Today's "Anything Goes Saturday" images are from a small group from 1958; they are from what appears to be some sort of electronics trade show, though I have no idea where this show took place. Anyway, I enjoyed the groups of salesmen and nerds (i.e. "People a lot smarter than me") and the presence of vacuum tubes. There was something elegant and beautiful about those tubes... I still remember the soft orange glow from the cabinet of my parent's old "hi-fi" when I was a kid. Somehow it was comforting.
Look at these crazy guys; you know they were up to no good once the trade show ended. Machlett Laboratories specialized in transmitting tubes (particularly triodes, according to Wikipedia) and x-ray tubes.
This lady was no mere "booth babe", she could sell Westinghouse products with the best of them. If only we knew what she was saying. More tubes. Thyratrons! What is it about Jurassic technology that is so awesome?
The view from above; how fun would it be to hop into our time machine so that we could walk the aisles and see what wonders were to behold! I wouldn't understand any of it, but it would still be cool. Looming above everyone is a giant microwave antenna, or radio transmitter or whatever it was - it would make Kenneth Strickfaden proud, that's all I know.
Major-
ReplyDeleteThyratron tubes are the original thyristors, or silicon controlled rectifiers (SCR's). Westinghouse, GE, and many others sold thyratron tubes, some of which were those wonderful little glass tubes containing elements that could display crawling text, or individual characters.
Would be interesting to know just what and where this convention took place.
Thanks, Major.
If this is Los Angeles, this could be WESCON, August 19-22, 1958 Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE)
ReplyDeleteNanook, I may have seen Thyratron tubes at some point in my life, but if so I can't remember them. Are they like "Nixie" tubes?
ReplyDeleteAnon, unfortunately I have no information about where this event took place... it could have been anywhere. It would be extra cool (for me) if this could be proven to be the WESCON show, since I love vintage Los Angeles stuff.
Major P, most people have never seen a Thyratron since they were usually buried deep inside electronic devices that most people didn't have; they weren't in radios or TVs. As for Nixie tubes, they're those little numeric display things that were popular in the sixties, so they were always visible. They've made quite a resurgence lately, like showing up in Monster's Inc...
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures! I love pictures of old technology, particularly when it's under the auspices of "the latest technology" and everyone's drooling over it.
Tom, so chances are even if I see a Thyratron I won't know what it is! It seems like they should be visible if (as Nanook said) they can display crawling text. I am going to look on Google images right now to see what they are!
ReplyDeleteI guess I'd conveniently forgotten about the ones that glowed... so yes, I stand corrected on my comment about their visibility.
ReplyDeleteSweet Thyratron Girl, you've irradiated my heart! Be my Mecco Valentine!
ReplyDelete