Colossus and other vintage computers from The National Museum of Computing
Image 1 of 74
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 teletype
Photo by Andy Taylor


Colossus vacuum tubes and cables
Colossus vacuum tubes and cables
Photo by Andy Taylor


Colossus vacuum tubes (also called "valves")
Colossus vacuum tubes (also called "valves")
Photo by Andy Taylor
Colossus Rebuilt Project
Photo by Andy Taylor
Colossus Rebuilt Project
Photo by Andy Taylor


Colossus Rebuilt Project photos
Colossus Rebuilt Project photos
Photo by Andy Taylor


Colossus Rebuilt Project commemorative plaque
Colossus Rebuilt Project commemorative plaque
Photo by Andy Taylor
Heath Robinson
Photo by Andy Taylor
Rebuilt Tunny machine
Photo by Andy Taylor
Tunny machine teletype
Photo by Andy Taylor


Radios used before and during WWII
Radios used before and during WWII
Photo by Andy Taylor
More radios
Photo by Andy Taylor
Radio receiver
Photo by Andy Taylor


The Turing Bombe rebuild project
The Turing Bombe rebuild project
Photo by Andy Taylor


Alan Turing's Bombe - Front
Alan Turing's Bombe - Front
Photo by Andy Taylor


Alan Turing's Bombe - Back (1 of 2)
Alan Turing's Bombe - Back (1 of 2)
Photo by Andy Taylor


Alan Turing's Bombe - Back (2 of 2)
Alan Turing's Bombe - Back (2 of 2)
Photo by Andy Taylor
Statue of Alan Turing
Photo by Andy Taylor


German Enigma machine (1 of 2)
German Enigma machine (1 of 2)
Photo by Andy Taylor


German Enigma machine (2 of 2)
German Enigma machine (2 of 2)
Photo by Andy Taylor


Transposition cipher demonstration
Transposition cipher demonstration
Photo by Andy Taylor
Repair room
Photo by Andy Taylor


More machine being repaired
More machine being repaired
Photo by Andy Taylor


Powers Samas electronic multiplying punch EMP
Powers Samas electronic multiplying punch EMP
Photo by Andy Taylor
Paper tape reader
Photo by Andy Taylor
BCL SUSIE terminal
Photo by Andy Taylor


Information card on BCL SUSIE
Information card on BCL SUSIE
Photo by Andy Taylor


Pace TR-48 analog computer
Pace TR-48 analog computer
Photo by Andy Taylor


Solartron analog computer
Solartron analog computer
Photo by Andy Taylor
Digital PDP11
Photo by Andy Taylor
Analog computer
Photo by Andy Taylor
Calculators
Photo by Andy Taylor
Anita 1010 calculator
Photo by Andy Taylor


The World of Personal Computers vintage poster
The World of Personal Computers vintage poster
Photo by Andy Taylor
Apricot poster
Photo by Andy Taylor
IBM XT PC
Photo by Andy Taylor
ICL workstations
Photo by Andy Taylor
ICL Mainframe
Photo by Andy Taylor
200 Mb hard disk drive
Photo by Andy Taylor


200Mb hard disk information card
200Mb hard disk information card
Photo by Andy Taylor
Wang VS7130
Photo by Andy Taylor


Wang VS ORCHID information card
Wang VS ORCHID information card
Photo by Andy Taylor
Digital PDP11/84
Photo by Andy Taylor
ATC radar receiver
Photo by Andy Taylor
Digital PDP11/84
Photo by Andy Taylor


Storage racks at The National Museum of Computing
Storage racks at The National Museum of Computing
Photo by Andy Taylor


Integrated computer collection (Torch, Apple, Commodore and Amstrad)
Integrated computer collection (Torch, Apple, Commodore and Amstrad)
Photo by Andy Taylor


Harwell Witch vacuum tubes
Harwell Witch vacuum tubes
Photo by Andy Taylor
Digital PDP-8
Photo by Andy Taylor


Dragon 32 and Commodore PET
Dragon 32 and Commodore PET
Photo by Andy Taylor


Oric-1, Oric Atmos, RM 380Z, NewBrain and other machines
Oric-1, Oric Atmos, RM 380Z, NewBrain and other machines
Photo by Andy Taylor


ZX81, Amstrad CPC464, and Research Machines Link 380Z
ZX81, Amstrad CPC464, and Research Machines Link 380Z
Photo by Andy Taylor


Acorn BBC model B + co-processors
Acorn BBC model B + co-processors
Photo by Andy Taylor


ZX Spectrums, QL, and a Memotech MTX512
ZX Spectrums, QL, and a Memotech MTX512
Photo by Andy Taylor
Commodore Amiga 500
Photo by Andy Taylor
Photo by Andy Taylor


Various hand-held devices
Various hand-held devices
Photo by Andy Taylor
Epson HX20
Photo by Andy Taylor
Amstrad CPC464
Photo by Andy Taylor
Cray Y-MP EL
Photo by Andy Taylor


Cray Y-MP EL information card
Cray Y-MP EL information card
Photo by Andy Taylor
Joysticks
Photo by Andy Taylor
IBM PC Compatible Laptop
Photo by Andy Taylor
Commodore SX-64
Photo by Andy Taylor


Apple SE, BBC Model B, and a ZX Spectrum
Apple SE, BBC Model B, and a ZX Spectrum
Photo by Andy Taylor


BBC Model B and CUB monitor
BBC Model B and CUB monitor
Photo by Andy Taylor
BBC Model B
Photo by Andy Taylor
ZX Spectrum
Photo by Andy Taylor


Apple IIe, Acorn Archimedes 3020, and Amstrad PC1640
Apple IIe, Acorn Archimedes 3020, and Amstrad PC1640
Photo by Andy Taylor


Acorn Archimedes A3020 playing Lemmings
Acorn Archimedes A3020 playing Lemmings
Photo by Andy Taylor
Research Machines 380Z
Photo by Andy Taylor
Bletchley Park Manor
Photo by Andy Taylor
Bletchley Park grounds
Photo by Andy Taylor

-
-
Account Information
Contact Bill Detwiler
- |
- See all of Bill's content