Archive for June, 2010

Vintage Cookware Holds History

Saturday, June 19th, 2010

Vintage cookware can be a holder of family history. This repurposed antique cast iron kettle is a prime example of the secrets such pieces keep.

antique cast iron kettle
My friend’s family has owned this piece of vintage cookware – an antique cast iron kettle – for decades. It is well worn, but the true value of this vintage cookware is the remembrance that it triggers. My friend sees his parents, grandparents, and great grandparents involved in the sharing of family meals everytime he looks at it. (more…)

Vintage Modern Decor Needs A JVC Videosphere

Saturday, June 12th, 2010

JVC videosphere vintage tv set

A JVC Videosphere is one of those must have items for the fans of vintage modern decor. Its round sleekness is oh so retro.

JVC Videosphere Background

The JVC Videosphere has a design that originated in the space crazy, late 1960s. Some JVC executives evidently thought we might also buy space helmet-shaped TVs to go with our vintage modern decor. Turns out they were right.

You could find a JVC Videosphere beginning in 1970 along with that other astronaut-crazy consumer product, space food sticks. The JVC Videosphere became a fixture in the design genre now known as vintage modern decor. And space food sticks didn’t do too badly either.

Besides high vintage modern decor style, JVC also gave consumers some variety. I’ve seen a JVC Videosphere in red, orange, white and black. My personal experience is that a black JVC Videosphere is generally the rarest.

A JVC Videosphere comes with a removable, square base that color matches the body of the television. Some models also have an old style flip alarm clock in the base. All come with a thick, silver metal chain so that you can hang them.

Using A JVC Videosphere In A Vintage Modern Decor Setting

So what goes with a JVC Videosphere?

While you could have a JVC Videosphere just as an accent, it is one of those unique pieces that polishes a complete vintage modern decor look. Clean lines, chrome, other shiny reflective surfaces, and a more intense color palette are all key elements.

An Arc-style lamp or Lightolier  lighting from the 60s or 70s would  be a match.

Streamlined furniture, be it vintage or modern, would work in this type of vintage modern decor setting as would some vintage abstract paintings.

Shag carpet could add some texture to all the shiny, streamlined smoothness. And with its chain, a JVC Videosphere can be suspended from the ceiling as well as placed on a stand.

While a JVC Videosphere is very appropriate for vintage modern decor, a set would also work well in an eclectic type of decor.

As I write this, my own black JVC Videosphere sits murmuring in the background. It rests on a vintage Kartel storage unit next to a pair of funky Frighetto chairs. Most pictures don’t show JVC Videospheres in a vintage modern decor setting, so I hauled everything into the photography space for a quick shot.

videosphere in vintage modern decor

The thing is, a JVC Videosphere is not only representative of an era, it is a beautiful, iconic design that is fun to display. Several museums hold them in their collections including the trend-loving Powerhouse Museum in Sydney Australia.

And you can still use it for active tv watching. I hook mine up to cable but use the old style wire connector on the back. I have heard of some who are using their set for vintage video gaming.

I remember I saw my first JVC Videosphere at a museum exhibition. There were in fact many, suspended from the ceiling at different heights with anime cartoons floating across their screens. Everyone else was staring at the cartoons. I was transfixed by the round TV sets. I kept saying I had to have one until my friends were ready to disown me.

I looked for years without finding any in good condition. And then, I started finding some good ones. So if you are a lover of vintage modern decor and lucky enough to find a JVC Videosphere, what should you do next?

Assessing The Condition Of A JVC Videosphere

1. Look at the condition of the smoked glass viewing panel? Some are in perfect condition, others have a lot of scratches or worse. They will be priced accordingly.

2. Confirm if the set turns on.

3. Confirm if the set has sound.

4. Confirm if the knobs/dials still work – it’s not that easy to find replacement parts.

5. Connect the JVC Videosphere to a cable connection. Run through the channels and try to tune into specific channels. Remember that JVC Videospheres don’t have automatic tuners. These are old school.

6. If you are buying online, ask the seller to send you a video (or post it on Youtube) of the set being turned on and run through its paces.

7. As with all vintage electronics get a professional electrician to take a look at the vintage TV set before you put it into regular use.

Hope that helps! A JVC Videosphere is a gorgeous addition to your vintage modern decor and fun to use.