Dear Bernard, What a lovely theme. Obviously, two strong traditions from the 18th century onwards may inform your research on 20th century exhibitons of computers. Of course they are not unrelated. One tradition is the showing of the spectacular. The 18th century is filled with spectacular shows of experiment and science. The interesting extra attraction for automata (including clocks and musical instruments) and calculating devices is that you will find the spectacular on the instrument itself: guilt plates, ivory inlay etc Not only the show presenting the instruments was spectacular, the objects themselves were showpieces. Up to this day, you will find few presentations of computers without this facet of the spectacular. The other tradition is the claim of the universal. Look at the 1870's exhibitions in Kensington, 1890s in Munich (cf Dyck's volume(s) on mathematical models and instruments), the Navier commemoration of 1914, and you will find the instruments presented in the context of universal exhibitions. There is a good deal of literature on the culture of these exhibitions. "model" and "instrument" are keywords you want to use to enter into the 19th century computing apparatus and its exhibits. The universality of these exhibitions was connected, but not in a straightforward way, with the aspirations of universality in science. The uses of the word come together with automata in RUR, Rossums Universal Robot. Again, the "obvious" connection may be deceptive here. The connection with the alledged universality of the computer is too obvious to mention here. Best wishes, fruitful search, Gerard Alberts
Hi SIGCIS members, I'm doing some research on the 20th century exhibition of computers, particularly in the form of automata and televised calculating machines. I'd like to look for some historical precedents, though. Does anyone know of any works discussing the exhibition of calculating machines from the 17th through the 19th century? For example, in the 19th century calculating machines were sent to at least one World's Fair, and in in the 18th c. von Kempelen's chess playing Turk inspired popular speculations and exciting about thinking machines, etc. Thanks for your help. Bernard
Bernard Geoghegan Doctoral Candidate, Program in Screen Cultures, Northwestern University Institute Visitor, Program in Science, Technology and Society, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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