Gallery: Computers through the years

Updated: 14:27, Thursday, 25 August 2011

Images from the archives of the types of industrial sized computers used from the 1940s onwards

  • 1948: An electrical 'brain' which stores up billing information installed in a Philadelphia telephone exchange by the Bell Telephone Laboratories
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    1948: An electrical 'brain' which stores up billing information installed in a Philadelphia telephone exchange by the Bell Telephone Laboratories

  • 1953: A large computer used for calculating staff wages at J Lyons & Co, Cadby Hall, London
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    1953: A large computer used for calculating staff wages at J Lyons & Co, Cadby Hall, London

  • Circa 1955: Four reels of magnetic tape on which is recorded the entire bible. The process took six months of work on the Unityper
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    Circa 1955: Four reels of magnetic tape on which is recorded the entire bible. The process took six months of work on the Unityper

  • 1955: A man operating scientific equipment at the Nobel Institute at Stockholm, Sweden
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    1955: A man operating scientific equipment at the Nobel Institute at Stockholm, Sweden

  • 1955: Ferranti's electronic brain is installed in London to help industrial firms solve problems, including wage calculations, life tables for insurance companies, readership surveys and forecasting election results
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    1955: Ferranti's electronic brain is installed in London to help industrial firms solve problems, including wage calculations, life tables for insurance companies, readership surveys and forecasting election results

  • 1955: A man checking the installation of the Elliott 402 'Electric Brain' at the British Instrument Industries Exhibition at Earl's Court, London. This electronic computer can solve complicated mathematical problems in one hour
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    1955: A man checking the installation of the Elliott 402 'Electric Brain' at the British Instrument Industries Exhibition at Earl's Court, London. This electronic computer can solve complicated mathematical problems in one hour

  • 1955: A man testing the Ferranti computer at the company's factory in Moston, Manchester
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    1955: A man testing the Ferranti computer at the company's factory in Moston, Manchester

  • 1956: British scientist Gordon Pask co-inventor of an electronic brain used as a teaching aid called Eucrates I
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    1956: British scientist Gordon Pask co-inventor of an electronic brain used as a teaching aid called Eucrates I

  • 1959: Dr H A Thomas, Instrumentation and Control section of Unilever's engineering dept, gives the Faraday lecture in London. His subject is 'Automation' and here he demonstrates the workings of an electronic calculator or computer
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    1959: Dr H A Thomas, Instrumentation and Control section of Unilever's engineering dept, gives the Faraday lecture in London. His subject is 'Automation' and here he demonstrates the workings of an electronic calculator or computer

  • 1964: Employees of the manufacturers of the computer being used for the BBC television marathon election result programme, checking over the computer in the BBC television studio
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    1964: Employees of the manufacturers of the computer being used for the BBC television marathon election result programme, checking over the computer in the BBC television studio

  • 1979: A shopper carries boxes of computer toys and games in London's Tottenham Court Road. The rush to buy was brought on by the expected rise in VAT in the Budget
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    1979: A shopper carries boxes of computer toys and games in London's Tottenham Court Road. The rush to buy was brought on by the expected rise in VAT in the Budget

  • 1999: Foreign media photograph and film the new Apple Computer iMac Special Edition
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    1999: Foreign media photograph and film the new Apple Computer iMac Special Edition