[SIGCIS-Members] FW: News - The 2014 Tony Sale Award for Computer Conservation

[Martin Campbell-Kelly]

NEWS RELEASE

 

The 2014 Tony Sale Award for Computer Conservation - entries invited

 

(pictures of the award, first award winner and ceremony available on
request.) 

 

14 January 2014

 

Entries are invited for the second Tony Sale Award for Computer Conservation
2014. The award is to recognise achievements in computer conservation or
restoration, and is open to any individual or group anywhere in the world. 

 

Managed by the Computer Conservation Society and sponsored by Google UK, the
award was established in memory of computer conservation pioneer Tony Sale,
who rebuilt Colossus, the world's first electronic computer, and co-founded
the Computer Conservation Society. The closing date for entries is 31 July
2014. Presentation of a £1000 cash prize and a trophy will be made at a
ceremony in BCS Headquarters in London on 6 November 2014

 

The inaugural award was won by Dr David Link of Germany for his computer art
installation Loveletters, a reconstruction of a 1951 computer with software
that generates text to express and arouse emotions. Loveletters' fusion of
art, engineering and history celebrates one of the first artistic
applications of the computer and has attracted great interest in the media
and from culturally-diverse audiences across the globe. 

 

Professor Martin Campbell-Kelly, computer historian and chairman of the
Judging Panel, explained the purpose of the award: "Computer history may be
relatively short, but progress has been incredibly fast and it is vital that
this history is not lost. We can gain important insights and perspective by
understanding the context and the challenges faced by computing pioneers
over the past decades."  

 

Projects, which may cover hardware and/or software and represent any period
in computing history, should have been completed in the past 5 years. 

 

Shortlisted entries for the inaugural award included a restoration of
Digital Equipment Corporation's (DEC) first computer and a reconstruction
and simulation of Konrad Zuse’s Z3 Computer.

 


The main judging criteria are:                                            

·         Originality: To what extent does the project demonstrate a novel
approach to conservation or reconstruction?

·         Completeness: Has the project achieved the initial goals set?

·         Ingenuity: What new techniques or processes were developed during
the project?

·         Impact: What contribution has the work made to increasing the
understanding of the history of computing?

·         Outreach: Is the result of the work visible to experts in the
field and/or to the general public?

·         Publicity: To what extent has the work already been publicised or
written up?

 

A short entry form is available as a Download on the Tony Sale Award
website:  <http://www.sale-award.org/> www.sale-award.org/

Completed entries should be sent to Mrs Peta Walmisley, Administrator of the
Award 

 <mailto:peta at pwcepis.demon.co.uk> peta at pwcepis.demon.co.uk

 

The Computer Conservation Society is a joint venture between BCS, the
Chartered Institute for IT; the Science Museum; and the Museum of Science
and Industry in Manchester.

 

 

Notes To Editors

 

About Tony Sale

 

Tony Sale, in whose honour the computer conservation award has been
established, is perhaps best known for leading the team that rebuilt
Colossus, the world's first electronic computer. He was also a key figure in
starting the campaign to save Bletchley Park in the early 1990s, he
co-founded The National Museum of Computing and jointly established the
Computer Conservation Society.

 

 

 

Media Enquiries

Stephen Fleming for the Computer Conservation Society
Palam Communications
t 01635 299116
e  <mailto:sfleming at palam.co.uk> sfleming at palam.co.uk

 

 

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