From time to time the Society is approached by people who have come into the possession
of documents relevant to historic computers and who feel that they should
“go to a good home”.
Unfortunately the Computer Conservation Society is no longer in a position to
collect such material, though we can sometimes suggest a suitable home for it.
If you have a need to dispose of historic material we suggest that you should first read
our guide Archives and your Personal Papers.
In particular, we should stress that a list of the document titles is essential before
any progress can be made.
Document Exchange within the CCS
Because CCS members use widely differing IT systems, difficulties sometimes arise
when documents are sent between members.
In an attempt to minimise such problems a page of guidance notes can be found
here.
The web page also contains useful information for authors of articles
in the CCS journal Resurrection.
News
February 2025
It is with much sadness that we have to report the passings of two distinguished pioneers
from the very earliest days of computing
G.E. (Tommy) Thomas passed away in July last year in Australia.
He was the last surviving member of the team which created the Manchester Mark 1 computer.
Based on the well-known Small Scale Experimental Machine, but adding several important and long-lasting
features, the Manchester Mark 1 in turn, became the basis for the Ferranti Mark 1 the world’s
first commercially produced computer.
Dr Raymond (Dickie) Bird was best known for his heroic achievement of creating a properly engineered
version of Andrew Booth’s APEC computer which Booth had built in a barn in Fenny Compton.
Dr Bird’s version was brought to market by his employer, the British Tabulating Machine company
as the HEC (Hollerith Electronic Computer), later renamed the ICT 1201 which, for a while became the
UK’s best selling computer.
In due course we hope to publish in Resurrection longer obituaries for both these important
contributors to our art.
The Computer Conservation Society was founded in 1989 as a joint venture between the
British Computer Society and the Science Museum in London.
It has subsequently become closely associated with the Science and Industry Museum
in Manchester and The National Museum of Computing in Bletchley Park.
Our primary mission is to preserve historic computers, develop awareness of the history
of computing, and encourage research.
We run many specialised projects, organise public lecture series, and publish a regular journal.
The Harwell Dekatron Computer at The National Museum of Computing