Wild computing devices from the late 1800s and early 1900s
Summary: At the beginning of the 20 century, inventors put computing devices on everything from scales to cheese cutters.
Image 8 of 26
Filed: Oct. 5, 1899
Issued: Oct. 16, 1900
Inventor: Chester W. Brown
Long before the days of digital cameras, photographers used metal or glass plates to capture images. To help these early photographers, Chester Brown invented a device that could be "carried in the pocket or otherwise for determining the length of time for exposing photographic plates according to the rules of photography applicable to varying conditions…"
Image taken from U.S. Patent 659,727 - Digitized by Google
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Talkback
RE: Wild computing devices from the late 1800s and early 1900s
There was something called an "analytical engine" which was actually shown to be Turing complete, although it was never actually constructed.
It never gained the funding and political support it needed, and would eventually become obsolete with the invention of computers based on electricity.
Still, there are some novels written on the idea of "what if this had actually be completed, and we had computing before electricity?"
RE: Wild computing devices from the late 1800s and early 1900s
A local AC train carrying stone/cement was overloaded and causes a major brush fire in 3 towns.
I wonder if Wilson's time stamp is y2k approved and if it stamps past 2012?
The Automaton
It was actually a hoax and housed a chess master (Pilsbury?).
Nifty mechanics tho.