Shure Unidyne Microphone

This is a 1950s Shure model 55 Multi-Impedance Dynamic "Unidyne" microphone. The original Shure 55 Unidyne microphone was designed by the engineer Ben Bauer and was first produced in 1939. The combination of great sound, compact size, cardioid pattern and classic styling made the Model 55 an instant hit. By the 1950s, it was so recognizable that a company advertisement simply featured a picture of the mic and copy reading “Used the World Over More Than Any Other Microphone” and “The Microphone That Needs No Name.” The larger model is commonly referred to as the “Fatboy” while the smaller model picked up the moniker of the “Elvis” microphone, memorialized on a commemorative postage stamp (with “The King”).