Computer History Museum

Computer History Museum is a museum located in Mountain View, California, United States, dedicated to the preservation and celebration of computer science and computer history. The museum was founded by Gordon Bell, a renowned computer engineer and National Medal of Technology recipient, in collaboration with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and Intel co-founder Gordon Moore. The museum's mission is to explore the history of computing and its impact on society, as seen in the works of pioneers like Alan Turing, John von Neumann, and Steve Jobs. The museum has partnerships with institutions like Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Carnegie Mellon University.

● History

The museum's history dates back to 1975, when Gordon Bell, then a Digital Equipment Corporation engineer, began collecting computer hardware and software artifacts, including items from IBM, Apple Inc., and Xerox PARC. In the 1980s, the collection was housed at Boston Museum of Science, where it was curated by Jonathan Sachs and Robert Kahn. In 1996, the museum moved to its current location in Mountain View, California, with the support of Silicon Valley leaders like Andy Grove and John Doerr. The museum has since expanded its collection to include artifacts from Google, Facebook, and Amazon, as well as items related to the Internet, World Wide Web, and artificial intelligence, including the work of Tim Berners-Lee and Vint Cerf.

● Exhibitions

The museum features a range of exhibitions, including the permanent exhibit "Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing," which explores the history of computing from Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine to the development of the microprocessor by Ted Hoff and Stanley Mazor. Other exhibitions have focused on topics like computer graphics, video games, and cybersecurity, with contributions from experts like John Carmack and Marty Cooper. The museum has also hosted temporary exhibitions on robotics, artificial intelligence, and data science, featuring the work of researchers from MIT CSAIL, Stanford AI Lab, and Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science. The museum's exhibitions are designed to be interactive and engaging, with hands-on activities and virtual reality experiences, developed in collaboration with companies like Oculus VR and Magic Leap.

● Collections

The museum's collections include over 100,000 artifacts, including computer hardware, software, and documents related to the history of computing. The collection includes items like Apple I and Apple II computers, designed by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, as well as IBM PC and Altair 8800 computers, which played a significant role in the development of the personal computer industry. The museum also has an extensive collection of computer manuals, technical papers, and industry publications, including the work of Donald Knuth and Edsger W. Dijkstra. The collection is used for research and education, with collaborations with institutions like University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, and University of Cambridge.

● Education and Outreach

The museum offers a range of educational programs and outreach activities, including workshops, lectures, and tours, designed for students, teachers, and professionals. The museum partners with organizations like Code.org, Girls Who Code, and National Center for Women & Information Technology to promote computer science education and diversity in tech. The museum also offers online resources and educational materials, including curriculum guides and activity kits, developed in collaboration with experts from Google Education and Microsoft Education. The museum's education programs aim to inspire the next generation of computer scientists, engineers, and innovators, with role models like Fei-Fei Li and Andrew Ng.

● Notable Artifacts

The museum has a number of notable artifacts, including the first web server, built by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN, and the first mouse, developed by Douglas Engelbart at Stanford Research Institute. The museum also has a replica of the Analytical Engine, built by Charles Babbage in the 19th century, as well as a collection of vintage computers, including the Apple I and Altair 8800. Other notable artifacts include the source code for UNIX, written by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs, and the first version of the Internet Protocol, developed by Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn at ARPA. The museum's artifacts are used to tell the story of the history of computing and its impact on society, with contributions from experts like Larry Wall and Guido van Rossum.

● Facilities and Operations

The museum is located in a 120,000-square-foot building in Mountain View, California, with exhibition spaces, classrooms, and storage facilities. The museum is operated by a non-profit organization, with a board of trustees that includes leaders from the tech industry, such as Eric Schmidt and Reid Hoffman. The museum has a staff of over 100 people, including curators, educators, and technicians, who work together to develop and maintain the museum's exhibitions, collections, and educational programs. The museum is supported by donations and grants from organizations like National Science Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The museum is also a member of the American Alliance of Museums and the International Council of Museums, with partnerships with institutions like Smithsonian Institution and British Museum. Category:Computer museums