AlanRatcliffe
Not really. Early ('50s - '70s) pitch shifters were the rotary head tape machines (ref HAL9000's voice). Most analog pitch shifting was done with studio tape effects by recording at one speed and then changing playback rate.
While rare analog electronic devices did exist (ADA Harmony Synthesizer springs to mind), they were very limited. Octavers obviously, but that's a different approach, converts the audio to square waves and only allows for monophonic octave effects. Moog's Bode Frequency Shifter was an unusual one, but not really a pitch shifter (more a ring modulator that changed the harmonic frequencies).
It was only with the advent of digital that shifting really became a viable proposition (My first shifter was the Boss RPS-10 half-rack unit). Some do it well - particularly the bigger rack stuff and the software - and the tech is getting better and better all the time. I've never really liked the Whammy pedals, but even the Boss Harmonist pedal is an impressive little box (and I still like the old PS-3, which was great for pads and shimmers).
