Pye of Cambridge

The Story

Welcome ...

                        ... to a site charting the history and achievements of the Pye of Cambridge Company.





From the 

Tangent Galvanometer 

... to the Mobile Outside 

Broadcast Unit


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For an improved viewing experience when using a Tablet device, the use of landscape mode is recommended

The Story of Pye 


Pye of Cambridge arms or crest

From WG Pye beginning the company in 1896 in his garden shed, through a vital support of the country during both World Wars, to a global technology company of up to 30,000 employees.

Some of the remarkable people who have shaped and moulded a worldwide technology company that improved the lives of many.


The vast range of products and technologies, ranging from hostess trolleys to TVs to military radar and communication equipment to outside broadcast vehicles.


Some of the 60 or more companies that designed, developed, manufactured and marketed a huge range of products and services.


Latest News

"WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?"

A new exhibition opened on 14th June 2024 in the Pye Building at the Cambridge Museum of Technology.

The display of products and history of the Pye company in the Pye Building at the Cambridge Museum of Technology is deliberately limited to the period up to approximately 1967. This is the year in which the Philips company acquired partial ownership of the Pye Group.

The most commonly asked question by visitors to the museum display is "What Happened Next?" What indeed happened to one of the largest companies in the Cambridge area with some 30,000 employees and a host of subsidiary factories worldwide.

This temporary exhibition attempts to answer that question with a series of product exhibits and memorabilia from the years following. This includes products and activities right up to the current day. In addition, some memories of the social side of the Pye company are also on display.

Diagrams by David Featherby and Richard Howes. Photography by Pauline Howes.

HOW DIGITAL TV WORKS

Bob Bates has completed his fourth video in the series explaining how TV works.

The Pye company never developed digital television, however this video helps to complete the story of TV.

The video explains how digital television works and introduces the advent of the flatscreen TV. It is recommended that the earlier videos in this series be viewed prior to this one since concepts introduced earlier are used here.

The videos can be viewed on the Consumer Products section at the link here. 

The "Story of Pye" Presentations



The "Story of Pye" presentations to local societies are now being re-started. 


However, because some may have difficulty in attending the live presentations, we have prepared a video which covers some of this material.

The "I didn't know Pye did that" Corner ...

                                                                              

1966

Pye Implantable 

Pacemaker

Type EM.1005

 "The Pacemaker is designed for the treatment of complete heart block by providing electrical pulse stimulation of the cardiac muscle."

1950s

A standard industrial television camera was built into a pressure resistant housing to enable it to work underwater.

Later in the 1950’s the design was further improved and used to find the wreckage of crashed airliners.

1950s

The Transportable Reporter - a battery operated, rugged mobile radio telephone.  For those on the spot communications and reporter "scoops".

                                                                                                             

1950/60s

Aircraft Instrument Landing System for use on airfields around the world.

A Year of Pye Photographs

January

Pye advertising in the 1990s

February

Pye Cambridge Station, viewing through control room to studio beyond

March

Meadowcroft, Church St, Cambridge - Home of Cathodeon, then a management "retreat"

Pye Staff in the early 1920s                                                                       (Click on all photographs for larger versions)

December

The annual Pye outing to the seaside in the 1930s

November

The River Cam flood of 1978, the weekend before the grand opening of the new Pye Telecom building.

October

Pye "Wavy Roof" Building in St Andrew's Road, including the original radio mast

April

Early OB Vans in St Andrews Road

May

Colour TV Demo Studio at Radio Olympia 1949

June

First Colour OB Van for BBC 1967

July

Pye Annual Sports Day Programme

August

Lord Thorneycroft (L) (Chairman) making a presentation to Peter Threlfall (MD)

September

Pye Company Staff in 1926

Welcome to the Pye Story - starting in a Cambridge garden shed to become a huge multinational business