Bringing 1960s Vintage Computers Back to Life at the Computer History Museum

Restoring and Demoing 1960s Vintage Computers at the Computer History Museum [pdf]

I led volunteer teams to restore a DEC PDP-1 and two IBM 1401 systems at the Computer History Museum. By 2013, we opened demo labs where visitors play Spacewar! and keypunch cards. This journey highlights the logistics, volunteer spirit, and unique visitor experiences that make preserving operational vintage computers so vital.

"Our belief is that a technology museum can dramatically enrich its visitor experience by exhibiting and demonstrating authentically restored and operational vintage computers."