| The way "See Yourself..."
was handled was particularly fascinating. At the time, both color
cameras and tape machines were huge behemoths weighing several
hundred pounds each. What RCA did was to line up three video
tape machines. The 2-inch-wide tape came off the supply reel
of the first machine which recorded the visitor's image. Then
it went to a second machine through a series of rollers. The
second machine gave a delayed playback of the visitor in black
and white. Then the tape went through rollers to a third machine
that gave a further delayed playback in color (and also had the
take-up reel). |
Behemoth of a camera records visitors
so they can "See Themselves on Color TV!"
SOURCE: © 2005 Wayne
Bretl, personal collection June/July 1965
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| Visitors stepped onto a turntable
that carried them past the camera where they could squint through
the bright lights to see themselves "live." Then, as
they were carried around the turntable, surprise! - A
delayed playback in black and white and a second delayed playback
in color! WOW! For the time, this was marvelous. The plans described
in the October, 1963 Broadcast News show only one delay
stage and no turntable. So the more elaborate scheme must have
been developed a bit later. The turntable obviously solved the
problem of getting people to the second and third playback at
the right time and also set the pace of movement through this
feature of RCA's exhibits. |
Three chances to "See Yourself..."
(top) Live (middle) in black & white via tape delay (bottom)
and in living color, again on tape delay.
SOURCE: © 2005 Wayne
Bretl, personal collection June/July 1965
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A final view of RCA's detailed
cutaway model. This view shows details of the auditorium and "hi-fi
Listening Room." Walkway bridge over the control room has
also been set in place and shows how visitors could see the control
room from both sides of the bridge.
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SOURCE: New
York Sunday News Magazine, April 12, 1964
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presented courtesy
Bradd Schiffman Collection
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| webmasters note: Tom McKeever writes: Having just looked at your web site about the RCA Pavilion in the ’64 World’s Fair I thought I might add an interesting tidbit. A few weeks ago I was listening to audio cds from NBC News’ coverage of the Gemini 5 space mission, June 1965. During the coverage NBC News correspondent Peter Hackes was at the [RCA] Pavilion along with NBC’s full scale mockup of the Gemini 4 space craft. He did live on-air reports during the mission explaining crucial events that were occurring onboard the craft. For the remaining 8 Gemini missions Mr. Hackes and the Gemini mockup were at Studio 8-H in the RCA Bldg. It was a great live promo NBC did for RCA back then. Tom McKeever, via email 1/03/2010. |
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Webmaster's note- Many thanks to Wayne Bretl for bringing RCA to nywf64.com. Wayne's personal photos of the interior of the pavilion and the "See Yourself..." exhibit bring back more memories than any of my reproduced brochures could ever bring. If you'd like to contact Wayne and share your memories of seeing yourself on Color TV, you may do so at waynebretl@cox.net. Many thanks to Bill Cotter, Mike Kraus and Bradd Schiffman for their contributions as well.
-Bill Young, February 2004
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