Arithmeum in Bonn Germany

[John Levine]

Speaking of museums, if you are ever in Bonn Germany or nearby (it's a
20 minute train trip from Cologne) don't miss the Arithmeum, a
remarkable collection of mechanical calculators. They let you
play with a lot of them.

There's also a little more modern computer stuff but the emphasis is
on mechanical, both digitial calculators and analog such as the many
kinds of slide rules and dividers.

https://www.arithmeum.uni-bonn.de/en/arithmeum.html

[David LaRue]

Post by John Levine
Speaking of museums, if you are ever in Bonn Germany or nearby (it's a
20 minute train trip from Cologne) don't miss the Arithmeum, a
remarkable collection of mechanical calculators. They let you
play with a lot of them.
There's also a little more modern computer stuff but the emphasis is
on mechanical, both digitial calculators and analog such as the many
kinds of slide rules and dividers.
https://www.arithmeum.uni-bonn.de/en/arithmeum.html

The ABC was dismantled, lost, and later rebuilt. It is currently housed at
the Durham Center of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The ABC was
later credited as the first digital computer with all the components of a
computer around that time. It was built before ENIAC and before WW 1.

I saw a few bits of it in the Physics Building before it was
rebuilt/restored by graduate students.

Perhaps someone from ISU could tell us if the ABC is operable today.
Somewhere in my archives I have the announcment that the ABC restoration
was completed.

David, CS Major 1986

[Sn!pe]

Post by David LaRue
The ABC was dismantled, lost, and later rebuilt. It is currently housed at
the Durham Center of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The ABC was
later credited as the first digital computer with all the components of a
computer around that time. It was built before ENIAC and before WW 1.

nitpick: before WWII, not WW 1

[Scott Lurndal]

Post by Sn!pe

Post by David LaRue
The ABC was dismantled, lost, and later rebuilt. It is currently housed at
the Durham Center of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The ABC was
later credited as the first digital computer with all the components of a
computer around that time. It was built before ENIAC and before WW 1.

nitpick: before WWII, not WW 1

There was a lawsuit in the 1970's between sperry and honeywell,
a patent dispute. The judge determined that ABC had priority
over Eckert and Mauchley (whom I also met in 1980 at the ACM
national conference in Nashville).

I still have my copy of:
https://www.amazon.com/Atanasoff-Forgotten-Computer-Clark-Mollenhoff/dp/0813800323

[Scott Lurndal]

Post by David LaRue

Post by John Levine
Speaking of museums, if you are ever in Bonn Germany or nearby (it's a
20 minute train trip from Cologne) don't miss the Arithmeum, a
remarkable collection of mechanical calculators. They let you
play with a lot of them.
There's also a little more modern computer stuff but the emphasis is
on mechanical, both digitial calculators and analog such as the many
kinds of slide rules and dividers.
https://www.arithmeum.uni-bonn.de/en/arithmeum.html

The ABC was dismantled, lost, and later rebuilt. It is currently housed at
the Durham Center of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The ABC was
later credited as the first digital computer with all the components of a
computer around that time. It was built before ENIAC and before WW 1.
I saw a few bits of it in the Physics Building before it was
rebuilt/restored by graduate students.

Dr. Stewart disassembled it when he was clearing space in
the basement of the physics building for an office when he
was a grad student (Dr. Stewart was CS department chairmen when I was
there). The only remaining piece was the memory drum.

I had the memory drum in my office on-campus for a
couple of months before VIESHA when I was com sci club
president.

Post by David LaRue
Perhaps someone from ISU could tell us if the ABC is operable today.
Somewhere in my archives I have the announcment that the ABC restoration
was completed.

The restoration was complete. It was at the computer history
museum last time I visited - I'm not sure where it is today.

I also took Dr. Atanasoff to dinner after he gave a presentation
to the CSC in 1981, IIRC.

Post by David LaRue
David, CS Major 1986

Scott, CS Major 1983

[David LaRue]

Post by Scott Lurndal

Post by David LaRue

Post by John Levine
Speaking of museums, if you are ever in Bonn Germany or nearby (it's
a 20 minute train trip from Cologne) don't miss the Arithmeum, a
remarkable collection of mechanical calculators. They let you
play with a lot of them.
There's also a little more modern computer stuff but the emphasis is
on mechanical, both digitial calculators and analog such as the many
kinds of slide rules and dividers.
https://www.arithmeum.uni-bonn.de/en/arithmeum.html

The ABC was dismantled, lost, and later rebuilt. It is currently
housed at the Durham Center of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
The ABC was later credited as the first digital computer with all the
components of a computer around that time. It was built before ENIAC
and before WW 1.
I saw a few bits of it in the Physics Building before it was
rebuilt/restored by graduate students.

Dr. Stewart disassembled it when he was clearing space in
the basement of the physics building for an office when he
was a grad student (Dr. Stewart was CS department chairmen when I was
there). The only remaining piece was the memory drum.
I had the memory drum in my office on-campus for a
couple of months before VIESHA when I was com sci club
president.

Post by David LaRue
Perhaps someone from ISU could tell us if the ABC is operable today.
Somewhere in my archives I have the announcment that the ABC
restoration was completed.

The restoration was complete. It was at the computer history
museum last time I visited - I'm not sure where it is today.
I also took Dr. Atanasoff to dinner after he gave a presentation
to the CSC in 1981, IIRC.

Post by David LaRue
David, CS Major 1986

Scott, CS Major 1983

Thank you, Scott. The details are much appreciated.