About
"I was in charge of installing television transmitters on top of the Empire State Building, which is a fascinating place in which to work. My office was on the eighty-fifth floor - that's the highest office in the world, but it didn't affect my salary at all. I was putting the antennae on the very tip top, which was nothing but a flat sheet of stainless steel when we first went up there, which you entered by means of a trap door. The trick was not to get blown off."
In his two-hour interview, Loren Jones (1905-1999) discusses being one of the last surviving engineers who worked with Vladimir Zworykin and David Sarnoff at RCA Laboratories on the invention and development of the electronic television. He talks about the technical aspects of television, and the outrageous experimentation that they conducted in order to broadcast a signal farther than the line of sight. He discusses helping the Soviet Union with their development of television in the 1930s, as well as his involvement in developing the "television bomb." Jones recounts the invention of, and the battles over color television. Jeff Kisseloff conducted the interview on April 18, 1997 at the David Sarnoff Research Center in Princeton, NJ.
Highlights
Loren Jones on early experimental television broadcasts in the 1930s, who could see them, and the programming
Loren Jones on going to work for RCA and working for David Sarnoff
Loren Jones on the early mechanical television system
Loren Jones on developing the "television bomb"
Loren Jones on going to the Soviet Union the help develop their television system
Loren Jones on the last time he flew an airplane
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and early interest and experimentation with radio; on his education and his first job with General Electric; on the early mechanical television system
On going to work for RCA and working for David Sarnoff; on the early television development team at RCA, headed by David Sarnoff and including Vladimir Zworykin
Chapter 2
On Vladimir Zworykin's experiments with acupuncture and other inventions including computers and cars; on Vladimir Zworykin's experiments with the remote control and on Zworykin's relationship with Albert Einstein; on Vladimir Zworykin and David Sarnoff's early vision of what television would be
On working on the development of television transmitters, and on installing equipment on top of the Empire State Building; on early experimental television broadcasts in the 1930, who could see them, and the programming
On scientist Edward Armstrong's role in the development of television, and his patent feud with David Sarnoff; on the feeling about the future of television in the RCA Lab in the 1930s; on using balloons to test television transmission signals and on going to the Soviet Union to help with their development of television
Chapter 3
On being sent to the Soviet Union to help with their development of television, and being followed by the KGB; on visiting Vladimir Zworykin's sister in the Soviet Union; on America's interest in helping the Soviet Union set up its television system
On RCA's television exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair; on the first television set he owned and on the early development of color television
On developing the "television bomb" and on having been privy to the development on the atom bomb; on the development of color television and the battle over it
On the slow progress of research on television transmission in the 1930s, and on the hurdles in developing a television system including the "light problem"; on being in charge of the new products division of RCA after World War II
Chapter 4
On Robert Sarnoff, David Sarnoff, and Vladimir Zworykin; on various scientists involved with the development of television; on the last time he flew an airplane
On b-roll pictures from his career- receiving signals from the Empire State Building in New Jersey; experimental General Electric transmitter in Schenectady, New York; in Moscow; the Shukhov Tower in Moscow; television transmitting station in Moscow; World War I era biplane
Topics
1939-40 World's Fair
Loren Jones on RCA's television exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair
Historic Events and Social Change
Loren Jones on RCA's television exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair
Loren Jones on having been privy to the development on the atom bomb
Technological Innovation
Loren Jones on the early mechanical television system
Loren Jones on the early television development team at RCA, headed by David Sarnoff and including Vladimir Zworykin
Loren Jones on working on the development of television transmitters, and on installing equipment on top of the Empire State Building
Loren Jones on early experimental television broadcasts in the 1930, who could see them, and the programming
Loren Jones on scientist Edward Armstrong's role in the development of television, and his patent feud with David Sarnoff
Loren Jones on the feeling about the future of television in the RCA Lab in the 1930s
Loren Jones on using balloons to test television transmission signals
Loren Jones on going to the Soviet Union the help develop their television system
Loren Jones on being sent to the Soviet Union to help with their development of television, and being followed by the KGB
Loren Jones on America's interest in helping the Soviet Union set up its television system
Loren Jones on transmitting RCA's first broadcast service W2XBS
Loren Jones on the first television set he owned and on the early development of color television
Loren Jones on developing the "television bomb"
Loren Jones on the development of color television and the battle over it
Loren Jones on the slow progress of research on television transmission in the 1930s, and on the hurdles in developing a television system including the "light problem"
Loren Jones on being in charge of the new products division of RCA after World War II
Loren Jones on various scientists involved with the development of television
Loren Jones on various scientists involved with the development of television
War
Loren Jones on having been privy to the development on the atom bomb
World War II
Loren Jones on having been privy to the development on the atom bomb
People
Albert Einstein
Loren Jones on Vladimir Zworykin's experiments with the remote control and on Zworykin's relationship with Albert Einstein
David Sarnoff
Loren Jones on the early television development team at RCA, headed by David Sarnoff and including Vladimir Zworykin
Loren Jones on Vladimir Zworykin and David Sarnoff's early vision of what television would be
Loren Jones on scientist Edward Armstrong's role in the development of television, and his patent feud with David Sarnoff
Loren Jones on Robert Sarnoff, David Sarnoff, and Vladimir Zworykin
Robert Sarnoff
Loren Jones on Robert Sarnoff, David Sarnoff, and Vladimir Zworykin
Vladimir Zworykin
Loren Jones on the early television development team at RCA, headed by David Sarnoff and including Vladimir Zworykin
Loren Jones on Vladimir Zworykin's experiments with acupuncture and other inventions including computers and cars
Loren Jones on Vladimir Zworykin's experiments with the remote control and on Zworykin's friendship with Albert Einstein
Loren Jones on Vladimir Zworykin and David Sarnoff's early vision of what television would be
Loren Jones on visiting Vladimir Zworykin's sister in the Soviet Union
Loren Jones on Robert Sarnoff, David Sarnoff, and Vladimir Zworykin