About the IS museum project

Technology changes quickly and those of us working in IT do enjoy exciting new shiny toys.

But there is also something nostalgic about the computing equipment of days gone by…in some cases not many years ago at all.

Apple SE/30
Apple Macintosh SE/30

The IS Museum project aims to collect, curate and share examples of technology that might otherwise be lost in the dusty store cupboards of a large university. Although we already have a number of items that we can’t wait to exhibit, donations and loans would be very welcome!

Like any subject that may appear boring to the uninitiated (take football, computer games, stamp collecting), it’s the history of these things that brings in an element of soap opera. Only through telling a story and familiarising people with the characters, the plot and the controversy can you make a subject fascinating, where it may otherwise appear mundane.

Some of you may have seen the American TV Series Halt & Catch Fire via Amazon Prime, centered around the birth of the IBM PC and the ensuing fight to clone it and sell as many computers to as many people as possible. Competition, intrigue, cloak-and-dagger – it’s all in there. We aim to take you on a journey through not just the development of the hardware itself, but the phenomenon of the PC – the tale of how computers went from being kits-for-geeks to an essential household item.

Our intention is not just to tell the story behind these technological gems, but to create a living exhibit. Most of the computers we currently have do not work or don’t work very well. Part of the process will be to restore these items to their former glory, as much as is possible and reasonable, so that current generations can experience technology they’ve never seen or used before, and those who were there at the time can experience a healthy dose of nostalgia.

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