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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ComputerLand NYC Store Images
- Description
- These four color Polaroid photographs, taken in 1981, show the interior of the first ComputerLand store to open in Manhattan. James Egan was one of four owners.
- In the first pair of images, Egan is the man in the light brown suit and the man kneeling in front of three people in ViewSonic bird costumes.
- The second pair of images are of interior views of the store with customers browsing.
- 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
- date made
- 1981
- ID Number
- 2017.3153.07
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3153
- catalog number
- 2017.3153.07
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Newsweek Magazine
- Description
- “Newsweek” Magazine, 84 pages, February 22, 1982, $1.50. Pages 50-56 in the Business Section is entitled “To Each His Own Computer.” The lead picture is James Egan standing next to a display of computers and software in the New York City ComputerLand store.
- 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
- date made
- 1982
- ID Number
- 2017.3153.08
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3153
- catalog number
- 2017.3153.08
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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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
-
ComputerLand Photograph
- Description
- This 5" x 7" black and white photograph shows James Egan sitting at a desk with computers and software on it. He has a foot on the desk, a coffee filter on his head, and is pouring a drink into a cup. Next to his chair is a sign that reads: SEND HELP. On the back, written in pencil, are the dates 1981-1982.
- 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
- date made
- 1981-1982
- ID Number
- 2017.3153.06
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3153
- catalog number
- 2017.3153.06
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Wang Rule
- Description
- This two-sided WANG rule has spacing guides for horizontal and vertical measures. It was used in the 1980s by the museum’s Office of the Registrar to design typed forms (not computer printouts).
- The front of the rule has four different horizontal scale divisions. Along the top edge are a 14 inch scale marked in 16ths and a 168 space scale marked 12 spaces to the inch. The bottom edge has a 140 space scale marked 10 spaces to the inch and a 210 space scale marked 15 spaces to the inch. The back has three vertical scale divisions. Along the top edge are a 110 space scale marked eight lines to the inch and a 350 mm scale. Along the bottom edge is an 84 space scale marked 6 lines to the inch.
- The museum acquired a WANG minicomputer system in 1982 -- a VS80 with two 75mb hard drives (each one was about the size of a modern dishwasher) and 14 workstations. The minicomputer was used for word processing, email, and data entry. This particular rule was given away with the minicomputer but not used in designing computer printouts. Instead, in the 1980s the Office of the Registrar made an effort to design forms that could be completed on a typewriter. The designs had to be precisely spaced horizontally and vertically so that each line/field would accurately line up when using typewriter tab and/or carriage return keys. This rule was used to ensure that accuracy.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1982
- ca 1980
- maker
- Wang Laboratories
- ID Number
- 2017.0318.01
- accession number
- 2017.0318
- catalog number
- 2017.0318.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Uarco Rule
- Description
- This two-sided rule made by Uarco Incorporated has its original manila paper sleeve. The front of the rule has a silver background with black markings and the back has a black background with silver marking. The front is marked with two scales. Along the top edge, the 16 inch length is divided into 16th of an inch spaces. The bottom edge is marked with a 160 space scale divided into tenths of an inch. The back also has two scales, a 50 centimeter metric scale divided into millimeters along the top edge and a 16 inch scale divided into 6ths and 12ths along the bottom edge.
- The rule was used by museum staff to mark out lines of typed data and to confirm character and line spacing on optical character recognition (OCR) typed pages.
- In 1975 the museum began automating its accession records. Information from these records was typed on an IBM Selectric typewriter using special paper designed for OCR scanning and an OCR-A type font element. Each page started with a formatted unique number and each line of data started with a 5-digit code that identified the type of data and the line number associated with it. (e.g. 11001 identified the data as the donor name on line 1; 11002 would identify a second donor name.)
- If there was a line of data on an OCR typed page that was not to be scanned, a black pen was used to draw a horizontal line through the center of the 5-digit line code. The OCR scanner would ignore any data line if it detected a 5-space black line. This rule was used to draw an accurate line.
- To ensure accurate scans, the data had to be precisely spaced both horizontally and vertically. This rule was used to check the number of spaces between the line code and the start of the data, the space between the OCR characters, as well as the vertical distance between data lines. Data entry workers could reinsert typed pages into the typewriter to correct typographical errors (using the Selectric’s correction tape) or to add data lines at the bottom of a page. The rule was used to confirm the horizontal and vertical spacing accuracy of these edits.
- Once all editing was completed, the OCR pages were scanned and copied to 9-track magnetic reel tape by a third party vendor, and then processed on the Smithsonian’s Honeywell mainframe computer.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Uarco Incorporated
- ID Number
- 2017.0318.02
- accession number
- 2017.0318
- catalog number
- 2017.0318.02
- 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
-
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
-
Diskette with Text for First Ladies Exhibit Web Page
- Description
- This 3 1/2" diskette contains the text used for the First Ladies 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
- ID Number
- 2017.3148.04
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3148
- catalog number
- 2017.3148.04
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
HOSC Web disk
- Description
- This zip disk has a capacity of 100mb. It contains the text used for the Hands On Science Center page on the NMAH website.
- Web designer David McOwen, as a member of the New Media Office at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, used these materials in designing sections of the NMAH website. The entire Smithsonian website is preserved by the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 2000-2002
- ID Number
- 2017.3148.06
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3148
- catalog number
- 2017.3148.06
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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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
-
Patent Order Punch Cards
- Description
- This set of six orange punch cards each have 53 columns. The standard IBM punch card has 80 columns. Each card 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 each card, the unique patent number, the same customer number (11530), month (01), day (29), and serv. code (6M). These cards were used by the U.S. Patent Office when filling requests for copies of patents.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 2017.3122.02
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3122
- catalog number
- 2017.3122.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Maplesoft Computer Software Button
- Description
- This circular button has black text on a white background that reads: www.maplesoft.com. The background image is an interwoven multi-colored cable.
- Maplesoft™ headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The compan is a subsidiary of Cybernet Systems Co. Ltd. in Japan. They specialize in software tools for engineering, science, and mathematics.
- This and other objects in this acquisition were collected at the Joint Mathematics Meeting of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America held in January 2017.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 2017
- ID Number
- 2017.3121.01
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3121
- catalog number
- 2017.3121.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Facebook Family Stickers
- Description
- This sheet of stickers includes the five application icons for the on-line social media applications Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Oculus and WhatsApp. In the lower right corner it reads "Facebook Family".
- Facebook - the social media and networking service which launched in February 2004.
- Instagram - the photo-sharing application for pictures and videos which launched in October 2010.
- Messenger - the instant messaging service which launched in August 2011.
- Oculus - the virtual reality software which launched in July 2012.
- WhatsApp - the instant messaging service that allows sending of text messages, voice and video calls, images and documents over a cellular phone which launched in January 2009.
- This and other objects in this acquisition were collected at the Joint Mathematics Meeting of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America held in January 2017.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 2017
- ID Number
- 2017.3121.02
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3121
- catalog number
- 2017.3121.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Punch Card with Letter of Request
- Description
- This letter from Smithsonian curator Bernard Finn to the Defense Document Center is a carbon copy of his 1963 request for copies of military articles. The request was filled by ASTIA (Armed Services Technical Information Agency) in Arlington, VA.
- The cream colored punch card was used by ASTIA to fill the request. It has 90 columns, is marked MACHINEFORM – DO NOT MUTILATE on the left edge, Printed in U.S.A. REMINGTON RAND 0-31963-RI M on the right edge, and ASTIA Form 1 Jul 60 DOCUMENT REQUEST AND RECEIPT on the bottom edge. The card is punched with circular holes as was typical for UNIVAC cards.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Remington Rand Inc.
- ID Number
- 2017.3122.05
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3122
- catalog number
- 2017.3122.05
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Book, The Great International Math on Keys Book
- Description
- This paperback volume, developed by the Texas Instruments Learning Center, is an introduction to using a handheld electronic calculator (particularly a TI-30 or SR-40) to do mathematics.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1976
- publisher
- Texas Instruments Incorporated
- author
- Texas Instruments Learning Center
- ID Number
- 1982.3001.16
- catalog number
- 1982.3001.16
- nonaccession number
- 1982.3001
- 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
-
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
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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
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Disk with Text for Our Stories Web Page
- Description
- This zip disk contains the text used for the "Our Stories" 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
- ID Number
- 2017.3148.05
- nonaccession number
- 2017.3148
- catalog number
- 2017.3148.05
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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- Computers & Business Machines 231
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- Adding Machines 3
- Census, US 3
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- punched cards, set of 9
- Software 7
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- Medicine and Science: Computers 63
- Tabulating Equipment 31
- Cash and Credit Registers 23
- National Museum of American History 9
- Communications 7
- Scale Rules 5
- My Computing Device 4
- Adding Machines 3
- American Enterprise 3
- Advertising 2
- Calculating Machines 2
- Handheld Electronic Calculators 2
- Slide Rules 2
- Women Mathematicians 2
- Arithmetic Teaching 1
- Art in Industry 1
