Lot 286
[KERR] EARLY TV REPAIR Business Archive 1955-1972

Estimate: $200 - $300

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[Leo F. KERR & Chas. URNER] EARLY TV REPAIR Business Archive 1955-1972

Offered by John Bale Books LLC; for more information email us at jbalebooks@gmail.com

Original source material.

[Leo F. KERR (1899-1972) & Chas. URNER?]. [EARLY TV] Business Archive: Ledgers and invoices for a Missouri TV & Radio Repair Co. 1955-1972.  

Bookkeeping archive for a  radio/television servicing company located in Nevada, Missouri, from 1955 until 1972, comprised of four ledgers,  with stapled packets of related receipts, invoices and some loose ephemera laid-in. Though the company serviced appliances of all kinds, as their name suggests,  the bulk of the work relates to TV’s.  Overall in good or better condition, some leaves taped or loose towards end of some albums.  

It would be difficult to understand the growth of television ownership without taking into account the history of TV repairmen. Though it's been stated that during these years every neighborhood had its TV repair shop, research archives don't readily turn up, at least not online.  According to one source, in 1946, 7,000 TV sets were sold; in 1948, 172,000 sets were sold; and in 1950, 5 million sets were sold. In 1950, just under 20 percent of American homes contained a TV set. Ten years later, nearly 90 percent of homes contained a TV - and some even had color TVs. (Encyclopedia.com)  How many of these ended up in shops is anyone's guess.

From what we could find online, Nevada Radio and Refrigeration was founded in the 1920’s by Leo F. Kerr; after he died in 1972, his wife Cleota ran the shop until the 1990’s.  The only names we could find on the material was Chas. Urner, likely an employee or partner (?)