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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LOCI-2 Punch Card
- Description
- This is one of a series of forty-column perforated punch cards designed for use with the programmable Wang LOCI-2 electronic calculator. Each card is marked in the bottom left corner: IBM D56709. Each card is marked on the left side: LOCI (LOGARITHMIC COMPUTER) PROGRAM.
- For the calculator, see 1980.0096.01. For the card reader, see 1980.0096.01.1. For the card punch, see1980.0096.02.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1965 or later
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1980.0096.03.6
- catalog number
- 1980.0096.03.6
- accession number
- 1980.0096
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
LOCI-2 Punch Card
- Description
- This is one of a series of forty-column perforated punch cards designed for use with the programmable Wang LOCI-2 electronic calculator. Each card is marked in the bottom left corner: IBM D56709. Each card is marked on the left side: LOCI (LOGARITHMIC COMPUTER) PROGRAM.
- For the calculator, see 1980.0096.01. For the card reader, see 1980.0096.01.1. For the card punch, see1980.0096.02.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1965 or later
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1980.0096.03.5
- catalog number
- 1980.0096.03.5
- accession number
- 1980.0096
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Data Preparation Worksheet
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2017.3104.02
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3104
- catalog number
- 2017.3104.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
ComputerLand Photograph
- Description
- This 5" x 7" black and white photograph shows James Egan in front of a software display at the ComputerLand store in NYC. On the back, written in pencil are the dates 1981-82.
- James Egan, Joseph Alfieri, Robert Kurland, and Thomas Vandermeulen of Facks Computer, Inc. were the owners of the first ComputerLand store in Manhattan.
- ComputerLand was a nationwide chain of retail computer stores. They opened their first store in 1976 in Hayward, California. By 1990 most stores had closed and in early 1999 the company officially disbanded.
- The objects in accession 2017.0321 and non-accession 2017.3153 are related.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2017.3153.05
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3153
- catalog number
- 2017.3153.05
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Diskette with Text for September 11 Witness Story Web Page
- Description
- This 3 1/2" diskette contains the text used for the September 11 Witness Story page on the NMAH website.
- Web designer David McOwen, a member of the New Media Office at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, used these materials when designing sections of the NMAH website.
- The entire Smithsonian website is preserved by the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 2002
- ID Number
- 2017.3148.03
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3148
- catalog number
- 2017.3148.03
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Punch Cards used with a PDP-9 Minicomputer
- Description
- In the mid-1960s, the Computer Science Department at RAND Corporation turned its attention to developing computer graphics. A set of programs written in the programming language FORTRAN for the PDP-9 minicomputer were used to plot contour lines useful in determining the line of sight for microwave radiation emitted from a given point on a map. These cards have some of the data for one of these programs. The cards are white with a pink border on the top (occasional cards have a green border). Groups of cards are not numbered but groups of data are designated by black marks on the edge. A mark on the first card reads: 3000 500. A printout of a related program has non-accession number 1990.3046.10.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.3046.05
- catalog number
- 1990.3046.05
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Library of Congress Punch Card
- Description
- The late 1960s were a time of rapid change in processes for cataloging and circulating books at the U.S. Library of Congress. Computers were introduced for preparing cataloging records for libraries across the nation and for tracking and distributing books sent out on interlibrary loan. This is one card used in the process. It relates to a volume entitled Apparatus and Experiment SD Int. by Weiss, which had call number QP461 W4 1916. It was checked out on 12-22-72 to Borrower OS500. A mark on the bottom edge of the card reads: HP/ECC-1294-0.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1972
- 1972
- date made
- 1972
- maker
- Library of Congress
- ID Number
- 2002.3058.02
- nonaccession number
- 2002.3058
- catalog number
- 2002.3058.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Punch Cards used with a PDP-9 Minicomputer
- Description
- In the mid-1960s, the Computer Science Department at RAND Corporation turned its attention to developing computer graphics. A set of programs written in the programming language FORTRAN for the PDP-9 minicomputer were used to plot contour lines useful in determining the line of sight for microwave radiation emitted from a given point on a map.
- This group of cards is labeled: Last version using SC4020 plot routine. The cards have the data for a FORTRAN program with non-accession number 1990.3046.10. Theys are white with a green border along the top. A mark on the first card reads: $IBFTC CLAQR REF.
- The SC4020 was a computer-controlled microfilm printer and plotter produced by the Stromberg-Carlson Corporation. It was one of the first devices sold specifically to visualize computer calculations.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.3046.07
- catalog number
- 1990.3046.07
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Poster, 1944 Mark I --electromechanische Schaltelemente ubernehemen das Zahlen
- Description
- This is one of a set of illustrated posters on the history of computing from antiquity to the 1970s. The text is in German and the posters were published by IBM Deutschland. This particular poster discusses the ASCC Mark I electromechanical computer.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1975
- maker
- IBM Deutschland
- ID Number
- 1988.0803.12
- catalog number
- 1988.0803.12
- accession number
- 1988.0803
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
NMAH Web Site Documentation Binder
- Description
- This white loose-leaf binder contains information about the design, configuration and installation of the files and servers needed to power the redesigned National Museum of American History website (americanhistory.si.edu). Included is information on how the page appearance was constructed using ColdFusion custom tags and an example of how each page would look. In addition to 185 pages of text, it includes 2 cd-rom disks entitled "Web Site Phase I Final File Set".
- The NMAH website was created by Mediatrope Interactive Studio of San Francisco, CA.
- The entire Smithsonian website is preserved by the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 2005
- 2005-04
- ID Number
- 2017.3148.01
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3148
- catalog number
- 2017.3148.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
ComputerLand NYC Franchise Agreement
- Description
- This loose-leaf binder contains a copy of the franchise agreement between ComputerLand Corp. of California and Facks Computer, Inc. of New York dated January 1980. The binder also contains a manilla folder with newspaper clippings and legal documents concerning a legal dispute over the ownership of the franchise.
- James Egan, Joseph Alfieri, Robert Kurland, and Thomas Vandermeulen of Facks Computer, Inc. were the owners of the first ComputerLand store in Manhattan.
- ComputerLand was a nationwide chain of retail computer stores. They opened their first store in 1976 in Hayward, California. By 1990 most stores had closed and in early 1999 the company officially disbanded.
- The objects in accession 2017.0321 and non-accession 2017.3153 are related.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2017.3153.09
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3153
- catalog number
- 2017.3153.09
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent Order Punch Card with Synchronous Motor Patent Papers
- Description
- This orange punch card, used by the U.S. Patent Office, is attached to a copy of the patent papers the card describes. The card has 53 columns versus the standard IBM 80-column punch card. It is marked PO-33, PATENT ORDER (Letter Unit) on the left edge, and IBM D7 7517 on the bottom edge.
- The following information is punched and printed on the card: the patent number (1913948), customer number (11530), month (01), day (29), and serv. code (6M).
- The patent papers requested (5 pages) were for patent number 1,913,948 filed on May 2, 1932 by David Perlman for a Synchronous Motor. His patent was for improvements in electrically operated time-pieces.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 2017.3122.03
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3122
- catalog number
- 2017.3122.03
- patent number
- 1,913,948
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Punch Cards used with a PDP-9 Minicomputer
- Description
- In the mid-1960s, the Computer Science Department at RAND Corporation turned its attention to developing computer graphics. A set of programs written in the programming language FORTRAN for the PDP-9 minicomputer were used to plot contour lines useful in determining the line of sight for microwave radiation emitted from a given point on a map.
- Groups of the punch cards are not numbered but some are grouped by black marks on the edge. The cards have the data for a FORTRAN program with non-accession number 1990.3046.10. The cards are white with a pink, green or no border on the top. A mark on the first card reads: 8258, CLAF6, D7300, 04M, 100CD, 150P, C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.3046.06
- catalog number
- 1990.3046.06
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
LOCI-2 Punch Card
- Description
- This is one of a series of forty-column perforated punch cards designed for use with the programmable Wang LOCI-2 electronic calculator. Each card is marked in the bottom left corner: IBM D56709. Each card is marked on the left side: LOCI (LOGARITHMIC COMPUTER) PROGRAM.
- For the calculator, see 1980.0096.01. For the card reader, see 1980.0096.01.1. For the card punch, see1980.0096.02.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1965 or later
- Maker
- IBM
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1980.0096.03.1
- catalog number
- 1980.0096.03.1
- accession number
- 1980.0096
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
FileMaker Pro 4.1 Software
- Description
- This compact disc (cd-rom, a compact disc that functions as read-only memory) contains the FileMaker Pro 4.1 relational database software used by the NMAH web program. Descriptions of objects displayed in an exhibition were forward to the web program in a FileMaker file which they formatted for posting to the website.
- Web designer David McOwen, a member of the New Media Office at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, used these materials when designing sections of the NMAH website.
- The entire Smithsonian website is preserved by the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1984-1998
- ID Number
- 2017.3148.02
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3148
- catalog number
- 2017.3148.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Educational Software for Use with the Commodore 64 Microcomputer, Word Shuttle
- Description
- This group of five educational computer programs was developed for the Commodore 64 during the 1980s. Each program has its original box, the 5 ¼” software diskettes, and the user manual.
- Word Shuttle
- This word processing program was released in 1985 and included a 42-page user guide and two keyboard overlays. Word Shuttle was the official word processor of the Young Astronaut Program which operated between 1984 and 2004. The objective of this international educational curriculum was to promote greater interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through space-themed activities, experiments, and conferences.
- Sky Travel
- This astronomy program, designed for persons ages 12 and up, was released in 1984 and included a 138-page manual. It provided an interactive guided tour of the universe—in the past, present, and future. The universe model could show the location of more than 1,200 stars, 88 constellations, 8 planets, deep sky objects, and the (then) future appearance (1986) of Halley’s comet. The program had four basic modes: map, set, sky, and chart. Map was used to select the location on Earth; month, day, year, and time were determined in set; optional displays were chosen in sky; and chart was used to project the sky on a celestial sphere with coordinate lines for creating, viewing, and printing your own star charts.
- JUST IMAGINE…
- This creative writing program, released in 1984 for individuals of all ages, included a 20-page manual. The user could create colorful animated stories by selecting up to three animated characters from the twenty-five provided, choosing one of nine backgrounds, and a few of the 48 stationary objects. The author then wrote a story to match the selected graphics. While different parts of the program loaded it displayed random trivia facts from the 300 stored on the diskette. The story could be played back and saved to diskette. The introduction in the manual states that “JUST IMAGINE… is another example of Commodore’s commitment to excellence-in-education through technology.”
- Reading Professor
- This reading program, released in 1984, was designed to teach reading skills to high school-age students as well as adults. Included with the two software diskettes was a 40-page user guide. The program provided a series of ten 20-minute lessons to increase reading speed and improve comprehension by presenting specific techniques for eliminating bad reading habits and developing new skills. It has a library of reading materials with three reading levels--High School, College and Adult, and Professional--each level with 32 reading selections. The program used seven types of exercises to monitor and log progress and success.
- Typing Professor
- This typing program, released in 1984 for individuals ages 12 and up, included a 20-page manual, two cassettes for use with a Commodore 16, and a diskette for use with either a Commodore 64 or Commodore Plus/4.
- Students could learn the basics of touch typing or learn to improve their typing speed. The program had 19 exercises which increased in difficulty. Each exercise contained a score chart that calculated and recorded the number of errors, error rate, and typing speed. The exercises were timed and the student could not exceed the acceptable error rate before beginning the next exercise. The allowed error rate started at 4% for lesson 1 and decreased to 1% for lessons 16-19. The goal for lesson 19 was 35 words per minute with a less than 1% error rate.
- maker
- Commodore Business Machines, Inc.
- ID Number
- 2006.0132.28.03
- catalog number
- 2006.0132.28.03
- accession number
- 2006.0132
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
MacUser Internet Road Map
- Description
- This paper document entitled “MacUser Internet Road Map," is folded like a road map.
- The information, structured like an outline, has six sections with categories and sub-categories. Every level has a web address and a brief description. The sections are named Government Information Zone, Education and Reference Zone, Arts and Humanities Zone, MacIntosh Resource Zone, Business and Commerce Zone, and MacUser Magazine.
- The reverse side has an index to the categories and sub-categories with map coordinates to locate them, a terminology list, a highlights area listing the most popular sites, instructions on how to connect to the internet, a description of how to read a URL, and the map legend.
- Many of the web addresses begin with http://akebono.stanford.edu/yahoo/ which is the address used by Jerry Yang and David Filo (students at Stanford University) in January 1994 when they created “Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web.” In March of 1994 it was shortened to http://www.yahoo.com.
- Some addresses listed on the map are still valid, others automatically redirect you to their current site, and a few cannot be found.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1994
- publisher
- Ziff Davis Media Inc.
- maker
- Ziff Davis Media Inc.
- ID Number
- 2017.3122.01
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3122
- catalog number
- 2017.3122.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Library of Congress Punch Card
- Description
- The late 1960s and early 1970s were a time of rapid change in processes for cataloging and circulating books at the U.S. Library of Congress. Computers were introduced for preparing cataloging records for libraries across the nation, and for tracking and distributing books sent out on interlibrary loan.This is one card used in the process. It relates to a volume entitled Western Electric Co Info Care 1A Audiometer that had call number RF151 W21. It was checked out on 12-12-72 to borrower OS500. A mark on the bottom edge of the card reads: HP/ECC-1294-0.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1972
- maker
- Library of Congress
- ID Number
- 2002.3058.04
- nonaccession number
- 2002.3058
- catalog number
- 2002.3058.04
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
BASF Diskette
- Description
- This BASF 5 1/4” 2S/2D (double sided/double density) floppy diskette was purchased for use on a Cromemco C-10 microcomputer.
- Reference 2018.0113.01.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- BASF
- ID Number
- 2018.3055.02
- nonaccession number
- 2018.3055
- catalog number
- 2018.3055.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
The Punched Card: Embodying Punched Card Operations in all types of Business and Industry
- Description
- This paperback book has a yellow and turquoise cover. It was published in 1952 by the Punched Card Publishing Company of Detroit, Michigan. The punch card was an early means of date storage that could be read by computers or sorted and calculated by fields by specialized machines. By the 1950s the punched card had moved beyond merely recording census data, and was across the corporate landscape for billing, transportation schedules, libraries, payroll, and inventory management. This book served as a trade publication for the Punched Card Publishing Company, illustrating better business practices and new uses of punch cards and devices for reading them.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1952
- ID Number
- 2013.3049.03
- nonaccession number
- 2013.3049
- catalog number
- 2013.3049.03
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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