CHM gripe (was: rarest computers)

From: Bob Shannon <bshannon_at_tiac.net>
Date: Thu Aug 5 18:49:38 2004

>On Tue, 3 Aug 2004, Jim Battle wrote:
>
>>I'm not so keen on the CHM. I don't know if I aired this already or
>>not, but I think not.
>>
>>When I left the bay area a couple months ago, I tried to give my working
>>wang 2200 with terminal, manuals, working floppy disk system,
>>fixed/removable hard disk system, and disks.
>>
>>It took a LOT of work (weeks of one-sided prodding) on my part to have
>>them consider it. "The curator will contact you in a few days..." (a
>>week passes), another email, "The curator will contact you in a few
>>days...", more time passes, another email, "Could you describe it
>>again?", etc.
>>
>>After more than a month of delay, I received and email with the tenor of
>>a form letter along these lines: Dear Jim, thank you for considering the
>>CHM. Unfortunately at this time we don't have an interest in obtaining
>>your keypunch machine. Here are the names of some other museums that
>>may be interested ...
>>
>>It went to the digibarn instead. That they didn't want my computer
>>isn't what ruffled me -- it was their seeming indifference to what I
>>thought was a generous offer. At any rate, I'm sure the computer ended
>>up with someone (Bruce) who appreciates it more than the CHM.
>>

Painful, but not nearly as bad as my experiances with Oliver Strimple
when he was the curator of the
(defunct) Boston Computer Museum.

When I told him I collected and 'restored to working condition'
minicomputers from the 1960's (and
wanted to display them as his museum) he scoffed at the very idea of
'restoration to working condition'.

It was painful to walk through that place and see restorable hardware
gutted and filled with strings of winking christmas lights.

There was a TON of really important and rare stuff that got trashed
there. CADR's, a Foonly, I think even
the original CONS machine went there, never to see the light of day again.


>>
Received on Thu Aug 05 2004 - 18:49:38 BST