Phillips 1400a Projection Television, around 1951

The 1400a was one of the last projection televisions to be made by Philips. The image was projected from the rear of the unit onto a larger screen at the front. Projection was replaced by CRT (cathode ray tube) technology which created a brighter, sharper image. This particular TV was owned by the William Whitelaw MP, Home Secretary 1979-83. The Whitelaws had strong family and business ties to another prominent Lanarkshire family, the Bairds of Gartsherrie. They owned the Woodhall Estate at Calderbank as well as Gartshore near Kirkintilloch.

Televisions began to appear in British homes in the post-war years, although most people had to rent them initially because of their cost. Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953 was the first major event that was broadcast live as it happened.