The Philco Predicta television was designed by Catherine Winkler, American, 1906-1989; Severin Jonnaffen, American, 1913-1998; Richard Whipple, American, 1916-1964
The set with a swivel picture tube on top was made by Philco, its circuits were in a base cabinet, allowing the top mounted tube to be rotated. The black-and-white model was first manufactured in 1958, just before color sets began to appear. The design was shelved after two years, shortly before Philco was sold to the Ford Motor Co.
The set quickly acquired nicknames, like "the gas pump”, "Atom Bomb" and "Cyclops.” The designs are by Catherine Winkler, one of the few women working in Philco's design department during the 1950's. Here is a selection of her concept art for this legendary set. She’s also credited with designing the sailing-ship logo for Old Spice shaving lotion.
In spite of the popular swivel tubes, the last Predictas were liquidated by Philco in block sales to motel chains. You can also see the rare Predicta sales brochures on this website.
