Oldest working TV from 1936 up for sale...

Britain's oldest working TV goes under the hammer (and Marconi has only had two careful owners)

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 5:08 PM on 3rd April 2011

• Only three hours of TV a day, and ONE channel in 1936
• Originally cost half the average British annual wage at £100

Britain's oldest working television set that was produced in 1936 by Marconi has emerged for sale - and could fetch more than £5,000.

The machine was bought for almost £100 just three weeks after transmissions began.

Amazingly it comes with a bill of sale for Mr. G. B. Davis of Dulwich, but a twist of fate meant he would have only been able to watch a maximum of 180 minutes of TV on it.

Classic: The 75-year-old set comes with a 12-inch screen and is contained in a walnut and mahogany case with the picture being reflected onto a mirror that opens from the top

The Crystal Palace and its transmitter burned down just three days after Mr Davis bought the Marconi type-702 set on November 26.

His area could not receive pictures again until 1946 and because there was only one hour of programmes a day, Mr Davis was only able to watch his machine for a very short time.

Rare: There are more 18th century Stradivarius violins in existence that pre-war TVs and this set has only had two owners

The 75-year-old set comes with a 12-inch screen and is contained in a walnut and mahogany case with the picture being reflected onto a mirror that opens from the top.

There are more 18th century Stradivarius violins in existence than pre-war TVs and this set has only had two owners.

TV pioneer John Logie Baird and the Marconi company were responsible for the set which was created using Britain's secret radar research.

Incredibly only 30 per cent of the components in this set have been replaced - all with identical parts - and it works perfectly.

It has a pre-sale estimate of £5,000, but experts at Bonhams, which is selling it, expect it to sell for much more.

For £5,000 today you could buy a top-of-the-range set with high definition, 3D, surround sound and more channels than you could ever watch.

The set cost Mr Davis £99.15 shillings. 0d - over half the annual average wage of the day and equivalent to almost £4,000 today.

Bonhams specialist Laurence Fisher said: 'This is being sold by the late owner's family and is the oldest working TV set in Britain.

'These sets were really a side-effect of our secret radar research and they are very similar inside to the radar.

WHAT'S ON? TV LISTINGS ON DAY IT WAS BOUGHT

NOVEMBER 26, 1936

3.05pm: Allied Arts and Handicrafts Exhibition

3.30: [Film] Happy Days in the Tyrol

3.45: Starlight : Lou Holtz

Off air

9.05: Allied Arts and Handicrafts Exhibition

9.30: [Film] Diamonds in the Rough

9.45: Irene Prador

'Logie Baird and Marconi had separate companies but used the same people to make the sets, but Marconi became the most popular maker.

'Baird made the first mechanical television in 1926 and this was the first electronic version.

'I've handled 38 pre-war tellies and this is the finest and even comes with the original invoice.

'Programmes at the time would have all be live and there were plays which were grand productions like you would have at the theatre.

'It was the first time people could see the faces of those whose voices they knew so well from the radio.

'It is a very rare thing and there are collectors who would love to have it.'  

Bonhams Mechanical Music and Scientific Instruments sale is being held at Knightsbridge, London, on April 19.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1372902/Britains-oldest-working-TV-1936-goes-hammer.html#ixzz1IV0a7Rxp