The Official Vintage Curtis Mathes site by Glenn Waters
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Welcome to the Official Vintage Curtis Mathes site, I am Glenn Waters
Welcome to the Official Vintage Curtis Mathes site, I am Glenn Waters
I remember going into the Curtis Mathes Showrooms as a youth in the early 1960?s they were always so elegant and full of wonderful new console televisions and beautiful stereos. Later when I was a college student I won two design awards both in 1979 and 1981 from the Curtis Mathes Company. I was majoring in Industry Psychology and Design and it was always a wonderful treat when I could enter a design contest; especially one from a major manufacturer like Curtis Mathes.
Below is a Authorized Distributor banner from 1961 that was given to me from a closed Curtis Mathes Showroom.
After I graduated from College in 1982 and I worked for Zenith in their radio design department, and also did some freelancing work for Curtis Mathes in Console design from the years 1982 to 1984. It was always a joy to help lay out a new console television design and see it take form. There was always much more freedom in design at Curtis Mathes so by the mid 1980?s I worked for them exclusively. I worked for the Curtis Mathes Company exclusively from the years 1986 to 1991 as a console television and stereo designer. The photograph below is one of the televisions I helped design in 1984, and yes she still works great.
This is a short history of the once famous Curtis Mathes Electronics Company. In 1957, Curtis Mathes & Associates purchased a major interest in the Olive-Myers-Spalti Manufacturing Co. The new firm, called Curtis Mathes Manufacturing Company, combined its decades of furniture building and electronics experience, first to enter the hi-fi business and, in 1959, the television industry. With these changes, Curtis Mathes started its tradition of combining top quality video and audio products housed in fine furniture. Just four years later, the Company entered the world of color television, beginning the era in which the Company became a household name.
Below are two photos of site member "modernman" beautiful 1961 Curtis Mathes "Imperial Dane"... She looks and plays as good as the day she was made.
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I think Lucy is very happy with this television.... Great job "modernman".. what an awesome room, very nice retro design, just stunning. Very beautiful and stylish.
Below is a photograph of one the wonderful consoles the company was making in 1960,
and yes she still is working as well.
The photo below is of Nancy Jones beautiful Curtis Mathes Stereo with a Deluxe AM/FM radio, turntable, reel to reel and at one time a television in the top center.
The photo below is of Curtis Mathes Jr. giving sales award to Bob Dill 🙂 Back during the good old days 🙂 Bob was a top seller for the company back in the golden age of Made in America Televisions ...
The three photos below are of a beautiful 1968 Curtis Mathes three in one color console.
You can see the craftsmanship in her wood-work and style.
It was in 1972 that Curtis Mathes was the first manufacturer to offer a completely solid-state product line, with an unprecedented four-year warranty. In 1975 Curtis Mathes, Jr. purchased the company from the shareholders. In 1978 Curtis Jr. began demonstrating what would become another hallmark of the Company: heavy use of advertising to position and promote products. That year, an $18 million advertising investment yielded sales of more than $152 million. Millions of Americans came to know that Curtis Mathes was..."The most expensive television in America, and darn well worth it!" Below is a photograph of the Curtis Mathes plant in Athens Texas. The huge plant is now empty and has not been used in years, very tragic.
The two photos below are of: Revolt of the Androids, Playing on the1980 Curtis Mathes Model G550 Chassis C81-7 Medium Pecan, Has been in a storage shed for countless years, test playing a Lost in Space, VHS tape. The cabinet needs a good oiling but the picture tube is doing amazing considering the console was in a hot and damp shed in the summer and cold as Hell shed in the winter months for countless years. Revolt of the Androids, Episode aired Mar 8, 1967 …
#curtismathes #modelg550 #vintagetv #curtismathestv #lostinspace
The photo below: Back in 1961, Curtis Mathes made Texas size beauties, that were wanted by Doctors, Lawyers, and Indian Chiefs ...
Below a lovely Curtis Mathes Color Console from 1980
Below a lovely Curtis Mathes Color Console from 1980
Photo above: detailed skilled workers at the Athens, Texas Curtis Mathes Plant in 1961 …
In the year 1979 Curtis Mathes established ColorTyme, a home entertainment rental company, to meet the increasing demands for quality home entertainment equipment. In the years 1982 the Company began franchising its name across the country, the corporate headquarters were moved from Athens to Dallas and the Company's manufacturing plant in Athens, Texas was sold. Then in 1988 the entire Company was sold and relocated back in Athens. During the period I worked for the company the Athens plant became the center of television and stereo production for the entire company. This was a awesome time in the history of our nation, back before our once proud and powerful electronics industries were sold out to the slave markets of Asia in a horrible unfair free trade agreement. Now because of the greed and stupidity of a few men not one television is made in North America.
This is a wonderful Curtis Mathes Company photo taken by James Cooper it was around 1982 at a banquet in Athens. It is of a good number of the engineering group circa 1982. James believes this was shortly before the moved to Las Colinas. James remember Curtis Mathes Jr. was there that evening because he sat right next to him! He ate a double layer of steak! Unfortunately, he left before James took this picture. Also, alas, James is not in the picture because he was taking the picture!
This is a wonderful Curtis Mathes Company photo taken by James Cooper it was around 1982 at a banquet in Athens. It is of a good number of the engineering group circa 1982. James believes this was shortly before the moved to Las Colinas. James remember Curtis Mathes Jr. was there that evening because he sat right next to him! He ate a double layer of steak! Unfortunately, he left before James took this picture. Also, alas, James is not in the picture because he was taking the picture!
Below is an nice photo from 1983 of a Curtis Mathes Home Entertainment Center.
The three photos below are of a beautiful late1960's three in one model color console from Curtis Mathes, made in Texas, and yes she still is working today like a new model.
Photo below is one of Curtis Mathes Company first color televisions and yes she also is still working!
This beautiful console is from Charlie Trahan, he has a awesome collection she is a 1966
Curtis Mathes TV/Stereo.
This wonderful 1961/62 consolette that was saved from the trash truck. Saved by Audubon5425 A of the Antique Radio Forum.
It is badged "Hi-Fidelity" and has seperate bass & treble controls along with a 6BQ5 driving that nice-sized speaker.
Below is Karah with one of our huge Curtis Mathes 1960 radios. The sound from this old girl is wonderful.
Below is a AD for a very nice console we sold at Curtis Mathes. She was one of the last all wood pieces that came out of Athens Texas, and was made a few years before I started working for the company.
In the photo be low is a lovely Curtis Mathes Console. The one I have is in the two photos below the complete and mind console. This design was a little bit before my time at the company but we still had a model of her as a prototype. I have the model below that no longer has the television in the cabinet. But the turntable, radio and speakers are still with her and function. A friend in the wood working department put the shelves in her for me. She is still a very beautiful piece of furniture. I only wished I had a television reinstalled at the time in her. But at least I have the model. This design is a more Spanish or Mediterranean design. These consoles where sometimes referred to as Spanish Galleons.
Photo above, and the four below are of the 1976 Curtis Mathes Color Combo B633 ... 3 in 1 Entertainment center: 8-Track player, Record player and TV with speakers
The four photos below are of a deluxe 1980s Curtis Mathes Color television console with 8-track, cassette, and record player. All the bells and whistles are with this mint model ...
The five photos below are of a 1961 Vintage Curtis Mathes Stereo-Television Console. This beauty has a record player, deluxe AM/FM Radio with magical Tambour hideaway doors....
The seven photos above are of a 1959 Curtis Mathes Stereophonic High-Fidelity Music Center, Console Model 4529-BB, solid cherry, hand made in Texas Speakers.
The six photos above are of the 1980 Curtis Mathes Model G550 Chassis C81-7 Medium Pecan, Has been in a storage shed for countless years. The cabinet needs a good oiling but the picture tube is doing amazing considering the console was in a hot and damp shed in the summer and cold as Hell shed in the winter months for countless years.
#curtismathes #modelg550 #vintagetv #curtismathestv #faithdomergue
The magical world of Curtis Mathes was once a amazing world of beautiful Electronics …
The photo below is with her drawers open. Still wish I had them put a CM televison in her.
Back to the Curtis Mathes days of 1959, can anyone tell me what these ladies are working on. I found this in one of my old folders. I cannot make out what the are working on?
Maybe Radios!!
Just to give my mentors at Curtis Mathes a break. The stereo consoles and televisions from the early 1960?s were quite beautiful.
This stereo console above and below had a FM and AM radio, with a turntable and a reel to reel, with lots of storage space.
I will have to say she looks very nice with all her doors closed as well.
Sometimes they would advertise their consoles on the back of the CM LP record albums the dealers would give away to customers. I will start with number 10 and slowly work down. Notice they said serving American Homes for 62 years. They are counting from the days they only manufactured window fans and in home fans.
Please note that they had three plants back in the early 1960's one in Houston, one in Dallas, and then the Athens plant. This model is on the back of album number 10 and called the Upton a modern line design from 1960.
Below is CM Album number two.
And on the back we have "The Viking" a very retro and cool Danish modern console design with a turntable, stereo FM and AM radio and plenty of room for records or to add a reel to reel.
In the two photos below is a Curtis Mathes Turntable, Radio and Television Console, this French Provincial style was popular in the early 1960s, The Kingston Model K1523, High Fidelity Combination, Magical High Fidelity sound of the Made in Texas Beauty.
This television console by Curtis Mathes from the same era is very much like the Viking in design.
The five photos below are of a amazing Curtis Mathes Texas size console. It is an awesome piece of American made history. You can see the workmanship in this lovely console, and the pride that went into every detail. Vintage 1960's Curtis Mathes 8'-6" 3 in one console with television, turntable, AM/FM stereo and reel to reel tape recorder. Solid wood cabinet with original brochures.
The four photos below: Playing on the 1980 Curtis Mathes Television Model G550, The Invaders, The Experiment, the Episode first aired Jan 17, 1967. David Vincent meets with an eminent astrophysicist who has proof that aliens are invading the planet.… 1980 Curtis Mathes Model G550, Curtis Mathes Chassis C81-7, Medium Pecan, This television console Has been in a storage shed for countless years. The cabinet needs a good oiling, but the picture tube is doing amazing considering the console was in a hot and damp shed in the summer and cold as Hell shed in the winter months for countless years.
#curtismathes #modelg550 #vintagetvu
This was the Curtis Mathes, Athens Plant from the air back in the early 1960's.
Back in the good old days working at Harvey Industries and Curtis Mathes, founded in 1919, was a tradition . For many employees, it was a family affair. Linda Eldridge, materials handler, worked there six years. She has six sisters and a brother. They all work at the plant. Husband Lonnie was the local union president, had more than a decade with Harvey before the union job employed him full time. Tragically when the plant shut down in Athens Texas whole families were effected greatly.
It is very sad that the only thing going on in the back lot of the Curtis Mathes Plant these days is ducks mating!
The CM Plant is not looking to good either!
Very tragic that now the once very full parking lot is very sad to see these days.
Oh yes Curtis Mathes did like to make them very big ...
Below is another beauty; this is a Curtis Mathes Radio from the very late 1950's about 1959 one of the first big production runs, same style was popular up to around 1963. I have been noticing that these sets are selling for more money this days!
Below a lot of tubes and three very nice speakers for your money!
Below you can see the very nice back board still in great shape.
I know a lot of folks do not like Curtis Mathes products but there are a lot of these radios still going strong in 2010.
Just a real tight box of a radio that still has a lot of years in her. Very nice radio adamc
Great job!!
The Curtis Mathes, Super Audio 72, Mid Century Modern Curtis Mathes Stereo Console, Dimensions: 17 inches Deep, 26 inches High, and 72 Long
The photos below are of the 1985 Curtis Mathes Color Console Television, Model K2658RL. The television was bought new from a showroom and played every day for countless years. The Curtis Mathes Model K2658RL color television comes equipped with video input/output jacks that allow you to use the television as a monitor when connected to video games, home computers, VC's, video discs players, etc., without having to disconnect your regular TV antenna signal. The dimensions are 28 3/4 high, 43 3/4 wide, 16 3/4 deep, and add 2.3 inches to depth for the tube cap.
The photos below are of a Curtis Mathes color television set from September 1980. This is model F368 with a 19 inch screen. This has tuning buttons on the right side of the set, with fine tuning options in the door to the right of the buttons. When hooked up to a DTV box, it functions just as it should. All the color/contrast/brightness/V-hold/H-hold/Focus/tint options work as they should. Perfect for the retro-gamer or VHS lover! Hook it up to your betamax or laserdisc player and watch as they would have in 1980! Comes with a cable ready jack or screws for hook-ups.
Great songs from the early 1960?s played on a 1961 Curtis Mathes Stereo; check out the blue links below:
1961 Curtis Mathes, Royal Dane, Don't Forbid Me
Great songs from the early 1960?s played on a 1961 Curtis Mathes Stereo; check out the blue links below:
1961 Curtis Mathes, Royal Dane, Don't Forbid Me
Back in 1961 the world of Curtis Mathes was the world of Elegance and beauty.
Photo above is a view of the Assembly Line for Television Chassis ? Fine Quality is not an accident. One out of every four persons in the Assembly Department at Curtis Mathes is engaged in testing or inspecting.
The photo above is Model number # CM217305. The two photos below show the inside of of John Phillips awesome 1967 - 1968 Curtis Mathes Color Console she is a wonderful early Hybrid of vacuum tubes and circuit boards made 1967 or 1968.
They really know how to make good products back in the golden age, just look at the details that went into this Curtis Mathes chassis
The last hope for Texas television manufacturing was the Harvey Industries, Inc. (a.k.a. Harvey Joint Venture) and this slowed down last days of Curtis Mathes in Athens Texas. It was September 1982 and in Athens Texas things looked bleak for 850 workers when this East Texas town?s major employer, Curtis Mathes Corporation announced it was shutting down its television manufacturing plant. Officers of the Dallas based company said they were getting out of the TV making business. That?s when plant employees took matters into their own hands. Ray Harvey resigned as president of Curtis Mathes sales company?s, formed his own corporation, bought the plant, retained most of the employees, and was now making TV sets. His major customer was Curtis Mathes!
?These people are giving it all they?ve got? Mr. Harvey said on August 26, 1982 as he strolled along the production line, ?With their attitude, we can?t help but win.? Curtis Mathes officials had said their domestically made sets were too expensive. The company decided to buy its television sets elsewhere while maintaining its own distribution and retail outlets. To keep the Athens plant in business union members by an overwhelming majority approved a new contract at salaries as much as 27 percent below the old wages. ?We almost sank?. Benny Garza a union official at the plant said ?but now everybody is pulling together to keep it afloat.? ?The workers have really risen to the occasion.? Mr. Harvey agreed. Productivity is coming up. It?s got to come up some more for us to have a viable business, but it?s coming up every day. ?Everybody had to take a cut, me included. I took the largest.? Despite the pay reduction everybody was enthusiastic, including Curtis Mathes officials. ?It had only been a month, but everything seems to be working quite well? Curtis Mathes spokesman Jeff Lightburn said on August 26, 1982. ?The quality of the product is excellent.?
Mr. Harvey said in August 1982, he now employs about 600 workers, while Curtis Mathes maintains about 200 persons at the plant to handle shipping, accounting, computer operations, and warranty repairs. Back in August 1982 Athens business man C.F. Hawn paraphrasing Mark Twain, said the reports of the Town?s economic demise are premature. ?Everybody I run into said ?I see Athens is closing up? They?re making a graveyard out of it and the truth is we never missed a beat.
"farbaby" from the Antique Radio Forum, in my opinion c-m TV's were greats sets--my dad started a TV repair shop in 1960--I was 8 years old--he would take me with him on service calls---as i grew older I got totally engulfed in TV's--then I got away from it when I went to school mostly to play baseball on a scholarship---after about 2 years in school it just got to much for dad ---I went to work for him in 1972 and have not looked back---still in business today and enjoy my work--have had to learn a lot about these newer lcd, led and plasma sets to stay alive---anyway what i want to say is dad started selling c-m TV's around 1980 I guess--we sold a ton of those things for several years before "Lowes and wall mart" got into it with cheaper prices----we also sold zenith and Sylvania---but had to drop them when we got the c-m line---people would pay more for one of them---they were great TV's made in Athens Texas--or assembled there---the parts were of the highest quality--5 to 10% tolerance---I serviced one of those sets about a year ago---monster of a beast i remember delivering when we sold it--that thing was a home center--must have weighed a ton--it still has a very good picture--i still have a few c-m modules that I have never used somewhere boxed up in my shop---I cannot comment on the ones made earlier than that--but these I am talking about were very good quality sets---when Curtis died from smoke inhalation on that plane that caught on fire---things started going south very quick for the company---just a memory now---dad and I still talk about them good old days from time to time.
"farbaby" from the Antique Radio Forum, in my opinion c-m TV's were greats sets--my dad started a TV repair shop in 1960--I was 8 years old--he would take me with him on service calls---as i grew older I got totally engulfed in TV's--then I got away from it when I went to school mostly to play baseball on a scholarship---after about 2 years in school it just got to much for dad ---I went to work for him in 1972 and have not looked back---still in business today and enjoy my work--have had to learn a lot about these newer lcd, led and plasma sets to stay alive---anyway what i want to say is dad started selling c-m TV's around 1980 I guess--we sold a ton of those things for several years before "Lowes and wall mart" got into it with cheaper prices----we also sold zenith and Sylvania---but had to drop them when we got the c-m line---people would pay more for one of them---they were great TV's made in Athens Texas--or assembled there---the parts were of the highest quality--5 to 10% tolerance---I serviced one of those sets about a year ago---monster of a beast i remember delivering when we sold it--that thing was a home center--must have weighed a ton--it still has a very good picture--i still have a few c-m modules that I have never used somewhere boxed up in my shop---I cannot comment on the ones made earlier than that--but these I am talking about were very good quality sets---when Curtis died from smoke inhalation on that plane that caught on fire---things started going south very quick for the company---just a memory now---dad and I still talk about them good old days from time to time.
Below is a beautiful garden Curtis Mathes Stereo from1963
Below is a beautiful garden Curtis Mathes Stereo from1963
Photos Below: Curtis Mathes MV-800 VHS Camera, Camcorder. This is an old-style VHS camera that weighs approximately 8.5 lbs. Built in microphone, swivel/pivoting eyepiece, Auto-focus and TV zoom lens, VCR player when hooked up to TV. Accessories included are pause/record remote, A/V adapter, RF and other TV hook-up adapters, power adapter/battery charger, 1x 12V2.0AH battery pack (not functional), shoulder strap for camera, shoulder strap for case, owner's manual. The hard-shell case is a thing of beauty, this is a solid and beautiful piece from a company with a rich heritage in audio and video equipment.
The video below is playing an Elmo's World VHS Tape on the 1985 Curtis Mathes Color Console, Model K2658RL, this television was bought new from a showroom and played every day for countless years. The Curtis Mathes Model K2658RL color television comes equipped with video input/output jacks that allow you to use the television as a monitor when connected to video games, home computers, VC's, video discs players, etc., without having to disconnect your regular TV antenna signal. The dimensions are 28 3/4 high, 43 3/4 wide, 16 3/4 deep, and add 2.3 inches to depth for the tube cap. Vintage VHS tape, Elmo's World, #curtismathes #curtismathesk2658rl #sesamevhstape #elmo #vintagetv
The video below:1985 Curtis Mathes Color Console, Model K2658RL, Playing, March of the Wooden Soldiers, VHS Tape, Staring, Laurel and Hardy. This television was bought new from a showroom and played every day for countless years. The Curtis Mathes Model K2658RL color television comes equipped with video input/output jacks that allow you to use the television as a monitor when connected to video games, home computers, VC's, video discs players, etc., without having to disconnect your regular TV antenna signal. The dimensions are 28 3/4 high, 43 3/4 wide, 16 3/4 deep, and add 2.3 inches to depth for the tube cap. #curtismathes #curtismathesk2658rl #marchofthewooden #laurelhardy #vintagetv
Curtis Mathes Model K1370RW 16” Television with Remote, Damaged in Shipping, Testing with Star Trek. Damaged in Shipping, Testing the Sound and Picture, cabinet a mess. Rugged, and tough, the vintage color TV was made in Japan ... the cabinet had been badly damaged during shipping. Looks like they dropped it or something. The good news is the television still worked, amazingly, and the hard to find remote also worked with my larger Curtis Mathes console television from the same year. Made in Japan, Curtis Mathes, year1985, testing with a Star Trek VHS, episode: The Squire of Gothos, Episode aired Jan 12, 1967. #curtismathes #vintagetv #startrek #squireofgothos #curtismathestv
The Cabinet Assembly of the Curtis Mathes Plants in Texas requires careful quality control in the manufacture of wood parts, this work pay dividends in the assembly of cabinets in the cabinet room. Shown here are workers assembling, fitting and inspecting high fidelity cabinets.
Dallas, Athens, and Houston, three made in the U.S.A. Curtis Mathes Electronic Manufacturing plants now gone forever.
Here in this photo above is a model of the Williamsburg from 1961 that still works, I found Her at a Goodwill in West Indianapolis. In the photo below you can see her great control knobs and the FM/AM radios section as well, she is very well made.
This vintage 3 in1 Curtis Mathes, model W2923 with serial number 41086 that includes the television, stereo and AM/FM radio with a beautiful light cherry finish.
This measures 18x20x64" and is in good physical condition. As you can see from the back of her, she was very well made here in the good old USA.
Here is Jimmy Steward?s CM story. At the age of 15 1962 I went to work for a TV shop in Springhill, LA that sold Curtis Mathes TV?s. All of the first chassis were build by Curtis Mathes both Color and B&W where licensed copies of RCA?s the main change was that a Standard brand turner was used. About 1969 B&W chassis were from Japan. I worked my first year out of college at Curtis Mathis factory in Athens, Texas as Engineering Technician. This was from May 1970 to June 1971. At that time, the CMC 16 (RCA) chassis was being build and a little junked Westinghouse Chassis we called the Rocket because the HV cage looked like a Rocket, were being built in Puerto Rico. This was the big time, employed total of 3,500 people, building 500 plus color TV?s a day in Athens. All the other factories were feeding Athens. Cabinets from Benton, Arkansas, color chassis from Puerto Rico, Picture Tubes from RCA and B&W?s from Japan. A 19? B&W from Japan complete in the box cost Curtis Mathes $12.00 at Athens. At the end of the line in Athens the CMC16 color chassis from Puerto Rico with tubes cost Curtis Mathes $8.00. Here is a wonderful photo of a restored Danish Modern Curits Mathes from1961
Curtis Mathes Manufacturing Company was one of the first companies in American to have equal pay for women employees.
All CM units undergo an extensive series of test. A selected percentage of these chassis are checked by quality control engineers to see that the proper inspection standards are being maintained.
Here is Oscar Winslow working on a new model in 1961 at the Athens Plant.
Curtis Mathes generated nearly $400 million dollars in 1985. The company began selling franchises in 1980; and boasted 650 stores in the USA in 1985. The Franchise owners dealt solely in Curtis Mathes products and Accessories, which were for the most part custom made in the plant in Athens Texas.
The Curtis Mathes Finishing Department in 1961 ? This picture above shows the giant convey-organized finishing room in the Athens plant. Shown here is the rubbing section where the cabinets are carefully rubbed to bring out all the beauty of genuine precious woods.
In 1986 the trade magazine Consumer Electronics estimated that Curtis Mathes rang up $424 Million Dollars worth of Business in 1986. Mr. Bill Ward the franchise director said back in 1986 that the company?s success had been based on made in America high quality products backed up by extensive post sale customer service, most importantly a four year warranty on all products. Below is a photo from an airplane made in 1961 of the huge Curtis Mathes Plant in Houston Texas.
All the components used in the final assembly of the Curtis Mathes High Fidelity united are carefully inspected before they go into the product.
The Very latest finishing techniques allow Curtis Mathes to produce genuine wood finishes at cost only slightly higher than printed imitation finishes. These cabinets are carefully inspected and checked before moving on to the final assembly.
Here are some cool videos I made on my 1961 Curtis Mathes console,
with its replacement 1967 Curtis Mathes turntable.
Ninety-Nine Ways, Tab Hunter, Orchestra
Conducted by Billy Vaughn.
There's No Living Without Your Loving, Gene Pitney
Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Tab Hunter
Lonely Teenager, Dion, Laurie Records
Little Miss Blue, Dion, Written by R. Isle.
Looking Through the Eyes of Love, Gene Pitney
Here are some cool videos I made on my 1961 Curtis Mathes console,
with its replacement 1967 Curtis Mathes turntable.
Ninety-Nine Ways, Tab Hunter, Orchestra
Conducted by Billy Vaughn.
There's No Living Without Your Loving, Gene Pitney
Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Tab Hunter
Lonely Teenager, Dion, Laurie Records
Little Miss Blue, Dion, Written by R. Isle.
Looking Through the Eyes of Love, Gene Pitney
Below is a photo of the Curtis Mathes Factory in Dallas Texas in 1961.
Below is a photo of the Curtis Mathes Factory in Dallas Texas in 1961.
Below are two photos of Richard Emery?s beautiful Mathes Cooler Fan. One of the first to be made by the company right after World War Two. She was manufactured around 1947 to 1949.
The NEC were more noticeable in the 1970’s due to contract problems with RCA
The NEC were more noticeable in the 1970’s due to contract problems with RCA
The NEC were more noticeable in the 1970’s due to contract problems with RCA. Some models in the 1980’s were NEC chassis’s in a heavy wood veneer Curtis Mathes built well laminated particleboard cabinet. Nippon Electric Company also did a lot of our remotes and some of our control knobs and panels. We had a re-badged program with RCA well in place when I was working with them. Sometimes even a Magnavox CTR would be worked into an order.
Not like the good old days in the 1960’s when a Curtis Mathes was all CM. By the late 1980’s it was a major problem just to keep the company in competition with the flood of cheap televisions coming in from Asia. By the time Communist China got on line we simply could not compete with the slave labor.
Yes today some folk foolishly say today that the Curtis Mathes of the 1980’s could not hold a candle to the Zenith of the same time period. I have found so many of these Curtis Mathes models still working as well today as they did in the 1980’s! So I will have to say these folks are not award of the workmanship in this awesome models. Also I remember some very nice and high end models that our design team was still turning out in the 1980's. The photos below are of a wonderful top of the line model we produced in the 1980's:
She was all wood with made in Texas trim, the speakers and components were custom made in Texas.
Yes some folks say that once CM started letting NEC Corporation manufacture all their VCRs, turntables, eight tracks, and portable color TVs it was just a big old relabeling center in Athens Texas for the non-console division. But we still had a large number of made in Texas consoles and components being made in Texas.
Many if not all of the Curtis Mathes top of the line products were much better built then the Sony and Zenith products of the same time period.
It was good and also sad to work in the last days of the industry just to see what could have been. We did try our best with what we had to work with, laminated wood, and particleboard and wood grain plastic was a sad downward move from the quality workmanship of the 1960’s. Luckily most top of the line Curtis Mathes products still had real wood and veneers. Sometimes the televisions I work on look like Spanish Galleons with wood grain plastic moldings. But at least they were still coming down the assembly line in Texas and not China. For a time I would not talk about those days, the end of the American television manufacturing era, but I am afraid young folks will never know what a wonderful period it was and how awesome it was to see something you helped design and create come down a assembly line in the USA.
Here above is a real nice three in one console from Curtis Mathes for 1962, and below is a real beauty for you to look at from Curtis Mathes in the early 1960's, this one is from "modernman's" collection:
I will have to say I was only expressing a short history of an American television manufacture based on my fond memories of working for the company. No political agenda was expressed. I will have to agree that the company was not in the league of Zenith in the end days. But the company did not have the working capital of some of the big boys in the business. Just up dating to plants systems to the computer age was a major expense. Check out our first computer hardware below;
The Curtis Mathes Company did try its best to produce products to the best of their ability in Athens Texas, it was a Texas phenomena and back in the 1980’s you would be the envy of your neighborhood be it even a trailer park if you had a huge Curtis Mathes in your house. After all they were owned by Doctors, Lawyers and Indian Chiefs’ back in the early days. It was a branding that only Texas could really understand completely. My Curtis Mathes VCR’s and even my portable color CM television from the early 1980’s are still going strong see photos below.
Both of these sets were very nice portables from my days at CM.
Vintage Curtis Mathes 19 inch television set model J1940MW. Was sold in the year 1983. The styling of this set looks very 1970s.
During this era was when the digital age started, and manufacturers were still putting out older styles.
________________
I have that VCR he is selling in this 1984 AD, and yes it still works. I did get a employee discount on it but she still was over four hundred dollars back then. We had show-rooms all over the country back then.
And check out this television Ad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8IQG7YRX_A
I must not forget Mrs. Mabel and her Curtis Mathes she will get up-set. She watches it everyday. The console was made in the 1960's and it is still going strong as well. It is even going digital with
a new converter box.
Few people knew that Honnor Blackman visited the plant back when she was filming Gold Finger. The company wanted her for a commercial but could not work out a financial agreement in time. She had just left "The Avengers" in 1963!
I present number 9 in the 1960 production line from Curtis Mathes. This is the 9th album with the Hartford production model on the back of the album. The Hartford was a Early American model of a television console with a stereo radio and a turntable in a all wood cabinet.
Each of the ten models came with their own album of music. Ten completely different albums of music. Each one unique with some of the best music from the era. Here below is the back of album eight, but she is just a stereo console, but there are many more to come. Below is the Westmoreland a very nice all wood French provincial model with a turntable and FM and AM radio and very nice large stereo speakers.
This is the number 8 album of smooth music in which the Westmorland AD is on the back of this CM album.
Sometimes we let things go and then realize later that they do not make that stuff anymore. It is getting to the point now that a console you find might be the last one of a entire era left on the planet. So many are going into landfills and crematoriums these days. Children today do not even know how to use encyclopedias’ people do not even keep books anymore, that is such a tragedy.
I remember the American Society of Interior Designers and Curtis Mathes national design competition in 1983 when Ralph Campbell, vice president of communications for Curtis Mathes had a wonderful contest design competition. He said consumers are baffled by the number of different entertainment and electronic products on the market. More than 50 actual designs were received from professional and student members of ASID. I even submitted one<LOL> . I did receive a 14kt gold CM awards tie pin in 1986 for one of my television console designs.
The competition called for designers to solve the problem of the morass of home-entertainment and educational products and accompanying wires and accessories by integrating various shapes and sizes of products in a aesthetic manner. There were nine judges four were professional designers and the other five were leading design publication editors. First place winner was George Wachob. Pamela Gragg was the winner of the student design category. Raymond Boorstein took second place and the third place winner was Loretta Prokop.
Here is a awesome photo of the Curtis Mathes Plant in Fort Worth Texas around the year 1959. Back in the golden age when Curtis Mathes was all made in the USA by proud Americans.
Here is a awesome photo of the Curtis Mathes Plant in Fort Worth Texas around the year 1959. Back in the golden age when Curtis Mathes was all made in the USA by proud Americans.
I remember Burke Mathes,Jr. and it was so good to hear from him, see the email below:
Hi Glenn.
Burke here. Really enjoyed your Curtis Mathes history--brought back many memories--especially meetigs with Mr. Mathes Sr at 2220 Young St. with his yellow pad and #2 pencil sketching out new designs. I shared it with some colleagues whom you may remember: Bill Park and by way of Bill to R.C. Spitzer and Ray Harvey.
I also shared it with Curtis Mathes Jr's oldest daughter and son.
Kindest regards,
Burke
Hi Glenn.
Burke here. Really enjoyed your Curtis Mathes history--brought back many memories--especially meetigs with Mr. Mathes Sr at 2220 Young St. with his yellow pad and #2 pencil sketching out new designs. I shared it with some colleagues whom you may remember: Bill Park and by way of Bill to R.C. Spitzer and Ray Harvey.
I also shared it with Curtis Mathes Jr's oldest daughter and son.
Kindest regards,
Burke
I only wish we had some photos of those days. Whatever happened to Enhanced Electronics? Did Harvey Industries, Inc. (a.k.a. Harvey Joint Venture) get stuck with the entire cost of the cleanup at the Athens plant? Check out this wonderful model below
As I stated earlier in this post in the late 1950s, George Curtis Mathes, Jr.’s corporation entered the television manufacturing market with only the knowledge of producing box fans for business and residential customers. With-in a few years Curtis Mathes soon began producing a line of color televisions. Over the next twenty-odd years color televisions began popping up in households across America, but it wasn’t until the early 1970s that the color television started to overtake the longstanding black and whites in living rooms. Just like today’s flat screen televisions, the new technology was expensive, so it took a while for retail prices to drop low enough that an average American family could afford to have a color television in their home.
The two photos below were taken by an airplane in 1961 of the Curtis Mathes Plant in Athens Texas.
This was a very busy place in 1961....