Computer manuals, technical magazines and brochures dating from the 1940s to the early 1990s. This collection largely consists of material from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Manchester., although additional material has been acquired from other sources. The collection offers an insight on the development of analogue and digital computing between the 1940s and the 1980s by showing the technical details of machines as described in computer manuals, technical and promotional brochures produced by computer houses.
There is a particularly good coverage of computers manufactured by Ferranti (Pegasus, Mercury, Perseus, Sirius, Orion, Atlas, Argus), ICT/ICL (1300, 1500, 1900 models, DRS), English Electric (DEUCE), Elliott Automation, GEC (4000, 4100 series), EMI (EMIDEC) as well as US companies including Honeywell, Burroughs, Electronic Associates, DEC, Control Data Corporation, IBM and Calcomp. There are also manuals relating to components and semiconductors.
The collection assists those who want to know more about technical publications or promote a comparative analysis between the progress of computing technologies in Britain and the US. It can also supply additional information for historical research on other NAHC collections such as EEC, Ferranti and ICT/ICL. Firms represented in this catalogued collection include:
The Collection includes a significant amount of uncatalogued material. Firms and organisations represented in the uncatalogued section include: AEI, Allied Computer Technology, Applied Data, BBC Computers, Block and Anderson, Brunsviga, California Computer production, CDC, Computer Control Co., Computer Research Co., Condor, Creed, Data General, Digital Equipment Electronic Associates, Electronic Machines Ltd., Ferranti, ETA Systems, Facit, Fairey Aviation, General Electric, Honeywell, IBM, Indata, Intel, Metropolitan Vickers ltd., National Physical laboratory, NCR, Norsk Data Electronic, Olivetti, Oracle, Quantime, Raytheon, RCA, Redifon, Royal McDee Corp., SEA, Short Bros., Sinclair Computers, Solartron Electronic, Ludwig Spitz Ltd., STC, Trend Computing, Underwood Corp., Univac.