the auditorium floor, adjoining the auditorium and holiday display, in addition to housewares, appliances, and in Minneapolis the probably long-forgotten save by me Pet Department.
Now I'm trying to remember if the original Southdale store had an auditorium...I wouldn't be a bit surprised if it had...
Gary I just saw one of your headings. I think Donaldson's Southdale Furniture Dept. was on the 3rd floor, and the tv section would have been with that. Both stores always had that section nearest furniture (maybe because in those days tvs and stereos often were furniture?)
The major appliances were generally on the same floor as other housewares (ie mixers, vacuums, etc) (not that that explains Doaldson's Southdale, whose housewares were upstairs, moving to the basement only years later after the appliances and bargain basement were gone). Only time I remember tv and appliances adjoining was at Dayton's St. Paul, where furniture, housewares, tvs, appliances (and toys) were on the same floor. There was even a smaller version of Minneapolis' 8th floor auditorium, and in those days both downtowns had walk-through holiday displays, as the Minneapolis store still does. Appropriately enough in both those stores during that season, toys were located on the auditorium floor, adjoining the auditorium and holiday display, in addition to housewares, appliances, and in Minneapolis the probably long-forgotten save by me Pet Department.
Now I'm trying to remember if the original Southdale store had an auditorium...I wouldn't be a bit surprised if it had...
Scott, I worked as a temp at the Southdale Daytons when they were moving from the old store to the new store. I moved display equipment from the old store to the display storeroom. You're right - the old one was much more fun. Didn't it have a big atrium with a sculpture or mobile or something?
beadsobleach
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The Seville
I think that color set shown was the "Seville", $795,I saw an ad for them, a lot of money in '56, sure would love to have one of those old color sets,
I think that color set shown was the "Seville", $795,I saw an ad for them, a lot of money in '56, sure would love to have one of those old color sets,
iheartmaytag
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Does it strike anyone else as funny that the pictures of color television are in black & white?
danemodsandy
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Not a Seville 21:
We had the Seville 21 when I was a kid (Dad worked for RCA, so we had colour pretty early on), and it was not the same set seen in the Dayton's photos; the Seville was from 1955-56, and used the CTC-4 chassis. A photo is below; the Seville was also available without the legs, as the Havilland 21. The Dayton's set appears to be the Westcott, a CTC-5 chassis model from 1956-57.
That Seville of ours soldiered on into the '70s, when it was finally given to my younger brother's high school as an electronics shop project. It had had one new picture tube sometime in the mid-1960s. It was reliable enough for a colour set of its era, except that it had to have convergence adjustments if anyone breathed on it, which was par for the course at the time. Cabinet was red mahogany veneer over plywood, extremely solid and beautifully finished to a glasslike surface.
We had the Seville 21 when I was a kid (Dad worked for RCA, so we had colour pretty early on), and it was not the same set seen in the Dayton's photos; the Seville was from 1955-56, and used the CTC-4 chassis. A photo is below; the Seville was also available without the legs, as the Havilland 21. The Dayton's set appears to be the Westcott, a CTC-5 chassis model from 1956-57.
That Seville of ours soldiered on into the '70s, when it was finally given to my younger brother's high school as an electronics shop project. It had had one new picture tube sometime in the mid-1960s. It was reliable enough for a colour set of its era, except that it had to have convergence adjustments if anyone breathed on it, which was par for the course at the time. Cabinet was red mahogany veneer over plywood, extremely solid and beautifully finished to a glasslike surface.
danemodsandy
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The Westcott:
Here 'tis:
Here 'tis:
beadsobleach
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Big Color
Thanks for the information. My relatives bought a used color set in the early 60s, it was big and blond. only worked a few months, I remember seeing some cartoons on it. Was convergence something the ordinary person could fix or did you have to call in a serviceman?
Thanks for the information. My relatives bought a used color set in the early 60s, it was big and blond. only worked a few months, I remember seeing some cartoons on it. Was convergence something the ordinary person could fix or did you have to call in a serviceman?
iheartmaytag
Well-known member
We were late to the game as far as color was concerned. We didn't get a color set until about 1974 or so. I remember it was a big GE console.
My Dad loved his football in color. unfortunately he only got to watch about a year before he died that was July of 75. We had that set until 1992. The cabinet was still in good condition but the tube was dead. we gave it to a man that rebuilt TV's just to keep it out of the dump.
My Dad loved his football in color. unfortunately he only got to watch about a year before he died that was July of 75. We had that set until 1992. The cabinet was still in good condition but the tube was dead. we gave it to a man that rebuilt TV's just to keep it out of the dump.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Mike:
"Was convergence something the ordinary person could fix or did you have to call in a serviceman?"
Mike - you needed a serviceman; the adjustments took special tools and there were voltages in those old sets that could weld your a$$ to the wall. In most instances, if the set was left in place and was not subject to a lot of vibration, it was good for a long time without adjustment. But if it was moved, adjustment was very often needed. As you might expect, clean freaks had the most trouble with their sets - many a housewife moved the set to clean underneath it (usually with the help of a husky teenager) and knocked the convergence off.
RCA tried very hard to educate consumers at the time the set was delivered, but it often took a bill or two for unnecessary service calls (adjustments were not covered under warranty) before some folks started to listen and leave their sets alone.
"Was convergence something the ordinary person could fix or did you have to call in a serviceman?"
Mike - you needed a serviceman; the adjustments took special tools and there were voltages in those old sets that could weld your a$$ to the wall. In most instances, if the set was left in place and was not subject to a lot of vibration, it was good for a long time without adjustment. But if it was moved, adjustment was very often needed. As you might expect, clean freaks had the most trouble with their sets - many a housewife moved the set to clean underneath it (usually with the help of a husky teenager) and knocked the convergence off.
RCA tried very hard to educate consumers at the time the set was delivered, but it often took a bill or two for unnecessary service calls (adjustments were not covered under warranty) before some folks started to listen and leave their sets alone.
beadsobleach
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Sandy
Thanks again, I guess I can see why there was resistance in the early days. Still it must have been exciting to see those shows in color. We didn't get color till 67, I use to go to a friends to watch saturday cartoons and Charley Brown Christmas of course...
Thanks again, I guess I can see why there was resistance in the early days. Still it must have been exciting to see those shows in color. We didn't get color till 67, I use to go to a friends to watch saturday cartoons and Charley Brown Christmas of course...
