It might seem a bit meta (not Meta!) for a technology history blog series to cover the history of the Computer History Museum, but the Silicon Valley institution is the mothership, and we certainly rely on its incredible web presence. It’s a must-visit if you’re in the Bay Area. Learn more in this edition of Tech Time Warp, where we dive into the roots of this iconic archive.
While much of computer history centers on Silicon Valley, this extraordinary institution has a different origin story. It began in 1975, in a converted closet inside a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) building in Massachusetts. Ken Olsen, along with Gordon and Gwen Bell, curated the first exhibit showcasing logic and memory elements from various computer generations and companies. The exhibit was accompanied by a booklet and slide presentation created by Gordon Bell. With this first exhibit under their belt, their dream of opening a comprehensive museum devoted to computer history only grew, as Gordon Bell recounts in this 2011 paper. In 1979, they opened the Digital Computer Museum inside the DEC office in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Its opening exhibit included the Whirlwind and calculators, among approximately 225 artifacts. By 1984, the museum had evolved into the Computer Museum in downtown Boston’s Museum Wharf.
From Boston to Silicon Valley: The evolution of a tech legacy
The Computer Museum had a threefold mission: educating the public on the applications and impact of computers, preserving and celebrating computer history, and serving as an international center for computer history research. This mission caught the attention of Len Shustek in late 1994. He called Gordon Bell to share his intention to start a similar computer museum in Silicon Valley. By that time, the region had become the heart of the tech industry. Gordon Bell’s response was, “I have a deal for you.” The Computer Museum moved its artifacts to Silicon Valley, where new acquisitions were far more plentiful. In 1998, the museum relaunched as the Computer History Museum in Mountain View.
In 2011, the Computer History Museum reopened following an extensive redesign. Today, it operates a 119,000-square-foot museum. In addition, it maintains an artifact storage facility that houses 90 percent of its collection, which is not on display at any given time.
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