Need help identifying a photo
There is a famous photo on Wikimedia commons, of what purports to be Ken Thompson & Dennis Ritchie in front of a PDP-11, presumably working on UNIX. The problem is that the seated person doesn't look like either of them. And he is clean-shaven. Could it be Bjarne Stroustrup? Does anyone recall seeing T&R w/o facial hair? Any help in tracking this down would be much appreciated! The photo has been reprinted in many places, and I'd like to track this down before I inadvertently propagate an error. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ken_Thompson_(sitting)_and_Dennis_Ri... Paul E. Ceruzzi Curator, Division of Space History National Air and Space Museum MRC 311, PO Box 37012 Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC 20013-7012 www.ceruzzi.com<http://www.ceruzzi.com> ceruzzip@si.edu<mailto:ceruzzip@si.edu> 202-633-2414
I forwarded your message to Brian Kernighan. On 01/27/2016 11:46 AM, Ceruzzi, Paul wrote:
There is a famous photo on Wikimedia commons, of what purports to be Ken Thompson & Dennis Ritchie in front of a PDP-11, presumably working on UNIX. The problem is that the seated person doesn’t look like either of them. And he is clean-shaven. Could it be Bjarne Stroustrup? Does anyone recall seeing T&R w/o facial hair? Any help in tracking this down would be much appreciated! The photo has been reprinted in many places, and I’d like to track this down before I inadvertently propagate an error.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ken_Thompson_(sitting)_and_Dennis_Ri...
Paul E. Ceruzzi
Curator, Division of Space History
National Air and Space Museum
MRC 311, PO Box 37012
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20013-7012
www.ceruzzi.com <http://www.ceruzzi.com>
ceruzzip@si.edu <mailto:ceruzzip@si.edu>
202-633-2414
_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org
K. responded: "Dennis (bearded) is standing. Ken (clean shaven) is seated. The label is correct." On 01/27/2016 12:21 PM, Evan Koblentz wrote:
I forwarded your message to Brian Kernighan.
On 01/27/2016 11:46 AM, Ceruzzi, Paul wrote:
There is a famous photo on Wikimedia commons, of what purports to be Ken Thompson & Dennis Ritchie in front of a PDP-11, presumably working on UNIX. The problem is that the seated person doesn’t look like either of them. And he is clean-shaven. Could it be Bjarne Stroustrup? Does anyone recall seeing T&R w/o facial hair? Any help in tracking this down would be much appreciated! The photo has been reprinted in many places, and I’d like to track this down before I inadvertently propagate an error.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ken_Thompson_(sitting)_and_Dennis_Ri...
Paul E. Ceruzzi
Curator, Division of Space History
National Air and Space Museum
MRC 311, PO Box 37012
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20013-7012
www.ceruzzi.com <http://www.ceruzzi.com>
ceruzzip@si.edu <mailto:ceruzzip@si.edu>
202-633-2414
_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org
_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org
I find it interesting that this photo appears on Wikipedia commons, since it is of course a photo that was taken by Bell Labs, and thus is not in the public domain. I have the original here at the AT&T Archives and History Center. Paul, I'll be happy to provide a license. Sheldon Sheldon Hochheiser, Ph.D. Corporate Historian, AT&T AT&T Archives and History Center 5 Reinman Road Warren NJ 07059 P: 908-546-5247 sheldon.hochheiser@att.com -----Original Message----- From: Members [mailto:members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org] On Behalf Of Evan Koblentz Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 12:52 PM To: members@lists.sigcis.org Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Need help identifying a photo K. responded: "Dennis (bearded) is standing. Ken (clean shaven) is seated. The label is correct." On 01/27/2016 12:21 PM, Evan Koblentz wrote:
I forwarded your message to Brian Kernighan.
On 01/27/2016 11:46 AM, Ceruzzi, Paul wrote:
There is a famous photo on Wikimedia commons, of what purports to be Ken Thompson & Dennis Ritchie in front of a PDP-11, presumably working on UNIX. The problem is that the seated person doesn't look like either of them. And he is clean-shaven. Could it be Bjarne Stroustrup? Does anyone recall seeing T&R w/o facial hair? Any help in tracking this down would be much appreciated! The photo has been reprinted in many places, and I'd like to track this down before I inadvertently propagate an error.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ken_Thompson_(sitting)_and_Dennis_Ri...
Paul E. Ceruzzi
Curator, Division of Space History
National Air and Space Museum
MRC 311, PO Box 37012
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20013-7012
www.ceruzzi.com <http://www.ceruzzi.com>
ceruzzip@si.edu <mailto:ceruzzip@si.edu>
202-633-2414
_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org
_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org
_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org
Thank you Sheldon, and thanks to all who responded. The comments by Ritchie on the PDP-11 hardware configuration, which are on the Bell Labs URL, are priceless. I am sorry if this cluttered your in-boxes, but the exchange really showed me the value of the Listserv--and also the limitations of Wikimedia Commons. Maybe we can now consider this matter closed. Paul Ceruzzi ceruzzip@si.edu 202-633-2414 -----Original Message----- From: Members [mailto:members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org] On Behalf Of HOCHHEISER, SHELDON H Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2016 9:18 AM To: members@lists.sigcis.org Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Need help identifying a photo I find it interesting that this photo appears on Wikipedia commons, since it is of course a photo that was taken by Bell Labs, and thus is not in the public domain. I have the original here at the AT&T Archives and History Center. Paul, I'll be happy to provide a license. Sheldon Sheldon Hochheiser, Ph.D. Corporate Historian, AT&T AT&T Archives and History Center 5 Reinman Road Warren NJ 07059 P: 908-546-5247 sheldon.hochheiser@att.com
participants (3)
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Ceruzzi, Paul -
Evan Koblentz -
HOCHHEISER, SHELDON H