Sixty years ago, the next big thing was color TV, and if you really wanted color, the January 1956 issue of Radio Electronics showed you the cheapest way to do it.  All you needed was your existing black and white set, and for about $85 ($50 if you had a well-stocked junk box), you could build yourself a Colordaptor.

The general idea is apparent from the picture above.  A color wheel in front of the screen would alternate red, green, and blue filters.  All that needed to be done was to synch them with the corresponding colors being transmitted.  This was accomplished with the six tube circuit shown in the article.  Some of the parts were available from the Colordaptor Company of Palo Alto, California, which also sold the device commercially.

Since the color wheel needed to cover the entire screen, it also extended above the screen, so it was hardly a compact design.  But if you didn’t mind the contraption on top of your set, and you didn’t mind it spinning while you watched, you would probably be the first on your block with a color TV.

The chasis of the Colordaptor could mount permanently on top of the set.  The color wheel could be removed for viewing black and white programs.

Click Here For Today’s Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Cartoon