The cathode ray tube (CRT) pioneered electronic display technology, starting in 1897, and serving as the foundation for early televisions and computer monitors. Inside the vacuum tube, a heated cathode emits a cloud of negatively charged electrons, which are focused and accelerated into a high-energy electron beam by an anode, the positively charged electrode that allows electrons to leave the device. This beam strikes a phosphor-coated screen, generating visible light to form images. By applying precise voltages to electromagnetic deflection coils, the beam is scanned horizontally and vertically across the screen, dynamically composing the picture. Though now obsolete, CRTs were instrumental in shaping modern display systems such as color television, the digital screen of computers and phones, and more. They transformed American life with TVs becoming household staples, broadcasting news, entertainment, and culture to millions. Moreover, Princeton University played a significant role in the development of CRTs. John Bardeen, a PhD student at Princeton, did not directly work on the CRT but his findings in electron research laid the groundwork for CRTs. Under David Sarnoff’s leadership, the Radio Corporation of America, with its central research facility in the town of Princeton, pioneered the use of CRTs for television. It is here that they developed CRT use for both black and white and color TV. The development of CRTs was a tremendous leap of progress in the realm of visual media and set the foundations for all the digital media we know and appreciate today.
A preliminary concept for the CRT frame and electronics. The electronics were purchased from Sgitheach.
