Advertisement, Zenith Space Command Television Remote Control Unit Ad, 1957

Summary

Building upon their popularity in vaudeville, films, and radio, comedy duo George Burns and Gracie Allen entertained television viewers from 1950 to 1958. Zenith took advantage of the humorous banter between this husband-and-wife team to promote its Space Command TV. It is interesting to note that the remote control promised to "shut off the sound of long, annoying commercials."

Artifact

Date Made

07 September 1957

Subject Date

1957

Creators

Zenith Radio Corporation

Place of Creation

United States, Illinois, Chicago

Creator Notes

Made for Zenith Radio Corporation, Chicago, Illinois.

Keywords

Collection Title

Research Center General Advertisement Collection

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2011.50.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Photomechanical processes

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 11.25 in

Width: 8 in

Inscriptions

Printed to left of George Burns: "LOOK OUT, / GRACIE! / WITH / ZENITH / SPACE / COMMAND TV / I CAN CHANGE / PROGRAMS FROM ACROSS THE ROOM"... Descriptive paragraph beside image includes: ONLY ZENITH HAS SPACE COMMAND / THE REMOTE CONTROL UNIT THAT / TUNES TV BY "SILENT SOUND"... JUST TOUCH A BUTTON TO... - shut off the sound of long annoying commercials while the / picture remains on the screen / -turn TV on and off / -change channels (either direction) / -No wires, No batteries, No Transistors... / BURNS AND ALLEN SHOW / seen every week over CBS Television Network / Zenith Radio Corporation / Chicago 39, Illinois Printed at bottom of advertisement: QUALITY BY / Zenith / The Royalty of Television / SPACE COMMAND TV