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
30
Page 1 of 2
-
Photograph, Douglas Engelbart with Early Computer Mouse
- Description
- This black and white photograph shows Douglas Engelbart sitting in a chair in an SRI office. His right hand is raised to make a point. He wears a suit and tie. An earpiece in his left ear is connected to a computer. Also shown are a mouse and, partially, a keyboard. A blackboard is in the background with the following words and numbers written on it: } PL0T BLANK: ? / PL0T S0LID; ? / 5 -> 3.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- photograph taken
- 1968
- date made (print)
- 2014
- depicted (sitter)
- Engelbart, Douglas
- maker of the print
- SRI International
- ID Number
- 2015.3073.02
- catalog number
- 2015.3073.02
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3073
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
AUTODIN: A Brief Pictorial History of the Automatic Digital Network
- Description
- AUTODIN (Automatic Digital Network), the Department of Defense's (DoD) first computerized message switching system, was implemented in stages in the 1960s. The system facilitated their communications needs for over thirty years. AUTODIN provided a worldwide, high-speed, automatic, electronic, data communications system for the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and other government agencies. It handled sensitive and classified messages. In all, fourteen (14) AUTODIN Switching Centers (ASC) were installed around the world. In the mid-late 1990s DoD began converting AUTODIN to the Defense Message Service [DMS] and the Defense Information Systems Network.
- This white binder contains a table of contents and approximately 100 pictures documenting the AUTODIN system. The 8 x 10 pictures are divided into sections, indexed, and include pictures of the AUTODIN in different locations around the world. The binder contains a photograph of the deactivation of one of the computers and a sample message.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 2015-03
- ID Number
- 2015.3091.01
- catalog number
- 2015.3091.01
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3091
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Photograph, Douglas Engelbart's Hands Using a Keyboard and Three Button Mouse
- Description
- This black and white photograph, taken at SRI about 1968, shows Douglas Engelbart's hands and a Herman Miller supplied keyboard. Engelbart’s left hand is on the five-finger keyset, his right hand on the three button mouse. The keyboard is in the middle.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- photograph taken
- 1968
- date made (print)
- 2014
- depicted (sitter)
- Engelbart, Douglas
- maker of the print
- SRI International
- ID Number
- 2015.3073.11
- catalog number
- 2015.3073.11
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3073
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Maplesoft Computer Software Button
- Description
- This circular button has black text on a white background that reads: www.maplesoft.com. The background image is an interwoven multi-colored cable.
- Maplesoft™ headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The compan is a subsidiary of Cybernet Systems Co. Ltd. in Japan. They specialize in software tools for engineering, science, and mathematics.
- This and other objects in this acquisition were collected at the Joint Mathematics Meeting of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America held in January 2017.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 2017
- ID Number
- 2017.3121.01
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3121
- catalog number
- 2017.3121.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
GritHub
- Description
- This white sticker shows a black cat with a brown face standing on a blue circle. At the bottom in black text it reads "GitHub."
- GitHub, founded in 2008, has its headquarters in San Francisco, CA. The company’s mission is to connect software developers and make it easy for them to collaborate by providing a software development platform where a user can host and review code, manage projects, and build software alongside other developers. It offers software development applications, custom tools and version control. GitHub, free for public and open source projects, offers secure private repositories with a paid plan.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 2017
- ID Number
- 2018.3049.01
- nonaccession number
- 2018.3049
- catalog number
- 2018.3049.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Portrait Photograph of Douglas Engelbart
- Description
- This black and white portrait photograph shows Douglas Engelbart, wearing a suit with a tie and looking at the camera. It was taken at SRI.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- portrait taken
- ca 1966
- date made (print)
- 2014
- depicted (sitter)
- Engelbart, Douglas
- maker of the print
- SRI International
- ID Number
- 2015.3073.03
- catalog number
- 2015.3073.03
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3073
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Microcomputer Peripheral, Silicon Graphics External Tape Drive
- Description
- The light gray external Digital Data Storage (DDS) tape drive has a scsi interface cable (small computer system interface) and power cord. The tape drive uses 4mm magnetic tapes, known as DAT (digital audio tape). One end of the SCSI interface cable has a 68-pin male connector (connects to the microcomputer) and the other end has a 50-pin male connector (connects to the tape drive).
- This type of tape drive was commonly used as off-line storage and for generating backup copies of working data.
- For related microcomputer, see 2016.0057.01.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 2010
- maker
- Silicon Graphics, Inc.
- ID Number
- 2016.0057.04
- accession number
- 2016.0057
- catalog number
- 2016.0057.04
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Photograph, On-Line System Terminal at SRI
- Description
- This black and white photograph, taken at SRI in November 1974, shows an On-Line System (NLS) terminal with line processor. The devices include a monitor with a keyboard, a line processor, a mouse, and a five finger keyset mounted on a desk. The monitor has some text on the screen. Part of a printer is in the background.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made (print)
- 2014
- date made
- 1974
- maker of the print
- SRI International
- ID Number
- 2015.3073.04
- catalog number
- 2015.3073.04
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3073
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
GraphLock Brochure
- Description
- This GraphLock advertising brochure describes their scientific graphing calculator application for mobile phones. The product was designed to bring equality and affordability for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education.
- The application has a lock-down mode which prevents text messages and phone calls from coming in and disables internet access. Teachers can customize the calculator by choosing the features their students can access. The application also allows one to send messages to all students or to individual students.
- This and other objects in this acquisition were collected at the Joint Mathematics Meeting of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America held in January 2017.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 2017
- distributor
- GraphLock Incorporated
- ID Number
- 2017.3121.03
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3121
- catalog number
- 2017.3121.03
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Photograph, Candidate Devices for Computer Screen Interaction
- Description
- This black and white photograph shows three possible devices for interaction between a computer user and a computer screen that were tested at SRI in 1964 and 1965. On the right is a computer mouse, in the middle a joystick, and on the left a Grafacon. A light pen and a knee control also were tested – use of the mouse produced the fewest errors (see 2015.3073.01).
- Reference:
- William K. English, Douglas C. Engelbart, and Melvyn L. Berman, “Display-Selection Techniques for Text Manipulation,” IEEE Transactions on Human Factors in Electronics, March 1967, Vol. HFE-8, No. 1, pp. 5-15. This image was published as figure 2.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- photograph taken
- 1964-1965
- date made (print)
- 2014
- maker of the print
- SRI International
- ID Number
- 2015.3073.12
- catalog number
- 2015.3073.12
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3073
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Photograph, Bottom of Prototype Computer Mouse
- Description
- This black and white photograph, taken at SRI in June 1965, gives a bottom view of the first computer mouse. A wire runs out of the right side and two wheels are along adjacent sides.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- photograph taken
- 1965
- date made (print)
- 2014
- maker of the print
- SRI International
- ID Number
- 2015.3073.09
- catalog number
- 2015.3073.09
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3073
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Hewlett-Packard 9100B Desktop Electronic Calculator
- Description
- This programmable desktop electronic scientific calculator has a beige metal case, a cathode ray tube display, a keyboard with four groups of keys, and a slot for a magnetic program card. The leftmost set of 15 tan keys includes coordinate conversion, logarithmic, exponential, trigonometric, and absolute value function keys. A switch above it can be set at degrees or radians.
- The set of 15 ivory and dark brown keys second from the left allows for the positioning and storage of numbers in different registers. Next to the right is a set of 20 brown and ivory keys to enter numbers and to specify machine functions. The rightmost set of 14 tan keys is used for programming.
- Five hand-wound circuit boards are inside the case, and three smaller circuit boards are inside the lid. There is a white power cord. A sticker on the back of the machine reads: SERIAL NUMBER (/) 938-02147.
- The Crocker Nuclear Laboratory of the University of California at Davis acquired this machine in May of 1970 for a price of $5,195.00. Funds came from the Atomic Energy Commission’s Experimental Nuclear Physics program.
- For related prototypes, see the green machine of Thomas Osborne (198.0311.01, 1978.0311.02) and the prototype HP9100A (1978.0311.03).
- Reference:
- Accession File.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1970
- date received
- 2012
- maker
- Hewlett-Packard Company
- ID Number
- 2012.0044.01
- accession number
- 2012.0044
- catalog number
- 2012.0044.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Model of an IBM System 360 Computer
- Description
- In 1964 IBM Corporation announced a new family of room-sized computers, the IBM 360 System. It included several models of differing cost and capabilities. These embraced a full circle of computer applications, from business data processing to sophisticated science and engineering; hence the name 360. To sell the new product, IBM salesmen used scale models like this one. It shows the smallest IBM 360 System, the 30. Depending on the components selected, it rented for between $2,700 and $20,000 per month. More powerful versions of the System/360 rented for around $115,000 per month.
- Components include the central processing unit with control panel (attached is a desk with the printer-keyboard), a disc storage unit, three forms of tape drive, a disk storage drive, and a printer with paper. Most systems also would have included a card punch and a card reader. Each room-sized computer had its own staff who prepared programs on punched cards or magnetic tape, entered them into computers, maintained the circuitry, and delivered results. If an organization acquired one of the machines, most employees would never see it.
- The IBM 360 proved a highly successful product worldwide. This model was used by Timothy J. Bergin first in teaching computer science and then in exhibits at American University.
- References:
- IBM, IBM System / 360 Installation Manual - Physical Planning.
- E. W. Pugh, L. R. Johnson and J. H. Palmer, IBM's 360 and Early 370 Systems, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1991.
- date made
- ca 1964
- date received
- 2013
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 2013.0129.02
- accession number
- 2013.0129
- catalog number
- 2013.0129.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Atari Playing Cards
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 2010
- depicted (sitter)
- Atari, Inc.
- ID Number
- 2015.3167.01
- catalog number
- 2015.3167.01
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3167
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Photograph, Prototype Light Pen for Screen Interaction
- Description
- This black and white photograph shows a light pen, one of the candidates for interaction between a computer user and a computer tested at SRI.
- The original image dates from about 1965.
- Reference:
- William K. English, Douglas C. Engelbart, and Melvyn L. Berman, “Display-Selection Techniques for Text Manipulation,” IEEE Transactions on Human Factors in Electronics, March 1967, Vol. HFE-8, No. 1, pp. 5-15. This image was published as figure 5.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- photograph taken
- 1965
- date made (print)
- 2014
- maker of the print
- SRI International
- ID Number
- 2015.3073.13
- catalog number
- 2015.3073.13
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3073
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
WebAssign Brochure
- Description
- This double-sided football shaped advertisement is printed on heavy card stock. The obverse has a red, pale red, and white background designed to look like a laced football. At the bottom in the center it reads “WebAssign®.” The reverse is white with black and red lettering that reads “Keep Your Students in the Game. Check out WebAssign’s Sports Question Bank of sports-theme math and statistics questions designed to increase student engagement. Available free for Web Assign users. This question bank is suitable for any algebra through precalculus course or introductory statistics course. webassign.com/sports.”
- WebAssign is a customizable online instructional application that enables a teacher to deploy homework assignments, tests and practice problems. WebAssign materials focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines. Course content includes questions, exercises, problems, simulations, videos, tutorials, and digital versions of select textbooks. Topics available include Accounting, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Geoscience, Mathematics, Physical Science, Physics, Social Studies, and Statistics. It purportedly provides quick feedback--topics needing more review are easily determined by both teacher and student.
- This web application permits teachers to use existing courses, create their own, and/or customize existing assignments by adding their own questions.
- It includes options to promote academic honesty such as:
- - Randomized question values - assigns a different value to each student’s question thus each student will have a different answer.
- - Question pool - each student assigned a varied question set.
- - Randomized question order - questions displayed in a different order.
- - Question set changes - new set of questions used for each term.
- - Password protection - set for assignments.
- - Time limit - set for completion of work.
- - Access restriction - only certain IP addresses allowed access.
- - Application restriction - prevents access to any other applications while taking the test.
- This and other objects in this acquisition were collected at the Joint Mathematics Meeting of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America held in January 2017.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 2017
- ID Number
- 2017.3121.04
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3121
- catalog number
- 2017.3121.04
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Photograph, Comparison Graph for Ease of Use of Screen Interaction Devices
- Description
- This black and white photograph shows a graph comparing data on the ease of use of various computer screen interaction devices. It was included in a 1965 SRI report to NASA.
- Reference:
- William K. English, Douglas C. Engelbart, and Melvyn L. Berman, “Display-Selection Techniques for Text Manipulation,” IEEE Transactions on Human Factors in Electronics, March 1967, Vol. HFE-8, No. 1, pp. 5-15. This image was published as figure 2.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made (print)
- 2014
- date made (original photograph)
- 1965
- maker of the print
- SRI International
- ID Number
- 2015.3073.01
- catalog number
- 2015.3073.01
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3073
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
iPad Tablet Computer with Adapter
- Description
- On January 27, 2010, Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Inc. announced the release of their first-generation iPad – a touch screen tablet computer. Over 300,000 were sold the first day pre-orders were accepted. Before the release of the iPad 2 in March 2011, total sales reached 15 million.
- The iPad was selected by Time magazine as one of the 50 Best Inventions of the Year 2010 while Popular Science chose it as a top gadget in their “Best of What’s New 2010” list. It was designed for browsing the web, reading and sending e-mail, viewing photographs, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books, and more. Critics noted the absence of a camera, the inability to multi-task, and the lack of support for Adobe Flash.
- The first iPads measured 7.47”w x 9.56”h x 0.5”d and weighed 1.5 pounds (1.6 pounds for the 3G model). They were released with Apple’s iPhone operating system, OS 3.2, a mobile version of its Mac OS X, but by November of 2010 iOS 4.2 was available and it included application multi-tasking. Included with each iPad were WiFi, Bluetooth interface, microphone, 3.5mm headphone jack, audio ports molded into the case, and a proprietary 30-pin dock connector (used for recharging). It had a rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery which could provide 10 hours of video, 140 hours of music, or one month of standby time. Options for the iPad included 3G cellular capabilities and storage options of 16, 32, or 64 GB of solid-state (flash) memory.
- Almost all input was made through the 9.7” diagonal liquid-crystal touch screen. A 3-axis accelerometer sensed its orientation and could automatically switch between four orientations (portrait, landscape-left, landscape-right and upside-down).
- The three physical switches on the sides operated the wake/sleep mode, speaker volume, and screen orientation lock. On the front of the display was the “home” button, used to return the user to the home screen. The home screen included the Apple applications Safari, Mail, Photos, Video, iTunes, App Store, iBooks, Maps, Notes, Calendar, and Contacts. Multiple screens were available for applications and each could hold up to twenty applications. Users could install and delete third-party applications at any time.
- This model, an A1377 WiFi + 3G with 16 GB, sold for $629 in 2010. In 2011 the donor received this iPad as a gift and used it while attending college. While working as an intern at the National Museum of American History, she learned that the museum was looking to collect a 1st generation iPad. Following her graduation in 2013, she donated this iPad.
- References: [Last accessed 7/25/2018]
- https://www.lifewire.com/apple-ipad-review-2000577
- https://www.cnet.com/products/apple-ipad/review/
- https://everymac.com/systems/apple/ipad/specs/apple-ipad-original-specs.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad_(1st_generation)
- date made
- 2011
- maker
- Apple Computer, Inc.
- ID Number
- 2013.0272.01
- accession number
- 2012.0272
- catalog number
- 2012.0272.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Information Technology Services commemorative coin
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 2016
- associated date
- 10/04/2016
- direct
- Kaine, Tim
- Pence, Michael R.
- maker
- Longwood University
- ID Number
- 2017.0004.23
- accession number
- 2017.0004
- catalog number
- 2017.0004.23
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Facebook Family Stickers
- Description
- This sheet of stickers includes the five application icons for the on-line social media applications Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Oculus and WhatsApp. In the lower right corner it reads "Facebook Family".
- Facebook - the social media and networking service which launched in February 2004.
- Instagram - the photo-sharing application for pictures and videos which launched in October 2010.
- Messenger - the instant messaging service which launched in August 2011.
- Oculus - the virtual reality software which launched in July 2012.
- WhatsApp - the instant messaging service that allows sending of text messages, voice and video calls, images and documents over a cellular phone which launched in January 2009.
- This and other objects in this acquisition were collected at the Joint Mathematics Meeting of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America held in January 2017.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 2017
- ID Number
- 2017.3121.02
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3121
- catalog number
- 2017.3121.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Pages
Filter Your Results
- topic
-
object type
- Photographs 13
- Microcomputers 2
- sheet 2
- sticker 2
- Advertisements 1
- Pins (fasteners) 1
- Playing cards 1
- Sticker 1
- Stickers 1
- advertising ephemera 1
- audiovisual equipment 1
- brochure 1
- coin, commemorative 1
- computer model 1
- documentation 1
- electronic calculator 1
- lapel pin 1
- mainframe computer model 1
- microcomputer peripheral, external tape drive 1
- pin, button 1
- date
- place
-
set name
- Medicine and Science: Computers 24
- Science & Mathematics 6
- Medicine and Science: Mathematics 5
- National Museum of American History 3
- My Computing Device 2
- American Enterprise 1
- Desktop Electronic Calculators 1
- Government, Politics, and Reform 1
- Political and Military History: Political History, Campaign Collection 1
- Trigonometry 1
