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
31
Page 1 of 2
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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 3A Audio that had call No. RF151 WF. 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
- 2002.3058.03
- nonaccession number
- 2002.3058
- catalog number
- 2002.3058.03
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
THS 942/3/2367 Punch Cards for Stockholm Datamaskincentral
- Description
- These two white eighty-column punch cards are rounded, with the upper left corner truncated. The columns are divided into eight equal fields of ten columns each. A mark at the center reads: STOCKHOLMS (/) DATAMASKINCENTRAL (/) QZ (/) CD 6400. A mark on the left side reads: ths nr 942/3/2367.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.32
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.32
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- 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
-
IBM 5076 Bicentennial Punch Card
- Description
- This cream-colored eighty-column punch card has round corners and a truncated upper left corner. It has an image of the Liberty Bell at the center. A mark there reads: 1776 1976 (/) BICENTENNIAL. A mark along the bottom edge at the left reads: IBM 5076.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1976
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.17
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.17
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
IBM M70528 Punch Card for the University of Mississippi Computation Center
- Description
- This cream-colored eighty-column punch card has round corners, with the corner on the upper left side truncated. It is marked with the logo of the University of Mississippi. A mark printed on the right reads: UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI (/) COMPUTATION CENTER. A mark at the bottom left reads: IBM M70528.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.27
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.27
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
IBM B48171 Punch Cards with Collins Radio Company Logo
- Description
- These cream-colored eighty-column punch cards have the logo of the Collins Radio Company on the front. On the back is a printed form for use in collecting information on bids for various orders.
- A mark at the bottom of the card on the left reads: IBM B48171. A mark at the center reads: COLLINS RADIO COMPANY (/) COLLINS (/) DATA CENTER. A mark on the back reads: 074-8215-310.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.08
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.08
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Punch Cards, WANG 700-1224
- Description
- These two thirty-seven column punch cards are printed in red on white. The first four columns are for the statement number. The next three are for operations such as 'PRINT" and "GO TO". Columns 8 through 36 are labeled "FORMULA" and have various symbols, digits and letters. The rightmost column is to be punched if the statement continues on the next card.
- A mark on the left side of the card reads: WANG 700-1224. A mark on the left side reads: IBM Z22550 Z225551.
- These cards were received with a much earlier IBM tabulating machine.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1970
- maker
- Wang Laboratories
- ID Number
- 1987.0528.02
- accession number
- 1987.0528
- catalog number
- 1987.0528.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Pages
Filter Your Results
Click to remove a filter:
