A short history of the once famous Curtis Mathes Company.

I worked for the Curtis Mathes Company from the years 1986 to 1991 as a console television and stereo designer. The photograph below is one of the televisions I helped design in 1986, and yes she still works great.

This is a short history of the once famous Curtis Mathes Electronics Company. In 1957, Curtis Mathes & Associates purchased a major interest in the Olive-Myers-Spalti Manufacturing Co. The new firm, called Curtis Mathes Manufacturing Company, combined its decades of furniture building and electronics experience, first to enter the hi-fi business and, in 1959, the television industry. With these changes, Curtis Mathes started its tradition of combining top quality video and audio products housed in fine furniture. Just four years later, the Company entered the world of color television, beginning the era in which the Company became a household name. Below is a photograph of one the wonderful consoles the company was making in 1960, and yes she still is working as well.

It was in 1972 that Curtis Mathes was the first manufacturer to offer a completely solid-state product line, with an unprecedented four-year warranty. In 1975 Curtis Mathes, Jr. purchased the company from the shareholders. In 1978 Curtis Jr. began demonstrating what would become another hallmark of the Company: heavy use of advertising to position and promote products. That year, an $18 million advertising investment yielded sales of more than $152 million. Millions of Americans came to know that Curtis Mathes was..."The most expensive television in America, and darn well worth it!" Below is a photograph of the Curtis Mathes plant in Athens Texas. The huge plant is now empty and has not been used in years, very tragic.

In the year 1979 Curtis Mathes established ColorTyme, a home entertainment rental company, to meet the increasing demands for quality home entertainment equipment. In the years 1982 the Company began franchising its name across the country, the corporate headquarters were moved from Athens to Dallas and the Company’s manufacturing plant in Athens, Texas was sold. Then in 1988 the entire Company was sold and relocated back in Athens. During the period I worked for the company the Athens plant became the center of television and stereo production for the entire company. This was a awesome time in the history of our nation, back before our once proud and powerful electronics industries were sold out to the slave markets of Asia in a horrible unfair free trade agreement. Now because of the greed and stupidity of a few men not one television is made in North America.
Photo below is one of Curtis Mathes Company first color televisions and yes she also is still working!


_________________
See you in the 60's Glenn.