The Algol portable television was designed by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper for Brionvega in 1964. The original design combined transistor electronics, an eleven-inch screen, and a colored ABS body. Brionvega explains the characteristic upward tilt as a way to make the screen comfortable to view even when the set was placed low down.
The casing has rounded transitions rather than a sharp-edged cabinet. Controls and the retractable carrying handle sit on the upper surface, leaving the front devoted to the screen. The photographed museum object is a pale early Algol 11; later versions retained the general concept while changing technical details, so the model and period matter when comparing examples.
The Algol complements Sony’s TV8-301 in the archive. Both treat television as a portable appliance, yet their silhouettes and arrangements of controls are noticeably different. Alongside the TS502 radiocubo, the Algol shows how Zanuso and Sapper used changes in enclosure, color, and handling to give familiar electronic functions a new domestic presence.
Sony TV8-301 portable television
