TV GUIDE
October 1969 Issue


by Peter Andringa
Mercury7 Manufacturing

[1]In the late sixties, early seventies my father owned a television repair shop. At that time the repair person still came to your home to fix your TV, mainly the ones that were too big to take to the shop yourself. I used to think I was just being sentimental by saying that TV's had more style in those days. As we head in to the late nineties I've realized that notion is more a reality than a fuzzy memory.

My wife and I own a vintage furniture store here in Victoria, BC. I find I am constantly comparing new products to old products and trying to distinguish the age and quality of merchandise in the heaps of junk a vintage furniture store owner must go through on a daily basis. Throughout these treasure hunting rituals I have had many the opportunity to reflect on the history of contemporary industrial design; at one time the excitement of new technology was matched by the excitement of their exterior design. In this new era of technology it is quite apparent that our innovative technology has far surpassed the modern approach in design.

[3]It has been these observations that have driven me to the creation of the televisions I now present to you. The photos that accompany this article illustrate the three Mercury7 production models. Of all the experiments with garage sale black and white televisions over the past three years, I have chosen these sets as the models I favoured most for production purposes.









[2]This new focus on technology seems to have a huge influence on television manufacturers. It has now become the agenda of marketers to sell the new TV's as "state of the art"; reliable, technologically advanced and sleek in their practicality. Although these are all the virtues of a dependable television, what about the model itself? Are we the consumer no longer entitled to self-expression through the products we purchase or have we become slaves to technology. Kneeling before the mega corporation television manufacturers and purchasing the latest black plastic box with all the great features. Perhaps the manufacturers have become too big and no longer able to cater to individual tastes. The television still holds the title of the most influential inventions of this century on this continent. It has been most unfortunate that we now fail to see this as it's stature has been reduced to that of a common appliance.



Satellite | Belvedere | Orbit | Mercury7

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