Computers & Business Machines
Imagine the loss, 100 years from now, if museums hadn't begun preserving the artifacts of the computer age. The last few decades offer proof positive of why museums must collect continuously—to document technological and social transformations already underway.
The museum's collections contain mainframes, minicomputers, microcomputers, and handheld devices. Computers range from the pioneering ENIAC to microcomputers like the Altair and the Apple I. A Cray2 supercomputer is part of the collections, along with one of the towers of IBM's Deep Blue, the computer that defeated reigning champion Garry Kasparov in a chess match in 1997. Computer components and peripherals, games, software, manuals, and other documents are part of the collections. Some of the instruments of business include adding machines, calculators, typewriters, dictating machines, fax machines, cash registers, and photocopiers
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OEI M73926 Punch Card for University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Computer Services Division
- Description
- This cream-colored eighty-column punch card has square corners and a truncated corner on the upper left side. A mark at the center reads: THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MILWAUKEE (/) COMPUTING SERVICES DIVISION. A mark near the left edge reads: OEI M73926.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.34
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.34
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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IBM B92982 Punch Card for Hewlett-Packard Educational BASIC
- Description
- In March of 1968, Hewlett Packard introduced a version of the programming language BASIC for use on its timesharing electronic computers. By 1970, the company had developed “Hewlett-Packard Educational BASIC” for use in educational settings, both with computers and especially with programmable desktop calculators. This punch card is for writing programs in that language. The card was to be marked with a pencil rather than punched, making it more affordable. Inexpensive handheld electronic calculators soon displaced desktop machines in the classroom, and cards of this type were never widely used.
- The cream-colored card has square corners and truncated left corner. There are four columns for the statement number, two columns of the statement, thirty columns for letters, numbers, or punctuation marks, and a final column to indicate whether the statement continues on the next card - a total of thirty-seven columns..
- References:
- HP Journal, November, 1968 and October, 1970.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1970
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.13
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.13
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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MIDCO C-5081 Punch Cards
- Description
- These two green eighty-column punch cards have square corners and are truncated in the upper left corner. A mark in the lower left corner reads: MIDCO C-5081.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.22
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.22
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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IBM 5081 Punch Cards
- Description
- Of these eight eighty-column punch cards, two are cream-colored with rounded corners and a truncated upper left corner. The four pink and two blue cards have square corners. The blue cards and two of the pink cards are truncated in the upper left corner. The other two pink cards are truncated in the upper right corner. A mark near the bottom edge at the left reads: IBM 5081.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.18
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.18
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Postal Meter Strip Announcing a Mersenne Prime
- Description
- Computing devices have long influenced the development of number theory, including the discovery of prime numbers. This postal meter strip is an example of the imprint used by the Mathematics Department at the University of Illinois to announce the discovery there of a new Mersenne prime. This particular postal meter strip example was never used in the mail.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1975
- ID Number
- 1999.3080.02
- nonaccession number
- 1999.3080
- catalog number
- 1999.3080.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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ICL New Zealand 4-354 Punch Cards
- Description
- These cream-colored eighty-column punch cards have square corners. They are truncated in the upper right corner. A mark at the bottom edge on the left reads: ICL 4-354. A mark near that edge at the center reads: INTERNATIONAL COMPUTERS (NEW ZEALAND) LIMITED. An adjacent mark reads: PRINTED IN NEW ZEALAND.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- International Computers Ltd
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.19
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.19
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Wright Model 2000 Card Punch
- Description
- This portable key punch for preparing punched cards was manufactured by the Massachusetts firm of Wright Line. Punched cards were central to large-scale data processing in the United States from the introduction of the Hollerith tabulating machine in the 1890s through the 1970s. Tabulating machine manufacturers such as IBM and Remington Rand (later Sperry Univac) rented card punches. Wright Line, founded in 1934, was one of relatively few independent data processing accessory manufacturers. It made and sold a large variety of files, magnetic tapes, card punches, and related machines.
- The device is designed for 80-column punch cards such as those made for IBM computers. It has a metal base painted black with 12 number keys and an "S" key. These keys, with their white key tops, are attached to a moveable carriage. A single punch card fits in the carriage. A mark on the top reads: Wright (/) PUNCH (/) MODEL 2600.
- This punch came to the Smithsonian from the United States Naval Observatory, a longtime user of tabulating equipment for scientific purposes.
- References:
- Accession file.
- "E. Stanley Wright, Manufacturer, 66," New York Times, September 8, 1959, p. 35.
- Wright Line, Data Processing Accessories Catalog ’69, p. 38.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1970
- maker
- Wright Line
- ID Number
- 2005.0174.01
- accession number
- 2005.0174
- catalog number
- 2005.0174.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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IBM C66908 Punch Cards for Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
- Description
- Both of these cream-colored eighty-column punch cards have a green stripe across the top. The cards have rounded corners and are truncated in the left corner. The columns are labeled for a variety of accounting entries. A mark on the bottom edge near the left reads: IBM C66908. A mark on the right edge reads: GIRL SCOUTS OF THE U.S.A. A mark on the left edge reads: ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE - CARD FILE.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- user
- Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.12
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.12
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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ICT 4-434 Punch Cards Associated with International Computers and Tabulators Limited
- Description
- These two blue eighty-column punch cards have square corners and are truncated in the upper right corner. Marks along the bottom edge read: I [...] C [...] T 4-354; INTERNATIONAL COMPUTERS AND TABULATORS LIMITED; and PRINTED IN ENGLAND.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- International Computers Ltd
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.20
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.20
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Globe 127 FORTRAN Statement Punch Cards
- Description
- These two cream-colored eighty-column punch cards have a faint yellow stripe across the top of the front. They are marked in the middle: FORTRAN STATEMENT. They are marked along the bottom edge: GLOBE 127 STANDARD FORM. They also are marked: 888157.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- Globe Ticket Company
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.16
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.16
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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IBM Australia 760068 Punch Cards for the New South Wales Institute of Technology Computer Centre
- Description
- These two cream-colored eighty-column punch cards have rounded corners and are truncated in the upper right corner. A mark in the center of each cards reads: THE NEW SOUTH WALES (/) INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (/) COMPUTER CENTRE. A mark on the right edge reads: IBM - 760068. Another mark on that edge reads: PRINTED IN AUSTRALIA.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.28
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.28
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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JTC 73752 Punch Card Associated with the MIT Information Processing Center
- Description
- This cream-colored eighty-column punch card has an orange stripe across the top. It shows the logo of the MIT Information Processing Center. A mark along the left edge reads: INFORMATION PROCESSING CENTER. A mark along the right edge reads: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. A mark along the bottom edge at the left reads: JTC73752. A mark along the bottom edge toward the right reads: Printed in U.S.A.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- user
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- maker
- Jersey Tab Card Corporation
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.26
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.26
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Hummel B53 ALGOL/FORTRAN Punch Card
- Description
- This cream-colored eighty-column punch card has a yellow stripe across the top. It has rounded corners and a truncated upper left corner. A mark along the left edge reads: HUMMEL KG. B53. A mark at the center reads: ALGOL/FORTRAN.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- Hummel KG
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.15
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.15
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Pryor 5280 Punch Cards
- Description
- These two blue eighty-column punch cards have rounded corners and a truncated upper right corner. Both are marked in the lower left corner: PRYOR 5280. Both are marked along the right edge: GENERAL PURPOSE 8 FIELD. The columns of both cards are labeled in groups of ten, starting with "ONE" in the leftmost group, "TWO" in the group second from the left, up to "EIGHT" in the rightmost group. These groups of ten columns constitute the fields on the cards.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.23
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.23
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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NECS/WIC 282 Punch Card from the Kansas University Computation Center
- Description
- This cream-colored eighty-column punch card has round corners and is truncated in the upper left corner. It has on it what appears to be a duck wearing a jersey marked "KU". Text printed right of this reads: COMPUTATION (/) CENTER. Text along the bottom edge at the left reads: NECS/WIC-282. The logo is that of the University of Kansas.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- Jersey Tab Card Corporation
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.24
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.24
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Computer Supplies168 Punch Card for the Northwestern University Vogelback Computing Center
- Description
- This orange eighty-column punch card has rounded corners with a truncated top left corner. It is marked with the seal of Northwestern University. Text at the center reads: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (/) VOGELBACK COMPUTING CENTER. Text along the lower edge at the left reads: COMPUTER SUPPLIES, INC. 168.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- Computer Supplies, Inc.
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.29
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.29
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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DD-ZN12945 Punch Cards for the Iowa State University Computation Center
- Description
- Both of these cream colored eighty-column punch cards have a blue stripe across the top. They have rounded corners and are truncated in the right corner. The centers show a logo of Iowa State University. Text near the bottom of each card reads: IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY COMPUTATION CENTER AMES, IOWA 50010. Text at the bottom near the center reads: DD-ZN12945.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- Data Documents, Incorporated
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.14
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.14
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Sperry Remington Cash Register
- Description
- This combination adding machine and a cash drawer (AMOD) was made by Sperry Corporation in Searcy, Arkansas. It has four columns of keys for dollars and cents, three additional columns of digit keys, and three columns of keys with various functions on them. An addition bar and cancel button are across the base, and a paper tape at the top. Sales are not displayed visually by any indicator. The metal cash drawer has plastic divisions for change and cash. A key received with the machine controls a lever on the left side.
- Marks on the front and back read: Sperry Remington. A mark in marker on the underside reads: 686155. A label attached to the underside reads: MANUFACTURED BY (/) REMINGTON RAND (/) OFFICE MACHINES DIVISION (/) MADE IN SEARCY, ARK.. U.S.A. This label also reads: MODEL 146308-10.
- The Remington Rand Division of Sperry Rand Corporation began manufacturing cash registers in 1960, when the corporation acquired the adding machine and cash register division of Clary Corporation, including its factory in Searcy. The form of Sperry Remington trademark on the machine is from about 1968. By 1978, the name of Sperry Rand Corporation had changed because of other mergers, and electronic cash registers were becoming common. For these reasons, the approximate date of the machine is 1970.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1970
- maker
- Sperry Remington
- ID Number
- 2002.0281.01
- accession number
- 2002.0281
- catalog number
- 2002.0281.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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IBM J95588 Punch Cards for Compucorp Calculators
- Description
- Each of these blue paper punch cards has thirty-two columns with ten small printed rectangles in each column. An additional eight columns on each card are not labeled. The rectangles are suited to easy punching. The cards have square corners, with the right upper corner truncated. Both have a large printed arrow on the left side. A mark on the bottom edge at the left reads: PRINTED IN U.S.A. IBM J95588. A mark on the bottom at the right reads: Compucorp CALCULATORS (/) A DIVISION of COMPUTER DESIGN CORP. (/) LOS ANGELES, CALIF. 90064 U.S.A.
- Computer Design Corporation, founded in 1968, began selling desktop electronic caclulators under the name Compucorp in 1971. Some used punch cards. Rapid changes in microprocessor technology led them to introduce smaller calculators and then, in 1975, to stop selling calculators under the Compucorp name.
- Reference:
- Rick Belsene, "The History of Compucorp," website of The Old Calculator Web Museum.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1972
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.09
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.09
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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IBM J89620 Deposit Punch Card
- Description
- This punch card has no columns or rows of numbers. Instead, it is a form to be sent in with bill payments. It is cream-colored with blue print on the front and blue and white stripes overall on the back.
- A mark at the bottom left reads: CNB. A mark on the right side reads: IBM J89620. A mark on the center reads: TO INSURE PROMPT CREDIT TO YOUR ACCOUNT (/) PLEASE RETURN THIS CARD WITH YOUR PAYMENT.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.30
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.30
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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