Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the British rock band The Beatles. Sgt. Pepper is often described as The Beatles’ magnum opus, and recognized as one of the most influential albums of all time by prominent critics and publications. The cover was created by art director Robert Fraser, mostly in collaboration with McCartney, designed by Peter Blake, his wife Jann Haworth, and photographed by Michael Cooper. However, many people may not notice that there is a small television in the cover art. I didn’t even know about it till I read a small blip on this website showcasing old Sony tech. I googled around and it matches up – the TV on the Sgt. Pepper’s album cover is in fact a classic Sony portable TV9-306UB, which had a nine inch screen and was pretty advanced for the 1960’s.
Here is an enlarged shot. Obviously the TV9-306UB was a favorite viewing display for one of the Beatles, as a Wikipedia subsection speaking about the cover art states, “At their feet were several affectations from the Beatles’ homes including small statues belonging to Lennon and Harrison, a small portable TV set and a trophy.”
This is a true riot, and it’s really cool to see a Sony TV on the album that is like the whole of the 20th Century in microcosm. Sony may have claim on the greatest product placement of all time.
