The National Museum of Computing
Encyclopedia
The National Museum of Computing is a museum
in the United Kingdom
dedicated to collecting and restoring historic computer systems
. The museum is based at Bletchley Park
in Buckinghamshire
, England
, and opened in 2007. The building — Block H — was the first purpose-built computer centre in the world, hosting six Colossus computer
s by the end of World War II.
The museum houses a rebuilt Colossus computer alongside an exhibition of the most complex code cracking activities performed at the Park, along with examples of machines continuing the history of the development of computing from the 1940s to the present day. The museum has a policy of having as many of the exhibits as possible in full working order.
, a machine that helped break German
encryption
during World War II
. The Colossus rebuild project and related machines are open to visitors seven days a week.
The museum includes machines from the 1960s such as the Elliott 803
and 905, an ICL 2966 mainframe from the 1980s, a wide range of analogue computers, a hands-on retrocomputing
gallery, and several restoration projects such as the PDP-8
and the PDP-11
-based air traffic control
system from London Terminal Control Centre
at West Drayton
near London. Further exhibits include mechanical and electronic calculators, a history of slide rules, and a personal computing gallery with ten hands-on machines.
Another area includes a range of electro-mechanical punched card
machines. At the end of 2009, an Internet
gallery, sponsored by the National Physical Laboratory where packet switching
was first developed, was opened, along with a shop and an education room.
The museum is managed by the Codes and Ciphers Heritage Trust, a registered charity, with volunteer staff. The title The National Museum of Computing is an operating name.
would be composing and performing an entirely new piece of music for the museum, using some of the "earliest and rarest" machines such as the Colossus computer
and the Elliott 803
entitled "Obsolete?".
On 3 September 2009, the museum released a press statement announcing that the historic Harwell
computer, later known as the WITCH
computer, was to be removed from storage to be transferred to The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park where it is planned to restore it to full working condition. Once restored by the volunteers at the museum, it will be the oldest original functioning electronic stored program computer in the world and will be housed along with the rebuild of Colossus Mk II, the world’s first electronic computer.
In June 2010, the museum and park hosted the first UK Vintage Computer Festival
. Speakers included Sophie Wilson
, co-designer of the BBC Micro
.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
dedicated to collecting and restoring historic computer systems
History of computing hardware
The history of computing hardware is the record of the ongoing effort to make computer hardware faster, cheaper, and capable of storing more data....
. The museum is based at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and opened in 2007. The building — Block H — was the first purpose-built computer centre in the world, hosting six Colossus computer
Colossus computer
Not to be confused with the fictional computer of the same name in the movie Colossus: The Forbin Project.Colossus was the world's first electronic, digital, programmable computer. Colossus and its successors were used by British codebreakers to help read encrypted German messages during World War II...
s by the end of World War II.
The museum houses a rebuilt Colossus computer alongside an exhibition of the most complex code cracking activities performed at the Park, along with examples of machines continuing the history of the development of computing from the 1940s to the present day. The museum has a policy of having as many of the exhibits as possible in full working order.
Exhibits
On display in the museum are many famous early computing era machines, including a reconstructed Colossus Mark 2Colossus computer
Not to be confused with the fictional computer of the same name in the movie Colossus: The Forbin Project.Colossus was the world's first electronic, digital, programmable computer. Colossus and its successors were used by British codebreakers to help read encrypted German messages during World War II...
, a machine that helped break German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
encryption
Encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Colossus rebuild project and related machines are open to visitors seven days a week.
Elliott 803
The Elliott 803 was a small, medium speed digital computer manufactured by the British company Elliott Brothers in the 1960s. About 250 were built and most British universities and colleges bought one.-History:...
and 905, an ICL 2966 mainframe from the 1980s, a wide range of analogue computers, a hands-on retrocomputing
Retrocomputing
Retrocomputing is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons...
gallery, and several restoration projects such as the PDP-8
PDP-8
The 12-bit PDP-8 was the first successful commercial minicomputer, produced by Digital Equipment Corporation in the 1960s. DEC introduced it on 22 March 1965, and sold more than 50,000 systems, the most of any computer up to that date. It was the first widely sold computer in the DEC PDP series of...
and the PDP-11
PDP-11
The PDP-11 was a series of 16-bit minicomputers sold by Digital Equipment Corporation from 1970 into the 1990s, one of a succession of products in the PDP series. The PDP-11 replaced the PDP-8 in many real-time applications, although both product lines lived in parallel for more than 10 years...
-based air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
system from London Terminal Control Centre
London Terminal Control Centre
The London Terminal Control Centre was an air traffic control centre based in West Drayton, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England, approximately 2.5 miles north of London Heathrow airport...
at West Drayton
West Drayton
West Drayton is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon in the far west of London, England. Formerly part of the Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District of Middlesex, the district became part of Greater London in 1965....
near London. Further exhibits include mechanical and electronic calculators, a history of slide rules, and a personal computing gallery with ten hands-on machines.
Another area includes a range of electro-mechanical punched card
Punched card
A punched card, punch card, IBM card, or Hollerith card is a piece of stiff paper that contains digital information represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions...
machines. At the end of 2009, an Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
gallery, sponsored by the National Physical Laboratory where packet switching
Packet switching
Packet switching is a digital networking communications method that groups all transmitted data – regardless of content, type, or structure – into suitably sized blocks, called packets. Packet switching features delivery of variable-bit-rate data streams over a shared network...
was first developed, was opened, along with a shop and an education room.
Opening
It is fully open to the public every Thursday and Saturday afternoon and most bank holidays, and by appointment for groups only at other times. There is a modest admission charge to the museum to help cover overheads (including rent).Funding
TNMOC depends for funding entirely on voluntary and corporate donations and modest admission charges. Fundraising continues and donors have included Bletchley Park Capital Partners, CreateOnline, Ceravision, InsightSoftware.com, PGP Corporation, IBM, NPL, HP Labs, BCS, Black Marble, and the School of Computer Science at the University of Hertfordshire.The museum is managed by the Codes and Ciphers Heritage Trust, a registered charity, with volunteer staff. The title The National Museum of Computing is an operating name.
Recent announcements
On 23 January 2009, the museum released a press statement announcing that chip tune musician Pixelh8Pixelh8
Pixelh8 is the stage name for Matthew Applegate, a British chiptune composer.-Biography:Pixelh8 combines the sounds of video games and electronic toys, often those that have been reverse enginereed to avoid either copyright infringement or plagiarism to form original compositions, usually...
would be composing and performing an entirely new piece of music for the museum, using some of the "earliest and rarest" machines such as the Colossus computer
Colossus computer
Not to be confused with the fictional computer of the same name in the movie Colossus: The Forbin Project.Colossus was the world's first electronic, digital, programmable computer. Colossus and its successors were used by British codebreakers to help read encrypted German messages during World War II...
and the Elliott 803
Elliott 803
The Elliott 803 was a small, medium speed digital computer manufactured by the British company Elliott Brothers in the 1960s. About 250 were built and most British universities and colleges bought one.-History:...
entitled "Obsolete?".
On 3 September 2009, the museum released a press statement announcing that the historic Harwell
Harwell
Harwell may refer to:*Harwell, Nottinghamshire, England*Harwell, Oxfordshire, England, a village**RAF Harwell, a World War II RAF airfield, near Harwell village....
computer, later known as the WITCH
WITCH (computer)
The Harwell computer, later known as the Wolverhampton Instrument for Teaching Computing from Harwell , or the Harwell Dekatron Computer, was an early British relay-based computer...
computer, was to be removed from storage to be transferred to The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park where it is planned to restore it to full working condition. Once restored by the volunteers at the museum, it will be the oldest original functioning electronic stored program computer in the world and will be housed along with the rebuild of Colossus Mk II, the world’s first electronic computer.
In June 2010, the museum and park hosted the first UK Vintage Computer Festival
Vintage Computer Festival
The Vintage Computer Festival is an international event celebrating the history of computing. It is held annually in various locations around the United States and various countries internationally...
. Speakers included Sophie Wilson
Sophie Wilson
Sophie Wilson is a British computer scientist. She is known for designing the Acorn Micro-Computer, the first of a long line of computers sold by Acorn Computers Ltd, as well as the instruction set of the highly successful ARM processor.- Life and career :...
, co-designer of the BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
.