17th-19th c. exhibitions of computers
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
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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Dear Bernard, you can find some information about the history of calculator exhibitions in Germany (as well as 1893 at the World exhibition in Chicago in the US) in my book Walther von Dyck (1856-1934). Mathematik, Technik und Wissenschaftsorganisation an der TH München. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag 2003. Further material about calculating machines at the world exhibition in Paris in 1900 can be found in my article "Die Rechenmaschine Gauss - eine gescheiterte Innovation?", published in Hashagen, Ulf, Oskar Blumtritt, Helmuth Trischler (Eds.): "Circa 1903", Artefakte in der Gründungszeit des Deutschen Museums, Munich 2003, S. 371-398. Furthermore I have almost finished an article about the history of computer exhibitions in museums in Europe and the US in the 20th century, which will probably be published this year in the journal Informatik-Spektrum. Best wishes, Ulf ------------------------------------------------------------ Dr. Ulf Hashagen Deutsches Museum Forschungsinstitut für Technik- und Wissenschaftsgeschichte Museumsinsel 1 80538 München Germany Tel.: +49 (0)89-2179-453 Fax.: +49 (0)89-2179-239 Email: u.hashagen@deutsches-museum.de _____ Von: members-bounces@sigcis.org [mailto:members-bounces@sigcis.org] Im Auftrag von Bernard Geoghegan Gesendet: Mittwoch, 19. März 2008 01:54 An: members@sigcis.org Betreff: [SIGCIS-Members] 17th-19th c. exhibitions of computers 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
At 20:54 -0400 18/3/08, Bernard Geoghegan wrote:
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
One of the best i know, though slightly out of your time frame, is: Napier Tercentenary Celebration: Handbook of the Exhibition, ed. E. M. Horsburgh, pp. 124-127, Edinburgh, Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1914. [(Also published as Modern Instruments and Methods of Calculation: A Handbook of the Napier Tercentenary Celebration Exhibition, G. Bell and Sons, London, 1914.)] Cheers Brian Randell -- School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK EMAIL = Brian.Randell@ncl.ac.uk PHONE = +44 191 222 7923 FAX = +44 191 222 8232 URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/~brian.randell/
Dear colleagues, CBI has a deal for you: "Free books!" "Going fast !!" "Act now !!!" Volume 3: Handbook of the Napier Tercentenary Celebration or Modern Instruments and Methods of Calculation edited by E. M.Horsburgh; (1914); New introduction by M. R. Williams; 8-1/2"x11"; 384 pp.; illus; notes; ISBN 0-262-08141-5; $45.00 This is one of the Tomash/CBI reprints in the history of computing. These are very classy volumes, beautifully done, with introductions by leading figures in the field. (Mike Williams is former ANNALS editor and 2007 IEEE-CS president.) http://www.cbi.umn.edu/research/reprints.html Here's the deal -- Send CBI a donation that can cover postage/handling, and we'll mail you a brand-new copy. We have a number in our basement, and have been looking for a productive use for them. Just $5 for U.S. domestic shipping (1-3 volumes); $20 overseas (each volume). On-line, you can use a credit-card and make a donation to CBI here: https://www.foundation.umn.edu/pls/dmsn/online_giving.start_null (<new gift> --> "I would like to support" <Technology, Institute of> and "Special instructions for your gift": <'Charles Babbage Institute'>). Finally, email us <cbi@umn.edu> your mailing address. Alternately, send a check and your address to us: http://www.cbi.umn.edu/about/visitor.html Best wishes, Tom Misa P.S. The fine print is true: up to 3 volumes for only $5. "This deal won't last forever !!!!" On Mar 19 2008, Brian Randell wrote:
One of the best i know, though slightly out of your time frame, is:
Napier Tercentenary Celebration: Handbook of the Exhibition, ed. E. M. Horsburgh, pp. 124-127, Edinburgh, Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1914. [(Also published as Modern Instruments and Methods of Calculation: A Handbook of the Napier Tercentenary Celebration Exhibition, G. Bell and Sons, London, 1914.)]
Cheers
Brian Randell
-- Thomas J. Misa Director, Charles Babbage Institute 211 Andersen Library 222 - 21st Avenue South University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 612 624.5050 tel 612 625.8054 fax http://www.cbi.umn.edu Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Program for History of Science, Technology & Medicine ===========================================================
participants (5)
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Bernard Geoghegan -
Brian Randell -
Gerard Alberts -
tmisa＠umn.edu -
Ulf Hashagen