1950 Zenith Porthole Television - Cinderella

(Click here to expand writeup) 1950 Zenith "porthole" Television. This TV was advertised as the "Lincoln" model in the Presidential series. I call her "Cinderella" because she most likely spent the last 50 years in a barn or basement neglected and her electronics not working. Judging by the condition and repairs when I found her, this 60 year old television probably functioned as a playing television for only the first 10 years of her life. She spent the last 50 years ignored, dirty and neglected - thus I call her Cinderella and now she has been brought back to the party in all her glory.

Cinderella's electronics has been fully restored and her cabinet cleaned and restored. The front bezel was repainted along with the metal back cover. The entire inside of the cabinet was also stained. When found, her chassis's, both of them, were rusty and grungy. I found acorns in the cabinet and 50 years worth of neglect. Mice had played inside and you could see the trails of rust from mouse pee they left between the vacuum tubes. Cinderella was horribly neglected.

Cinderella has a 16" round 16EP4 CRT, 23 vacuum tubes, a really well built Mahogany cabinet, and a front control door made of solid brass. She is complete from the metal mesh back cover to the knobs on the front. This restoration was my first TV and I leaned heavily on the advice and support I got from the kind and knowledgeable folks on the http://www.AntiqueRadios.com Television forum.

Here is Cinderella brought back from neglect ...
... remember the 1950's Loretta Young show where actress Loretta Young waltz's on stage at the start of the show and reads "Letters to Loretta"?