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Punch Cards in the Style of Charles Babbage

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Description
In 1840, the English mathematician Charles Babbage visited Europe, spending considerable time in the Italian city of Turin, where he expounded on the principles of his analytical engine. These punch cards represent his thinking about how the operation of a computing device might be controlled by punch cards.
One card is white on both sides. The other is tan on one side and grayish-brown on the other. Each card has round holes at both ends, as well as two rows of round holes in the middle. There also are cuts in the top and bottom edges.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift of the Accademia delle Scienze di Torino
1840-style
ID Number
1992.3054.01
nonaccession number
1992.3054
catalog number
1992.3054.01
Object Name
punch cards
Physical Description
paper (overall material)
Measurements
overall - each: 12.9 cm x 5.6 cm; 5 3/32 in x 2 7/32 in
place made
Italy: Piedmont, Turin
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Mathematics
Science & Mathematics
Punch Cards
National Museum of American History
Subject
Mathematics
Record ID
nmah_904252
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a7-6bf9-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
Punch Cards in the Style of Those Designed for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine, Front View
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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