Punched Card Collection

Production line control room, Spillers Animal Foods, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, 1962. A controller checking a punch card which instructs him to made an adjustment to the food mix

Tabulating machines in the punch room in a Sheffield Factory office, 1963. Artist
Tabulating machines in the punch room in a Sheffield factory office, South Yorkshire, 1963. scene in the offices of the Edgar Allen Steel Company

Hollerith data machine in an office at the Edgar Allen Steel Co, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1963. Herman Hollerith was born in 1860 of German parentage

Joseph Marie Jacquard, showing his loom to Lazare Carnot, Lyon, France, 1801 (1901). French silk-weaver and inventor Jacquard (1752-1834)

Joseph-Marie Jacquard, inventor of the Jacquard loom, c1850. Woven silk portrait of French silk-weaver Jacquard (1752-1834), produced on a Jacquard loom

Weaving shed fitted with Jacquard power looms, c1880. French silk-weaver and inventor Joseph Marie Jacquard invented a loom which used a punched card system to weave complicated patterns in textiles

Jacquard power loom, 1915. In 1801 the Frenchman Joseph-Marie Jacquard (1752-1834) invented a method of weaving intricate patterns by encoding them on punched cards

A Jacquard Loom, 1915. A power-operated development of Joseph Marie Jacquards (1752-1834) invention, showing swags of punched cards on which the pattern to be woven was encoded

Joseph Marie Jacquard (1752-1834), French silk-weaver and inventor

Jacquard loom, with swags of punched cards from which pattern was woven, 1876

Man operating machine punching cards for Jacquard looms, 1844
Man operating machine punching cards for Jacquard looms. A total of 400-800 was normal, but sometimes 24, 000 were worked. From George Dodd The Textile Manufactures of Great Britain. (London, 1844)

Preparing punched cards for a Jacquard loom, 1844. The loom had a card for each weft thread of pattern. A total of 400-800 was normal, but sometimes 24, 000 were worked

Hollerith tabulator, 1894
Hollerith tabulator which used a punched card memory system, 1894. First used in the US cenusus of 1890

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In the production line control room of Spillers Animal Foods in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, 1962, the power of punched cards was harnessed to streamline operations. Tabulating machines hummed with efficiency as they processed data in the punch room of a Sheffield Factory office in 1963. This artistic fusion of technology and creativity showcased the ingenuity behind these tabulating machines. Meanwhile, at Edgar Allen Steel Co in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1963, a Hollerith data machine revolutionized office work by automating tasks that were once laborious and time-consuming. Joseph Marie Jacquard's groundbreaking loom took center stage as he proudly displayed it to Lazare Carnot in Lyon, France back in 1801 (1901). The genius inventor himself, Joseph-Marie Jacquard from c1850 onwards forever changed the textile industry with his innovative Jacquard loom. Fast forward to c1880 when weaving sheds were fitted with powerful Jacquard looms that could create intricate patterns effortlessly. By 1915, these marvels of engineering had become commonplace and continued to shape the fabric of society. Punched cards adorned every corner as they dictated each thread's movement on a mesmerizing Jacquard loom. Joseph Marie Jacquard's legacy lived on through his invention even after his passing in 1834. French silk-weaver turned inventor extraordinaire left an indelible mark on history with his revolutionary creation. In fact, a remarkable photograph from 1876 captured swags of punched cards hanging gracefully above a working Jacquard loom - tangible evidence of how this simple yet ingenious technology transformed woven artistry. Witnessing history unfold before our eyes is truly awe-inspiring; take for instance an image from 1844 where a skilled operator meticulously punches cards for use on Jacquard looms or another snapshot capturing workers diligently preparing punched cards for their intricate designs.