Isaac Shoenberg

Sir Isaac Shoenberg (1880-1963) was an electronic engineer and research director, born in Pinsk in the Russian Empire, who is best known for his part in the history of British television. He studied in St Petersburg and became chief engineer of the Russian Marconi Company before moving to London in 1914 and becoming a British subject in 1919. After work at the Marconi company and at Columbia Graphophone, he became director of research at EMI in 1931. Advising that the company continue television development despite the recession, he recruited a large team of engineers and scientists, including Alan Blumlein, who produced an electronic picture-generating tube in 1932. In 1935 he recommended the 405-line standard, and in 1936 the BBC selected the EMI system for its service. He supervised Blumlein during the invention of stereo recording, received the Faraday Medal in 1954 and was knighted in 1962.