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@pwcepis.demon.co.uk> peta@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@palam.co.uk> sfleming@palam.co.uk