I remember going into the Curtis Mathes Showrooms as a youth in the early 1960?s they were always so elegant and full of wonderful new console televisions and beautiful stereos. Later when I was a college student I won two design awards both in 1979 and 1981 from the Curtis Mathes Company. I was majoring in Industry Psychology and Design and it was always a wonderful treat when I could enter a design contest; especially one from a major manufacturer like Curtis Mathes.

Below is a Authorized Distributor banner from 1961 that was given to me from a closed Curtis Mathes Showroom.

After I graduated from College in 1982 and I worked for Zenith in their radio design department, and also did some freelancing work for Curtis Mathes in Console design from the years 1982 to 1984. It was always a joy to help lay out a new console television design and see it take form. There was always much more freedom in design at Curtis Mathes so by the mid 1980?s I worked for them exclusively. I worked for the Curtis Mathes Company exclusively from the years 1986 to 1991 as a console television and stereo designer. The photograph below is one of the televisions I helped design in 1984, and yes she still works great.

This is a short history of the once famous Curtis Mathes Electronics Company. In 1957, Curtis Mathes & Associates purchased a major interest in the Olive-Myers-Spalti Manufacturing Co. The new firm, called Curtis Mathes Manufacturing Company, combined its decades of furniture building and electronics experience, first to enter the hi-fi business and, in 1959, the television industry. With these changes, Curtis Mathes started its tradition of combining top quality video and audio products housed in fine furniture. Just four years later, the Company entered the world of color television, beginning the era in which the Company became a household name.

Below are two photos of site member "modernman" beautiful 1961 Curtis Mathes "Imperial Dane"... She looks and plays as good as the day she was made. 

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I think Lucy is very happy with this television.... Great job "modernman".. what an awesome room, very nice retro design, just stunning. Very beautiful and stylish.

Below is a photograph of one the wonderful consoles the company was making in 1960,

and yes she still is working as well.

The photo below is of Nancy Jones beautiful Curtis Mathes Stereo with a Deluxe AM/FM radio, turntable, reel to reel and at one time a television in the top center.

The photo below is of Curtis Mathes Jr. giving sales award to Bob Dill 🙂 Back during the good old days 🙂 Bob was a top seller for the company back in the golden age of Made in America Televisions  ... 

The three photos below are of a beautiful 1968 Curtis Mathes three in one color console.

You can see the craftsmanship in her wood-work and style.

It was in 1972 that Curtis Mathes was the first manufacturer to offer a completely solid-state product line, with an unprecedented four-year warranty. In 1975 Curtis Mathes, Jr. purchased the company from the shareholders. In 1978 Curtis Jr. began demonstrating what would become another hallmark of the Company: heavy use of advertising to position and promote products. That year, an $18 million advertising investment yielded sales of more than $152 million. Millions of Americans came to know that Curtis Mathes was..."The most expensive television in America, and darn well worth it!" Below is a photograph of the Curtis Mathes plant in Athens Texas. The huge plant is now empty and has not been used in years, very tragic.

The two photos below are of: Revolt of the Androids, Playing on the1980 Curtis Mathes Model G550 Chassis C81-7 Medium Pecan, Has been in a storage shed for countless years, test playing a Lost in Space, VHS tape. The cabinet needs a good oiling but the picture tube is doing amazing considering the console was in a hot and damp shed in the summer and cold as Hell shed in the winter months for countless years. Revolt of the Androids, Episode aired Mar 8, 1967 …

#curtismathes #modelg550 #vintagetv #curtismathestv #lostinspace

The photo below: Back in 1961, Curtis Mathes made Texas size beauties, that were wanted by Doctors, Lawyers, and Indian Chiefs ...

Below is an nice photo from 1983 of a Curtis Mathes Home Entertainment Center.

The three photos below are of a beautiful late1960's three in one model color console from Curtis Mathes, made in Texas, and yes she still is working today like a new model.

Photo below is one of Curtis Mathes Company first color televisions and yes she also is still working!

This beautiful console is from Charlie Trahan, he has a awesome collection she is a 1966

Curtis Mathes TV/Stereo.

This wonderful 1961/62 consolette that was saved from the trash truck. Saved by Audubon5425 A of the Antique Radio Forum.

It is badged "Hi-Fidelity" and has seperate bass & treble controls along with a 6BQ5 driving that nice-sized speaker.

Below is Karah with one of our huge Curtis Mathes 1960 radios. The sound from this old girl is wonderful.

Below is a AD for a very nice console we sold at Curtis Mathes. She was one of the last all wood pieces that came out of Athens Texas, and was made a few years before I started working for the company.

In the photo be low is a lovely Curtis Mathes Console. The one I have is in the two photos below the complete and mind console. This design was a little bit before my time at the company but we still had a model of her as a prototype. I have the model below that no longer has the television in the cabinet. But the turntable, radio and speakers are still with her and function. A friend in the wood working department put the shelves in her for me. She is still a very beautiful piece of furniture. I only wished I had a television reinstalled at the time in her. But at least I have the model.  This design is a more Spanish or Mediterranean design. These consoles where sometimes referred to as Spanish Galleons.