27-02-2025
Vintage 1950's TV donated to Heritage Square 'Technology through Time' exhibit
ABILENE, Texas () – Unless you lived through it, the past can be difficult to visualize. The Grace Museum is setting out to tackle that task for future visitors at Abilene Heritage Square through the Technology through Time exhibit.
While they are currently curating the collection, it will be housed and proudly displayed next year at Abilene Heritage Square's Spark Science Center.
'In that science center, we will focus on different sciences, and one of those is Technology through Time… Starting with the wheel all the way up to the technology of today,' said Grace Museum Science Center Director Marsha Hammack.
Museum staff have been taking donations from the public to fill their technological timeline. One of those spaces will be filled by a vintage Admiral TV set donated by Grace Museum Public Programs Director Kelci Rogers' grandfather, Bruce Campbell.
'It was important to me as a memory. It's made several transitions of location through the years, but I'm the oldest child in the family, and I ended up with it. I've had it in storage, so I think this is a great time to donate it to posterity for others to be able to see how TVs were back then,' Campbell said.
Campbell has kept the set in relatively pristine condition throughout the years. It holds a special place in his heart as the device that marked his initiation into the 'TV generation.'
'That was the first TV set I watched TV on in about 1950,' said Campbell.
At that time, Abilene had no television stations, but that little hurdle wouldn't stop the Campbell family from tuning in. Campbell said his father had previously owned a radio service and repair shop in Brady, Texas. His father's knowledge of airwaves and electronics enabled him to reach beyond the Key City and connect to the world.
'My dad, an electronics background person, set up a Channel 5 television receiving antenna outside our house on a little short tower. So he could bring in the signal for Channel 5 WBAP television in Fort Worth,' Campbell recalled.
Over such a great distance, that signal was not quite as strong as it would be today. Campbell stated that the image was often 'snowy,' and sometimes only audio would come through. Just three years later, KRBC would go live on-air for the first time. He says the signal was much more stable and allowed them to enjoy the local news as well as the talents of 'Dub and Larry' during the KRBC afternoon 'Preview.'
'They had a very limited amount of programming available back at that time, but Dub Bowlus and Larry Fitzgerald were paired up in a little program they did in the afternoons. And they maybe pantomimed records while being all dressed up. And Larry Fitzgerald was ultimately the first regular news person for KRBC television,' shared Campbell.
His memories of growing up in that time will be immortalized along with the TV set at Abilene Heritage Square. Visitors to the exhibit will learn not only about the technological aspects of the 1950s but also about the local history that coincided.
'We were looking to perhaps retrofit a current TV in there so that when visitors come in, they can see a black and white TV show. Perhaps 'I Love Lucy' or some of the early years. But we're also so intrigued by the condition that it's in and the parts that are in it. We also want to preserve those so that visitors can see; this is where we've come, from the '40s to current times,' Hammack said.
Campbell's granddaughter, Rogers, says she feels excited and lucky to be able to share this piece of her family's story with future generations.
'It's a cool connection to be working here now and get to be a part of preserving something that will be at the Science Center that was also part of my family history… My great-grandmother loved educating people, so I think this is something she would have wanted. To be able to live on in that way, children getting to experience something that's just very integral to who she was,' said Rogers
According to details provided by Campbell, this exact television was produced by Admiral in 1950. It is a portable model with a screen size of a little over 12 inches. It sold for around $179.95, equivalent to $2,279 today.
Abilene Heritage Square, projected to open in April 2026, will boast exhibits, community spaces, and resources for various fields. The Spark Science Center will serve as a second location for the Grace Museum, hosting interactive educational experiences geared toward Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM).
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