What does the Orson Wells classic radio drama “War Of The Worlds” have in common with Dr Peter Goldmark’s mechanical color tests? The answer is CBS Radio Studio 1 at their first headquarters building, 485 Madison Avenue. That was where Wells and company preformed their weekly “Mercury Theater of The Air”.

Around the start of 1952, CBS converted radio Studio 1, on the 4th floor of the 485 Madison building to CBS television Studio 71. Under the CBS numbering system, the numbers 71-80 were reserved for color studios only. In October of 1951, CBS wrapped up a 5 month trial broadcasting schedule of color shows which, except for remotes, had originated at CBS Studio 57. Studio 71 was closed in 1955.

In the images below, we will see those odd looking cameras with mechanical color wheels in them in use at Studio 71 and usually shooting the first “Miss Color Television”, Patty Painter, with her red hair, later died blonde. The better known color television model was NBC’s Marie McNamara but CBS started with Patty about a year before NBC brought in Marie.

These historical images are from the CBS Photo Archives available through Getty Images and are presented here to assist researchers and television historians in identifying the television equipment in use over the decades and is offered here in a purely educational/instructional forum. For more information on CBS Color, please visit Ed Reitan’s great work at this link Ed Reitan’s Color Television History (earlytelevision.org)

Above, CBS color girl Patty Painter getting all “dolled up” for her test time before the camera. 

Another shot of Patty Painter and a very detalied look at one of Goldmark’s color camera configurations in these three photos.

Above using RCA equipment to monitor the tests and a home reciever to see the final product. Below, world famous actor Charlie Chaplin taking a close look at the new color wheel system with Peter Goldmark on the left.

Below, color images from Life Magazine in 1950 comparing Kodachrome photographs of the original subject and photographs of a CBS color receiver show excellent color fidelity of even this earliest color television system.