Manchester Museum

[bbcmicro]

I recently paid a visit to Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, and I was amazed that after going regularly pretty much all my life (Favourite outing of my parents) There was an exhibit that wasnt new, but I had never noticed it.

In some dark recess of the Electricity Hall in the 1830's Warehouse Building, I stumbled across a Commodore PET 2001. Strange, I thought. Never noticed that before. Closer inspection revealed a ZX81, some sections of mechanical computers, then a Williams Tube, then 2 teletypes, a few 70/80's terminals, a PDP 8, and a Pegasus 2 and some other big iron that I couldnt recognise. The entire place was dimly lit and I had to look hard to make out some of the stuff, as there was a barrier and some of it was quite far away.

I don't know if ever this stuff had been exhibited and demonstrated before, but certainly not for years. I thought it was a bit of a shame really. I know that they have a replica of The Baby somewhere (Which they use once a week) but I haven't seen it working yet, I usually visit sunday afternoons.

Just to those living in the manchester area, may be worth a look, although it aint very exciting when you cant make it out or see it blinking.

It was nice to see this stuff for real, I could get a good sense of size I cant get from pics, like how tiny the commodores chicklet keyboard is!

Has anyone else noticed this exhibit?

 

[carlsson]

No computer should be observed at a greater distance than one meter, in my humble opinion. That is, the museum should rearrange their small collection with proper lighting and position the stuff close enough to the barrier so you can see what it is.

 

[nige the hippy]

Hi there beeb, long time no posts...

yes was really fed up last time I was in manchester museum, i was fixing a couple of the exhibits, and spent a day in there, but didn't get to see anything but the exhibits i was working on (and gail from "coronation street"'s bathroom! which was just outside the computer room window for that gallery) so i got to see an awful lot of really nice rackmount PIIIs but nothing older.

It's only right that manchester museum ought to have a decent computer exhibit, so much of the science was developed there, right from the early days of "Meccano" integrators to the earliest electronic ones. The first RAM (ok on CRT??) which apparently "Baby" was built in order to test, and the first fully transistorised computer.

It actually is such a good museum, I suspect that the gallery was undergoing some work, and was really closed, often it is the case that access is unimpeded while work continues as people working on it need to get in and out.

 

[bbcmicro]

Maybe, it wasn't cordoned off or anything, but then that entire building was as quiet as the grave when I visited (Not the Power Hall though). Its a permanent display, you can tell cos all the boards and labels are yellowed and look old.

Next visit I'll have another look to check that it was just under repair, but considering the heritage of Manchester, I thought it was a bit small.

No trip to Manchester Museum is complete without trying to get behind the curtains in the textile room to peek at coronation street. Only saw anyone actually in it once though.

 

[atari2600a]

You guys are lucky, the only vintage computer I've seen in one of the 2 museums in my city is an Apple //e!

 

[dongfeng]

The Manchester museum seems interesting to visit, but a pity it is the wrong end of the country to me

Have you been to the Science Museum in London? They have a very interesting collection including an Apple 1 and a Cray! Quite disappointing they didn't have a 5150 though.

On my visit there a couple of years ago, they actually fired up the working Pegasus they have!

 

[Luke]

We have quite interesting science museum in Poland too.
It's in Warsaw. I was there about four years ago.
There is quite nice exibition of big computers and some first home and personal machines.

This is photo of 5150, Apple //c and big tape storage in background from the museum.