1951 Dr.Zworykin Television Inventor Weds Dr. Katherine Polevitzky

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Dr. Vladimir Kosma Zworykin, Television Pioneer

From His Personal Photographs, The Restelli Collection

The 1951 Wedding and World Tour of Dr. Zworykin and Katherine Polevitzky

Australia, December, 1951

In 1951 Dr. Vladimir Zworykin married physician, Dr. Katherine Polevitzky. She had recently become a widow of the former mayor of Murmansk, Russia. It was the second marriage for both. Dr. Zworykin had known Katherine at least 18 years before their marriage.

When did they meet?

Photograph courtesy Richard Torpey

In 1933 Dr. Zworykin and 3 friends, including Loren Jones had purchased an open cockpit biplane and obtained his pilots license. He flew over Taunton Lakes and took aerial photographs for a future lakefront home he had planned. This home was very close to the residence of two other Russian refugees, Katherine and Igor Polevitzky.

July 19, 1939, Dr. Zworykin Invites more that 100 guests to his housewarming at Taunton Lakes and provided this map to his new home.

In 1941 Dr. Katherine Polevitzky was one of the first to use RCA's new "Model B" electron microscope in her research on bacteria, which was co-invented by Dr. Zworykin. 1

I have in the collection a very faded photograph of whom I believe to be Katherine as a young woman in Russian dress. I carefully restored the image above as it was almost completely gone.
I do not know when they first met, but this photograph of Katherine must have been very dear to Vladimir as it was placed within the pages of their 1951 wedding album.

Katherine and Vladimir also visited Australia during this worldwide tour and Dr. Zworykin spoke at Melbourne University on the new Vidicon (see images below). They both attended medical lectures as well while on their honeymoon. The images below come from this period and are from Australia. Additional information and photographs will be at a later date.

Dr. V.K. Zworykin and his wife Dr. Katherine Polevitzky, November,1951

Newspaper report of Dr. V.K. Zworykin's marriage to Dr. Katherine Polevitzky, November 15, 1951

Dr. Zworykin's, passport photograph, 1951

This is the passport photograph of Dr. Zworykin in 1951, which was used for his around the world honeymoon and lecture tour.

Memo dated 9/5/51 from Meade Brunet on the planned visit to Australia, December,1951

Dr. Zworykin, Melbourne, December,1951

Unknown assistant? to Dr. Zworykin?, Melbourne, December,1951

Television Monitor showing a Melbourne streetscape, Melbourne, December,1951

Unknown assistant? to Dr. Zworykin with monitor, Melbourne, December,1951

Close up of Television Monitor showing a Melbourne streetscape, Melbourne, December,1951

"The Russian Club" 600 George St., Sydney, Australia, December 13, 1951.

The spelling in the caption above of those photographed is prerevolutionary, and therefore probably written by Dr. Zworykin. Here is the translation:

Nikolai Nikitavich Blemakov (the middle name here and below is an abbreviated patronymic)

Aleksei Alexeivich Golevskei

Evgeny Leonidovich Bozhko

Father Fyodor

1. MUDD, STUART, POLEVITZKY, K., ANDERSON, T.F., AND CHAMBERS, L.A.:"Bacterial Mophology as Shown by the Electron Microscope. II. The Bacterial Cell Membrane in the Genus Bacillus,"Jour.Bact.,42:251-264, Aug.1941.

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