The fact that we are fighting three (3) wars at the moment (don’t try to tell me that those ‘drone planes’ in Lybia don’t represent a direct military strike) has me inevitably reflecting on the truth that we, America, are a militaristic nation first and foremost. In a previous post, we learned about the place that the venerable Altec tube compressors played in cold-war ear civil defense warning systems, an important role that no doubt led to the relative bounty of these devices today. Which leads to an intriguing question: how does an audio-equipment manufacturer get involved in high-level government defense contracting? Seems like a bit of a stretch, even in our highly militarized society. I mean, I don’t expect that Digidesign is making data-mining apps for the CIA….although as I type this, I realize that I am likely naive in this regard.
Anyhow, I found an answer to the question of Altec’s prominence in military/civil defense within the pages of the slim volume depicted at Left. “TRADERS GRAPHIC” (h.f. “TG”) is a private-press investors-guide from 1960. The cover price on this hand-stapled 32pp volume is $5, which would be $38 today. TG is essentially a tip-sheet which alerts potential investors to publically-traded stocks which have ‘major growth potential.’ In January 1960, one stock which TG endorsed was Ling Electronics; and the primary reason given for this endorsement was Ling’s recent acquistion of Altec Electronics.
Nice use of the little star type-pieces as a paragraph break. Anyway, prior to their purchase of Altec, what was Ling involved with? Read below for the full details, but I can sum it up as: vibration testing of ICBM and other missile components, as well as (then-novel) closed-circuit television systems for retail spaces. I.E., video surveillance. Realizing this, it makes perfect sense that we would soon see Altec audio equipment in government-contracted defense applications. Which, again, accounts in part for all the old Altec equipment that we still use today. Kinda cringing as I type this, but this really is proof yet again that the industrial base of any society (in the case of America, military/defense) will always find a way to inform all other aspects of that society (in the case of us, dear readers, music recording and listening – The Arts). Follow the link below for the full text on Ling from “TG.”
One reply on “Missile Testing, The Dawn of Video Surveillance, and Your Speakers”
Ling was the Ling in LTV (Ling-Temco-Vought) if I’m not mistaken. They built huge high power amplifiers and transducers for shake tables, and aircraft flutter testing. Flutter is a phenomenon which results when aeroelasticity sets up a positive feedback loop and an aircraft, whole or in some part (such as a movable control surface) oscillates in a greater and greater amplitude motion until it breaks itself apart. LTV was the successor to Vought and I think Republic as well. I know Republic Steel in Chicago became LTV Steel. Temco was a small aircraft manufacturer that built one underpowered trainer plane. Vought was the very successful manufacturer of WWII and Cold War fighter planes.
I believe Nancy Ling Perry was a member of the Ling family in question. She was an attractive but nutty radical killed in the SLA shootout in 1974. I believe one of the cops on the other end was Jim Dougherty, who was in the famous picture perp walking Patty Hearst-and also was the Dougherty (as) in Norma Jeane Dougherty, a then 16-year old he married to keep her out of the orphanage. Better known today as Marilyn Monroe.