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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Computer Software, Punched Paper Tapes for a Digital Equipment Corporation Computer
- Description
- These folded punched paper tapes are n a plastic tray with eight compartments. The tapes are marked as follows:
- 1. in compartment A - PDP, 2C, and DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION PROGRAMMED DATA PROCESSOR. It has a (loose) label marked: Digital-1-8A-S-MG 6/63 (/) EXTENDED OPERATIONS AND MACROS. A second tape in this compartment is marked: PDP, 2C, and DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION PROGRAMMED DATA PROCESSOR. It has a (loose) label marked: Digital-1-25-U-MB 10/23/63 (/) MASTER TAPE DUPLICATOR
- 2. in compartment B - Friden Business Systems - Tape-Talk, X Good Space War. Also marked in punches: SPACEWAR 3.1 24 SEP 62 PT. 1
- 3, in compartment C - MACRO ASSEM. PARTS 1 & 2 (/) (with OPS AND MACROS) 27-5-68 - A second tape in the compartment is marked Octal Dump Routine
- 4. in compartment D - GOSSALS MAG. TAPE TEST (/) 1+2 D. FELTY - also marked 9-H - in punches, marked GOSSELS MAG TAPE TEST 1-2 - paper tape also marked in marker 9-H - A second tape in the compartment is marked GOSSELS' Mag Tape Test 1 & 2 Ray (/) 4/13/64
- 5. in compartment E - SNOWFLAKE SA-100
- 6. in compartment F - Magtape Routines H A F B 1-10. Also marked 18A
- 7. in compartment G - HAFB-PDP-1 TV 7 12 sept 66
- 8. in compartment H - 11A BINARY - also marked 17G
- Hence there are a total of 11 tapes in the eight compartments. The side of the plastic holder has a tag that reads: TRAY 301. Draft cataloging describes the tapes as MAC-16 software tapes.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1962-1968
- maker
- Digital Equipment Corporation
- ID Number
- 1989.0521.04
- catalog number
- 1989.0521.04
- accession number
- 1989.0521
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Xerox 914 Plain Paper Copier
- Description
- Introduced in 1959, the Xerox 914 plain paper copier revolutionized the document-copying industry. The culmination of inventor Chester Carlson's work on the xerographic process, the 914 was fast and economical. One of the most successful Xerox products ever, a 914 model could make 100,000 copies per month. In 1985, the Smithsonian received this machine, number 517 off the assembly line. It weighs 648 pounds and measures 42" high x 46" wide x 45" deep.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1960
- maker
- Haloid Xerox Corporation
- ID Number
- 1985.0669.01
- catalog number
- 1985.0669.01
- accession number
- 1985.0669
- catalog number
- 85.669.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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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
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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
-
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
-
Photograph, Console, Mouse, and CDC 160A Computer
- Description
- This black and white photograph shows a computer console with the first mouse, as well as the CDC 160A computer with which it interacted. The image was taken at SRI June 1965. The console with a keyboard and mouse are on the left side and the CDC 160A in the background.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- delete
- photograph taken
- 1965
- date made (print)
- 2014
- maker of the print
- SRI International
- ID Number
- 2015.3073.05
- catalog number
- 2015.3073.05
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3073
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Photograph, Console, Keyboard and Mouse for Interaction with CDC 160A
- Description
- This black and white photograph, taken at SRI in June 1965, shows a computer console with the first mouse. The console was linked to a CDC 160A computer. The console and keyboard are at the center, the mouse aon the right, and another device on the left. Text appear on the console.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- photograph taken
- 1965
- date made (print)
- 2014
- maker of the print
- SRI International
- ID Number
- 2015.3073.06
- catalog number
- 2015.3073.06
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3073
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Photograph, On-Line System (NLS) Terminals being used by William English at SRI
- Description
- This black and white photograph shows William English using an On-Line System (NLS) terminal. In the image, taken at SRI about 1969, English, dressed in a suit, sits with his right hand on a mouse and left hand on a five-finger keyset looking at a terminal. Another terminal is on the right.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- photograph taken
- ca 1969
- date made (print)
- 2014
- maker of the print
- SRI International
- ID Number
- 2015.3073.07
- catalog number
- 2015.3073.07
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3073
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Photograph, Douglas Engelbart and Others Using On-Line System (Terminals) at SRI
- Description
- This black and white photograph, taken at SRI in 1969, shows Douglas Engelbart and others using On-Line System (NLS) terminals. Four white men sit staring at terminals. One, Douglas Engelbart, operates a mouse and five-finger keypad. The others watch two separate terminals that show the same thing on their screens. The image also shows part of two chalkboards.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- photograph taken
- 1969
- date made (print)
- 2014
- depicted (sitter)
- Engelbart, Douglas
- maker of the print
- SRI International
- ID Number
- 2015.3073.08
- catalog number
- 2015.3073.08
- 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
-
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
-
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, 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
-
Slide Rule, Minimum Latency Calculator for the UNIVAC Solid-State Computer
- Description
- This circular device was an aid to programming the UNIVAC solid-state computer. It consists of a paper disc with equal divisions running from 1 to 200 near the edge, and a clear plastic rotating disc that are pivoted together at the center. The upper disc is marked in red with two perpendicular diameters. The solid state computer had a magnetic storage drum on which locations were specified numerically. The latency calculator allowed programmers to write code for the machine to make the most efficient possible use of the drum memory. The back of the instrument gives a list of instruction codes and corresponding word times. Recieved in bag. Reference: Sperry Rand Corporation, Programming: Simple Transition to Electronic Processing UNIVAC Solid-State 80, 18-26.
- Compare 2005.0271.01. Date based on date of documents 2015.3097.03 and 2015.3097.04.
- According to Kirk Lubbes, who programmed the Univac Solid State Computer:
- "The SS90 had a drum memory, i.e. memory was not random accessible. One had slow memory and fast memory. The slow memory had only a single read/write head per track on the drum and fast memory had four read/write heads spaced at 90 degrees, so therefore the drum had to rotate a full revolution to access a memory word in slow memory and only a quarter turn to access fast memory.
- The trick in programming the SS90 was to have the instruction and its operand accessible at an optimal time so that the instruction could access its operand without waiting for the drum very far. As one started a program, this was not much a problem. The programmer new how much time that a given instruction would take to execute and the speed of the drum. Therefore, he calculated the position of the next instruction, based these two parameters. The minimum latency calculator was a mechanical device to help in this calculation. The problem was that as the programmer progressed, collisions occurred, i.e. the optimal location of an instruction or an operand was already taken by a previous instruction or operand. Since the drum was arranged in bands and the read/write heads were at the same location on each band, if one had a collision, you could put the necessary instruction or operand in a parallel band at the same position. This worked the bands all filled up.
- The basic approach was to get a program working using the best latency that you could. Then the programmer would go back and start rearranging instructions and operand locations to achieve minimum latency. In those early times, machine time was expensive and memory severely limited. So it was important that production programs were efficient."
- Reference:
- Nonccession file 2015.3097.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1960
- maker
- Remington Rand Univac
- ID Number
- 2015.3097.01
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3097
- catalog number
- 2015.3097.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Documentation, Communication Instructions Operating Signals
- Description
- A black binder containing Communication Instructions Operating Signals. From the book, "The purpose of this publication is to list operating signals and provide instructions for their use." A table of contents is included.
- AUTODIN was the Department of Defense's first computerized message switching system and was implemented in stages in the 1960s. It contained a set of numerous AUTODIN Switching Centers around the world. AUTODIN faciliated the Department of Defense communications needs over the years.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1964-07
- ID Number
- 2015.3091.04
- catalog number
- 2015.3091.04
- nonaccession number
- 2015.3091
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Software, Reel of Magnetic Tape for the UNIVAC with COBOL Compiler
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1960
- maker
- Remington Rand Univac
- ID Number
- 2014.3039.01
- nonaccession number
- 2014.3039
- catalog number
- 2014.3039.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Certificate in Data Processing
- Description
- Paper certificate issued by the Data Processing Management Association to George W. Abbott for successfully completing the requirements for the Certificate in Data Processing. The issue date is September 4, 1962. The certificate is printed on pale yellow marbled paper. It has a round certificate seal in the lower left corner and is mounted on heavy card stock.
- This certificate was awarded to the donor, who, according to press releases issued in 1977, was the first person in the world to receive the certificate. A black and white photograph of the donor is included. An alphabetic listing (typed paper list) of all the recipients of this certificate with their certificate number is bound together in a red report folder.
- The list of recipients includes the name Stanley Kovy. Mr. Kovy joined the Smithsonian staff in 1967 as the Manager of Fiscal and Business Applications before becoming Deputy Director then Director of the Information Systems Division. He is listed as receiving certificate #620052.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1962-09-04
- ID Number
- 1977.1047.01
- accession number
- 1977.1047
- catalog number
- 1977.1047.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
R.C. Allen Musicwriter
- Description (Brief)
- One (1) R.C. Allen musicwriter
- Mechanical typewriter with beige body with brown keys. Four-line keyboard. 14" carriage. Keys are musical symbols and numbers.
- Inscription: "R.C. Allen", "Musicwriter" On back label: "Musicwriter Patented Typewriter - U.S. Paten No. 511,941; Great Britain, No. 712,430, Nov. 3, 1954; Switzerland, Patent No. 298,526; Germany DBP 909,101." "MUSIC PRINT CORPORATION Denver, Colorado, U.S.A."
- Description
- This Musicwriter “typewriter” was manufactured by R.C. Allen of Grand Rapids, Michigan during the mid 20th century. The Musicwriter was used to compose sheet music. Instead of a letter-writing typewriter, each key could print a different type of note, which could be raised or lowered on the musical staff.
- R. C. Allen was founded in 1932 as a manufacturer of cash registers, adding machines, and altimeters. R.C. Allen purchased the Woodstock Typewriter Company of Woodstock, Illinois in 1950 and began manufacturing typewriters and musicwriters such as this machine.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1960
- maker
- R. C. Allen
- ID Number
- 1984.0914.01
- accession number
- 1984.0914
- catalog number
- 1984.0914.01
- serial number
- 8C-2105274 14
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
IBM D10687 Punch Card Used with IBM Port-a-Punch
- Description
- This eighty-column paper punch card has serrations for easy punching of holes. The columns are divided into eight fields for entering data. A mark along the right edge reads: IBM D10687 Port-A-Punch General Purpose 8 Field. The card was designed for use with an IBM Port-A-Punch (see 1990.0113,02). Several similar cards received at the same time are stored with the object.
- The materials in this accession were used in Robert A. McConnell's research on parapsychology.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s
- Maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.0113.04
- accession number
- 1990.0113
- catalog number
- 1990.0113.04
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Model of Babbage's Difference Engine No. 1 - Replica
- Description
- This is a replica of the portion of a difference engine built by Charles Babbage in 1832. Babbage, an English mathematician, hoped to compute and to print astronomical tables by machine. He proposed to estimate the value of functions using polynomials, and to use the method of finite distances to compute results.
- Babbage never completed either a difference engine or a more complex, programmable instrument he dubbed an analytical engine.
- The machine has three columns of discs. The leftmost column has six discs, each with the numbers from 0 to 9. The middle column has seven discs. The six lower ones each have the digits from 0 to 9. The uppermost disc is marked as indicated. The rightmost column has five discs numbered from 0 to 9. Above these are four discs, similarly numbered, that are immediately adjacent to one another. On the top of the machine are a gear train and a handle. The machine has a metal framework and a wooden base. The replica has containers for springs, but no springs.
- The overall dimensions include the handle. Without it, the dimensions are: 59 cm. w. x 43.5 cm. d. x 72 cm. h.
- The replica was built for display in the first exhibition devoted to mathematics and computing at the Museum of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History). A similar replica is in the collections of IBM Corporation.
- The original on which this replica is based is at the Science Museum in London. That museum also displays a more recent attempt to build a working version of Babbage’s difference engine.
- References:
- Merzbach, Uta C., Georg Scheutz and the First Printing Calculator, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1977.
- D. Pantalony, “Collectors Displays and Replicas in Context What We Can Learn from Provenance Research in Science Museums,” in The Romance of Science: Essays in Honour of Trevor H. Levere, eds. Jed Buchwald and Larry Stewart, Cham: Springer, 2017, pp.257-275, esp. pp.268-273. This article discusses replicas of the Babbage difference engine, but not the one at the Smithsonian, which was by a different maker than other replicas provided by IBM.
- Swade, Doron. The Difference Engine: Charles Babbage and the Quest to Build the First Computer, New York: Viking, 2000.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1963
- date received
- 1963
- maker
- Daniel I. Hadley & Associates
- ID Number
- MA.323584
- accession number
- 252309
- catalog number
- 323584
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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