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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Punch Cards for Recording Attendance at Francis Lewis High School
- Description
- Two of these paper punch cards are green, two gold, two blue, and one pink. All have square corners and are truncated in the upper left corner. They are designed for reporting students absent or late to class. The eighty-column cards are all marked on the left: FRANCIS LEWIS HIGH SCHOOL. They are marked on the right: OFFICIAL CLASS CARD and: 647176.
- There is a Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows, New York.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.10
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.10
- 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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
CDC 5081 Punch Cards
- Description
- These paper eighty-column punch cards are yellow, green, blue, pink and orange (two of each color). The corners of the cards are rounded, with the right top corner truncated. A mark on the lower left of the front reads: CDC 5081.
- Compare 1996.0142.18, a similar eighty-column card made by IBM.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s-1970s
- maker
- Control Data
- ID Number
- 1996.0142.01
- catalog number
- 1996.0142.01
- accession number
- 1996.0142
- 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
-
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
-
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
-
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
Pages
Filter Your Results
Click to remove a filter:
