Talk Of Building A Computer...

From: Martin Evans <martin_at_paladio.demon.co.uk>
Date: Thu Nov 27 12:40:32 1997

>> > What I saw demonstrated at the Science Museum (part of the British
>> > Museum) 5 years ago was a working _difference_ engine. This had a
>> > couple of design bugs fixed (one in the ripple carry mechanism IIRC) and
>> > no printer.


    The Science Museum has a webpage at www.nmsi.ac.uk

It contains the British National Collection of Computing amongst its
huge varied amount of other objects.

I used to work there about 15 years ago (pre the new Difference Engine)
and one of my jobs was to demonstrate Babbage's original D.E. to
visitors and it frequently jammed due to a faulty carry sequence,
although the rest of the time it worked beautifully and is a truly
glorious thing to behold.

Oh, and it has never been part of the British Museum (unlike the Natural
History Museum) but originated from the post-Great Exhibition plans of
1851 when the Crystal Palace was built.



Martin Evans of Strawberry Hill & Central London - Mail me on London's
history & topography, architecture, second-hand bookshops, food,
pro-audio engineering, museums, collecting and wood-engraving.
Received on Thu Nov 27 1997 - 12:40:32 GMT