Classic! The Marconi Mark IV
On July 8, 2014
- TV History
Classic! The Marconi Mark IV
Here is another of the beautiful portraits Parker Smith took of my camera collection. This is one of my favorites. In the US, there are only 6 of the Marconi Mark IVs known to have survived…this is one of them. Please click to enlarge for a clearer image.
Unfortunately, none of the Ed Sullivan Mark IV cameras which shot The Beatles survived. That I know of, none of the CBS New York or Television City Mark IVs made it either. I repainted this camera and dressed it to honor the Sullivan, Beatle cameras.
This was Marconi’s answer to the RCA TK60 and both made great pictures with their 4 1/2 inch Image Orthicon tubes. Enjoy and share.
To see the fantastic video made by the Marconi Mark IV, obtain a DVD of “The Judy Garland Show.” This series was produced at CBS Television City in 1963-64.
Back in the day there was an foreign aftermarket for broadcast camera. When we went to Mark VIIs the Mark Vs went to south america.
Most brazilian stations had accquired this camera in the 60’s, giants at the time like a TV Tupi (channel 4 for São Paulo) and the TV Excelsior (channel 9 for São Paulo and channel 2 for Rio de Janeiro), TV Bandeirantes (channel 13 for São Paulo) had accquired it when began his operations in may 13 of 1967…
The picture below shows two Marconis at TV Tupi’s studio facilities circa 1968:
Beautiful photographs and great cameras. I was born in 1964 and grew up in TV in Australia. My father was a TV executive. All I wanted to be was a cameraman from the age of eight. I hung around the studios like a bad smell, and at only fifteen got a job as a junior studio cameraman. I consider it an absolute privilege to still be working as a DOP today. My Dad and I catch up regularly and discuss the pics on your FB page.
Great work!!
He has some pics from his time with the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) from the 50’s & 60’s I’ll get him to dig them out and share.
Bobby, I have 4 MK IVs now, so there might be a new total.
Beautiful Pic. That was the first camera I ran when I started professionally in television at WETA-TV, Washington, DC in 1965.
Looks very similar to the BBC-branded Marconi camera which was on display last summer at Buckingham Palace, as part of the big Queen’s Jubilee exhibition. One of the palace’s public rooms was converted into a multimedia “environment” devoted to the BBC coverage of the Queen’s coronation. Unfortunately, photography is not permitted inside the palace (only on the exterior grounds). I would have taken a photo of the camera for you, Bobby.
I read that as “The Marky Mark IV”. It’s obviously too early… need more coffee. lol