Category: Historical

In its sheer size and scope, the spectacular United States Bicentennial Folk Festival in 1976 ranks as one of the largest cultural events ever hosted in Washington, D.C. More than 1.2 million people attended the festival for the Fourth of July celebration alone, and millions more came to the event during its 12-week run. It also proved to be the largest demonstration of Shure sound reinforcement systems, microphones, and circuitry products up to that time. On each of the 12… -more-

In 1939, the year that Shure introduced the Unidyne Microphone, Major Edwin Armstrong invented FM radio and made the first experimental FM broadcast. Two years later, commercial FM broadcasting began in the United States. In 1972, a significant new chapter in broadcasting history was written in Chicago when the WFMT Fine Arts Station became what is believed to be the first FM radio station in the world to broadcast a live event in four-channel stereo. To provide the vital mixing… -more-

Shure loudspeakers were a focal point of the Shure exhibit booth in the late 1970s. At the time, Shure had developed a successful line of professional loudspeakers with “exceptional roadability”—meaning that they were rugged, portable, and could survive rough handling. The line included stage monitors, modular speaker systems, and speaker columns. One popular model was the 711, a compact speaker designed “for more control over the quality and direction of sound.” The 711 featured the Company’s VARAD variable dispersion horn—“the… -more-

Installation of 65 Shure Unidyne III Microphones in the Illinois Constitutional Convention meeting room in 1970 (shown above). The convention was held in Springfield, Illinois, the state capital, to draft the first new state constitution since 1870. The new constitution was passed by the convention delegates on September 3, 1970, and ratified in a special election by the citizens of Illinois on December 15, 1970. The state’s first constitution had been ratified in 1818. Across the country, hundreds of statehouses,… -more-

From 1949 through 2000, Reverend Billy Graham has been one of the most prominent spiritual leaders of the twentieth century. The charismatic preacher has held evangelical campaigns in all the major U.S. cities and in more than 185 countries. He is said to “have preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history—over 210 million people.” Reverend Billy Graham delivers a sermon to an outdoor audience in the 1950s, using a Shure Unidyne Microphone. Throughout… -more-

For centuries, theater artists struggled to create a sense of intimacy while projecting their voices, so that even those in the back row could clearly hear the performance. At the turn of the century, early sound systems, consisting of megaphones and then microphones connected to loudspeakers, were breakthroughs in carrying performances beyond the range of a human voice. The sound, however, tended to lack the full tonal range of natural sound. With the development of more precise sound amplification technology,… -more-

A series of illustrations created by Shure in the mid-1950s to profile the 333 Microphone in a wide range of applications. When the 333 was introduced in 1954, it was promoted as a “slim, small microphone designed for such professional applications as: motion pictures, radio and television stations, professional recording studios, and nightclubs.…incorporating the world-famous patented Shure Uniphase acoustic system which reduces pickup of unwanted noise by 73 percent.” The unit also featured a “self-adjusting lifetime swivel, a frequency response… -more-

It was one of the most dramatic boxing matches of the 20th century. On March 8, 1971, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought at Madison Square Garden in New York City to decide the World Boxing Association heavyweight championship. Just a few months earlier, the United States Supreme Court had overturned a 1967 ruling that barred Muhammad Ali from boxing after he refused induction into the U.S. Army because, as a member of the Nation of Islam, his religious beliefs… -more-

In an announcement for the 1960 Los Angeles High Fidelity Music Show, Connie Stevens, a recording star and actress, was photographed with five of Shure’s most popular microphones: (left to right) 520SL Dispatcher, 510 Hercules, 55S Unidyne, 520 Green Bullet, and 430 Commando. Held at the Pan Pacific Auditorium, it was the fifth year for the show. A few months later, these products were also on display at the Electronic Parts Show in Chicago; and in a letter to employees,… -more-

One of the earliest accounts of Shure microphones used by reporters on the frontlines of military action came in 1943. During World War II, the United States Marines landed at Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville Island and began an air and naval bombardment of enemy territory. Marine Sergeant Lloyd Maypole stood on the deck of a transport a short distance offshore; and in the midst of the intense blasting around him, he began to describe what was happening. Using a… -more-