The Mark 1 Gallery

This Gallery covers the Manchester machines of 1948-51 and the 1998 celebrations (see overview). Pictures relating to the later Manchester computers up to 1975, i.e. MEG and Mercury, the Transistor Computer, Atlas, and MU5 are shown separately.

There are 8 sets of pictures, the first from c. 1949, the second from c. 1951, and the rest from 1998:

In this page:

We are very grateful to Mike Koiston, Mohammed Khalil, Anne Worthington and others who have provided the photographs for the Celebrations Week (see further details).

Navigation : Each entry on the above list links to an index below on this page. The header of each such index points to a page containing all the photos in its set (which is headed by a local version of the Index). The description of each photo in the index links to a copy of just that photo on a separate page. This is for obvious reasons to allow quicker viewing where you only want to see one or two in the set. The Index header gives an approximate size of the page containing all the photos in the set.

Pictures not yet included are indicated by the lack of a link.
In the 1998 pictures, which include a lot of people, only some of whom are identified, the following codes are sometimes used to identify the relationship of named people to the Department of Computer Science (or Electrical Engineering before 1964):

The Manchester Mark 1 -- 1949 (450Kb)

Note that there are no photographs of the original Baby as such.

By the time any photos are available, the Baby was already evolving into the Manchester Mark 1. However the Left Hand side of the Manchester Mark 1 changed very little in external appearance from the Baby. It is almost true that the photos of the Replica Baby are the most accurate pictures of the original.

  1. Storing 2048 bits on a CRT in 1947
  2. The Manchester Mark 1 (Left Hand side)
  3. The Manchester Mark 1 (Wide-angle)
  4. Kilburn and Williams at the Manchester Mark 1 Console
  5. The research group at work on the Manchester Mark 1
  6. Dai Edwards and Tommy Thomas at work on the Manchester Mark 1
  7. Alec Robinson at work on the Manchester Mark 1
  8. The First Program (revised) from Geoff Tootill's notebook (1948)
  9. Freddie Williams (c. 1960?)
  10. Staff of the Electrical Engineering Department (1950)

The Ferranti Mark 1 -- 1951 (1200Kb)

  1. A CRT display from the Ferranti Mark 1 (the PERM page)
  2. Tom Kilburn standing beside the Ferranti Mark 1 Console
  3. The Ferranti Mark 1 Console
  4. The Ferranti Mark 1 Console (showing the I/O equipment better)
  5. Alan Turing standing beside the Ferranti Mark 1 Console
  6. The Ferranti Mark 1 under construction at the Moston factory (1950)

See also the story, and the Turing-Brooker manual.

The Replica Baby -- 1998 (620Kb)

A working replica of the "Baby" was built as part of the 1998 celebrations, using authentic parts as far as possible, with the detail of its construction kept as close to the original as possible.

  1. The Replica Baby at Manchester Computing (where it was built)
  2. Some of the Rebuild Team by the partially built machine (c. 1997)
  3. Tom Kilburn holding a Cathode Ray Tube in front of the Replica Baby
  4. The Replica Baby now in the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
  5. The Manchester Mark 1 team in front of the Replica Baby at the Museum
  6. Chris Burton and Geoff Tootill in front of the Replica

The Launch Event(425Kb)

The 1998 Celebrations were formally opened on Wednesday 17 June with an Event in the Bridgewater Hall (see description and programme).

  1. Old Colleagues meet up Outside the Bridgewater Hall (1)
  2. Old Colleagues meet up Outside the Bridgewater Hall (2)
  3. The Packed Audience Awaiting the Start in the Bridgewater Hall
  4. Mike Brady and Peter Cochrane greet each other
  5. Tom Kilburn and the Presenter talk to Chris Burton over the Satellite Link
  6. Tom Kilburn and Lady Williams Switch On the Replica Baby
  7. Tom Reminisces
  8. Peter Cochrane gives a Presentation
  9. The Degree Ceremony (subset)
    1. The Vice-Chancellor Introduces the Ceremony
    2. The Candidates Await their Degrees
    3. Chris Burton Receives his Degree
    4. Tom Kilburn Receives his Degree
    5. Sebastian de Ferranti Receives his Degree
    6. Michael Brady Receives his Degree

Golden Anniversary Conference (Day 1 Speakers and Audience) (205Kb)

The programme for Thursday June 18th reviewed the achievement of the Baby and the Mark 1, and the continuing pioneering computer developments that followed in the intervening years at the University of Manchester.

  1. 1 The Manchester Mark 1 Team
  2. Fred Bushby and Frank Sumner
  3. Chris Burton, Charlie Portman, Brian Proctor and Keith Lonsdale
  4. David Howarth, Tony Brooker and Jeff Rohl
  5. Dick Grimsdale, Ian Watson and Roland Ibbett
  6. Gordon Bell Speaking
  7. The Audience on the First Day -- from the Left
  8. The Audience on the First Day -- from the Right

Golden Anniversary Conference (Day 2 Speakers and Coffee Breaks) (80Kb)

The programme for Friday June 19th looked at state-of-the-art research today at Manchester and elsewhere, and looked towards the future.

We have not got pictures of all the speakers (apologies to Peter Stow, Keith Bellamy and John Mashey; Mike Brady can be viewed at the Launch Event, and John Gurd and Steve Furber on our Departmental Research pages!)

  1. Waiting for the Coffee Interval
  2. A Coffee Interval (Day 1)
  3. Richard Brook and Howard Barringer at the EPSRC Stand
  4. Roger Needham Speaking
  5. Robin Milner Speaking
  6. Robin Saxby Speaking

The Departmental Party (490Kb)

This was held on the evening of Friday June 19th using a marquee outside the entrance to the IT building. Many past and present members of the department attended.

  1. Inside the Marquee
  2. Outside the Marquee
  3. Tommy Thomas, Tom Kilburn, Dai Edwards and Hilary Kahn
  4. Brian Warboys, Dai Edwards and Tom Kilburn
  5. Brian Warboys and Simon Lavington
  6. The Dewsbury Boys!
  7. The 1998 Conference Office Team
  8. The Class of '66

Open Day (220Kb)

The Department held an Open Day on Saturday June 20th. Manchester Computing (on the ground floor of the Computer Science Building) also held an Open Day the same day.

  1. A Virtual Reality Demonstration
  2. Micromouse -- Behind the Scenes
  3. Micromouse -- A Mouse in a Maze
  4. Micromouse -- A Modest Winner?!
  5. Tom Kilburn with Joe McCormick
  6. Tom Kilburn with Diana Leach

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