Hardware

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

By Bill Detwiler

Image
1
of 74

4414849300_77603c5cff_b.jpg
4414849300_77603c5cff_b.jpg
Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Colossus

Colossus

Built by engineer Tommy Flowers in 1943, the Colossus computer was the first digital, programmable, and electronic computing device. The machine was used by British code breakers during World War II to help decipher messages encrypted with the German Lorenz SZ40/42 machine.

In 1993, Tony Sale started the Colossus Rebuild Project and in 1994 a team led by Sale began to recreate the massive machine at The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park in the UK. On June 6th, 1996, the recreated Colossus was first switched on and by 2007 a fully functional replica of the Colossus Mark 2 was completed.

Andy Taylor, a systems analyst and retro computer enthusiast in the UK, visited the museum in March 2010 and took these photos.

Many thanks to Andy for allowing TechRepublic to republish these photos. For more information on Andy’s collection of vintage computers, check out his website Retro Computers or his Flickr photostream.

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Colossus teletype

Colossus teletype

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Colossus vacuum tubes and cables

Colossus vacuum tubes and cables

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Colossus vacuum tubes (also called "valves")

Colossus vacuum tubes (also called "valves")

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Colossus Rebuilt Project

Colossus Rebuilt Project

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Colossus Rebuilt Project

Colossus Rebuilt Project

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Colossus Rebuilt Project photos

Colossus Rebuilt Project photos

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Colossus Rebuilt Project commemorative plaque

Colossus Rebuilt Project commemorative plaque

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Heath Robinson

Heath Robinson

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Rebuilt Tunny machine

Rebuilt Tunny machine

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Tunny machine teletype

Tunny machine teletype

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Radios used before and during WWII

Radios used before and during WWII

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

More radios

More radios

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Radio receiver

Radio receiver

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

The Turing Bombe rebuild project

The Turing Bombe rebuild project

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Alan Turing's Bombe - Front

Alan Turing's Bombe - Front

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Alan Turing's Bombe - Back (1 of 2)

Alan Turing's Bombe - Back (1 of 2)

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Alan Turing's Bombe - Back (2 of 2)

Alan Turing's Bombe - Back (2 of 2)

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Statue of Alan Turing

Statue of Alan Turing

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

German Enigma machine (1 of 2)

German Enigma machine (1 of 2)

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

German Enigma machine (2 of 2)

German Enigma machine (2 of 2)

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Transposition cipher demonstration

Transposition cipher demonstration

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Repair room

Repair room

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

More machine being repaired

More machine being repaired

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Powers Samas electronic multiplying punch EMP

Powers Samas electronic multiplying punch EMP

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Paper tape reader

Paper tape reader

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

BCL SUSIE terminal

BCL SUSIE terminal

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Information card on BCL SUSIE

Information card on BCL SUSIE

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Pace TR-48 analog computer

Pace TR-48 analog computer

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Solartron analog computer

Solartron analog computer

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Digital PDP11

Digital PDP11

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Analog computer

Analog computer

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Calculators

Calculators

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Anita 1010 calculator

Anita 1010 calculator

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

The World of Personal Computers vintage poster

The World of Personal Computers vintage poster

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Apricot poster

Apricot poster

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

IBM XT PC

IBM XT PC

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

ICL workstations

ICL workstations

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

ICL Mainframe

ICL Mainframe

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

200 Mb hard disk drive

200 Mb hard disk drive

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

200Mb hard disk information card

200Mb hard disk information card

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Wang VS7130

Wang VS7130

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Wang VS ORCHID information card

Wang VS ORCHID information card

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Digital PDP11/84

Digital PDP11/84

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

ATC radar receiver

ATC radar receiver

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Digital PDP11/84

Digital PDP11/84

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Storage racks at The National Museum of Computing

Storage racks at The National Museum of Computing

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Integrated computer collection (Torch, Apple, Commodore and Amstrad)

Integrated computer collection (Torch, Apple, Commodore and Amstrad)

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Harwell Witch vacuum tubes

Harwell Witch vacuum tubes

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Digital PDP-8

Digital PDP-8

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Dragon 32 and Commodore PET

Dragon 32 and Commodore PET

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Oric-1, Oric Atmos, RM 380Z, NewBrain and other machines

Oric-1, Oric Atmos, RM 380Z, NewBrain and other machines

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

ZX81, Amstrad CPC464, and Research Machines Link 380Z

ZX81, Amstrad CPC464, and Research Machines Link 380Z

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Acorn BBC model B + co-processors

Acorn BBC model B + co-processors

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

ZX Spectrums, QL, and a Memotech MTX512

ZX Spectrums, QL, and a Memotech MTX512

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Commodore Amiga 500

Commodore Amiga 500

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Various hand-held devices

Various hand-held devices

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Epson HX20

Epson HX20

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Amstrad CPC464

Amstrad CPC464

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Cray Y-MP EL

Cray Y-MP EL

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Cray Y-MP EL information card

Cray Y-MP EL information card

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Joysticks

Joysticks

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

IBM PC Compatible Laptop

IBM PC Compatible Laptop

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Commodore SX-64

Commodore SX-64

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Apple SE, BBC Model B, and a ZX Spectrum

Apple SE, BBC Model B, and a ZX Spectrum

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

BBC Model B and CUB monitor

BBC Model B and CUB monitor

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

BBC Model B

BBC Model B

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

ZX Spectrum

ZX Spectrum

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Apple IIe, Acorn Archimedes 3020, and Amstrad PC1640

Apple IIe, Acorn Archimedes 3020, and Amstrad PC1640

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Acorn Archimedes A3020 playing Lemmings

Acorn Archimedes A3020 playing Lemmings

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Research Machines 380Z

Research Machines 380Z

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Bletchley Park Manor

Bletchley Park Manor

Photo by Andy Taylor

Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing

Bletchley Park grounds

Bletchley Park grounds

Photo by Andy Taylor

Image of Bill Detwiler
By Bill Detwiler
Bill Detwiler is the Editor for Technical Content and Ecosystem at Celonis. He is the former Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and previous host of TechRepublic's Dynamic Developer podcast and Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show.