CBS Television And Radio Illuminated Sign

CBS Television Sign Lit

This sign featured a rotating color wheel behind a pebbled glass panel, illuminated from behind by a Circleline florescent bulb.  As it ran, the colors constantly changed, and the pebbled glass acted as thousands of tiny lenses.  The effect was a very bright shimmering display which commanded attention in the store and, if you stare at if for any length of time, it will surely give you a headache.  It was made by the Ohio Advertising Display Company of Cincinnati, and was called "Illuminated Color In Motion".

This sign bears a date of February 1952.  What is significant about this date is the fact that this sign was produced during the period in which CBS was attempting to promote it's abortive color TV system which used a color wheel in front of a conventional picture tube.  Eventually, the superior RCA system using the tri-color CRT prevailed, but for a brief period, CBS had the lead.  This sign is an artifact of that doomed CBS color TV venture. 

Click here to see a short video clip of the sign in operation (1.3 MB).

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