The Computer Laboratory has a long history in the world of computing and has made many august contributions to the subject.

This Relics Project has two aims:

• to catalogue and preserve the various artifacts of historical interest stored around the lab,
• to create video recordings of lab members who used our early computers talking about those artifacts,

The project started in September 1997, and the first recorder was Prof. David Wheeler.

• A Virtual Exhibition, featuring major machines from the history of the Computer Lab.
• Search the database. Over 200 items from the earliest days of the Mathematical lab to the present day.

License

Unless otherwise specified on a lower page, the materials directly hosted under the URL of this page are copyright © 1999 University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory and available for use and sharing under the CC4BY license CC4BY-LICENSE.txt. Under this license, where convenient or appropriate, such as in captions to photographs or in the closing captions of videos, you must attribute this website as your source and link to the license, etc.. Where our database item code contains a more recent acquisition date, copyright is asserted as of that date.

Documents

• Early events in the history of the Computer Lab by David Wheeler
• Some photographs from the EDSAC Archive
• Some documents from the early days of the Computer Lab
• The EDSAC99 Conference of 1999

Projects and Machines

EDSAC

• The start of the EDSAC log Transcribed by David Wheeler
• The EDSAC Order Code, also some Explanatory Notes
• Ivars Peterson's MathLand: Computing with the EDSAC (link currently broken)
• The Blue Plaque Commemoration of EDSAC, Summer 2026
• Warwick EDSAC Simulator

EDSAC-2

In 2026 a portfolio of EDSAC-2 schematics together with a microcode listing and other documents was returned to the Computer Laboratory. This came from the house of DJ Wheeler, so it is currently called the DJW26-portfolio. It will be handed to the University Library soon. Meanwhile, these materials are being studied. Some preliminary findings are being put on the second link below. Also, interviews with extant users have been recorded and can be released soon.

• A folder from Geoff Daniell (GJD) containing a Python-3 interpreter for EDSAC-2, with expanded memory and instruction set is available. I am seeking permission to mount it here.
• A complete reverse-engineering and proof of correctness of the EDSAC-2 microcode, based on the DJW26 portfolio, is being assembled here: DJW26 EDSAC-2 Portfolio and Architecture Analysis
• Booklet: Wilkes 1958: Programming For EDSAC 2 PDF

Networking Projects

• The Cambridge Ring ... being added
• The Trojan Room Coffee Pot
• The Cambridge Interactive TV Trial ... being added

People

Sir Maurice Wilkes

• Maurice V. Wilkes
• "Pray, Mr Babbage" - a character study in dramatic form by MV Wilkes, written in 1982 for the opening (or thereabouts) of the Boston Computer Museum where there stood a life-size cardboard Wilkes in the foyer. Peter Robinson writes "I can't help seeing several of Wilkes' traits depicted in his portrayal of Babbage...".
• An after dinner speech given by MV Wilkes on the contributions of Alan Turing
• homepage

Other Computing History Links

• The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park, UK.
• Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, UK.
• Hursley Museum at IBM Hursley Park, Winchester/Romsey, UK.
• The Virtual Museum of Computing – excellent resource list from the other place.
• Boston Museum of Computing (now called the Computer History Museum)
• Manchester 50th Anniversary Celebrations