Late 1950's America's fascination with early "Space Age" technology manifested itself in unusual ways, with none more noticeable than the changes that occurred to our cars and to our furniture. Modernism in furniture design evolved into "futurism," with more of a technological treatment, and less of the earlier "form follows function" stylings. Major furniture pieces from this unique period are exceedingly valuable today, extremely collectible for their highly stylized appearances. None are more sought after than working examples of our homes' communication equipment, with Philco's hi-tech "Predicta" television sets among the most desired of all the period's telephone, radio and TV designs. The Predicta is known to collectors for its futuristic, swiveling stem design and the sleek contours of its golden chrome plated supports and wire leg stands. It is also known for the grief it causes collectors in their search for complete, working examples. This particular model has had some minimal restoration, with a repainting of the CRT's metal back casing and re-chroming of the golden metal support struts and wire legs. It is in perfect working order, with all of its rare, original knobs and the original finish on its blonde wooden electronics casing.  (The casing has a few very minor imperfections in the top front edge.) The restorer tells us that this example's CRT is the best conditioned tube he has ever seen, and its phosphorescent area approximately measures 19-1/2" across x 19-3/4" tall x 20-1/2" diagonally. The outer measurement from the tips of the gold plated side supports is 23-1/2"; the entire unit is about 15" deep and stands 28" tall. As is often the case, the original owner maximized the set's swivel feature (as well as its futuristic sleekness) by removing the unattractive set of side-mount "rabbit ears," preferring to hook the set to his outdoor antenna. The unit now has a 75-ohm adapter screwed to the back plate's antenna contacts, providing for an easy hookup to cable or a VCR/DVD. The Predicta was its designer's vision of the future. It is a hauntingly beautiful future that may still await us.