I call her Rosie for a couple of reasons…first, she’s closely related to a “RED MAN’S” history, and, seen a whole lot of Rose Bowl Parades up close and personal in her time with KTLA, who originated the parade coverage for many years with 4 RCA TK 41s.
Three of those four KTLA cameras were originally owned by Red Skelton’s RED-EO TV Productions…the west coast’s first mobile color TV facility. A couple of years later, around 1962, the company was sold to KTLA in Los Angeles. Steve Dichter who actually worked there when these cameras were in use at KTLA tells me that he thinks my Rosie was added around 1965, and was one of the last 41s made (serial # 1153) as RCA was already making the TK42. After Rosie arrived at my home, it was found that, on back of her lens turrent adaptor it is marked SKELTON and calls for a Varotol 3 lens. There were obviously some parts swapped around, and the 3 older TK41s got some modifications after the KTLA engineers studied the new C model. I purchased her from Broadcast Stores in L.A. who shipped it via air freight to my home in Athens. Below you can see the slide show of her delivery and photos of my complete collection in my house.

Rose Parade Telecast by KTLA Ch. 5	ROSIE 2020 with Bobbie Ellerbee	Closer view of the TK-41 that might actually be ROSIE at the parade

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