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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Caere Button, Addition
- Description
- This square button has a white background with a green border. Black text inside the border reads: Addition. Addition 1. a part added; thus increasing the number of, 2. joining of one thing to another. On the bottom left is the CAERE logo. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads: Comdex 11/89.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- c 1989
- ID Number
- 2009.3071.210
- catalog number
- 2009.3071.210
- nonaccession number
- 2009.3071
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Commuter Portable Computer Leaflet
- Description
- This tri-fold paper leaflet is an advertisement for the Commuter microcomputer by Visual Computer Incorporated.
- The outside has a red background with white text. The right (cover) fold has an image of a woman wearing a business suit and high-heeled shoes carrying a Commuter microcomputer with text that reads: "COMMUTER THE PORTABLE COMPUTER. THE PORTABLE COMPUTER FOR PEOPLE GOING PLACES."
- The center fold has an image of the microcomputer closed, and the left fold has an image of it open.
- The inside has a white background with black and red text that describes the microcomputer's features and specifications.
- The objects in accession 2017.0321 and non-accession 2017.3153 are related.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2017.3153.01
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3153
- catalog number
- 2017.3153.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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"Equal Bytes for Women"
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Computerworld
- ID Number
- 1990.0407.04
- catalog number
- 1990.0407.04
- accession number
- 1990.0407
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
