The Interim Computer Museum
icm.museumA fantastic collection and restoration effort. I highly encourage a visit. I was in Seattle last year and had recently joined and pinged about maybe getting a tour. It was right before a vintage computer festival and despite being busy getting ready, Stephen, the director, encouraged me to drop in.
I would've been happy just looking (and not even touching) by myself for 15 or 20 minutes given the circumstances, but Stephen spent 1.5 hours with me in a hands-on tour, including playing Spacewar. He genuinely cares about these machines, their preservation, and spreading enthusiasm about them. I only wish I was a little closer (3 hours away in Portland) or I'd spend more time on-site helping with the effort.
Just heard about this post. Interim Computer Museum is an extension of the SDF Public Access UNIX System's Vintage Systems program. Thank you to all who have supported our efforts over the years! ICM will allow SDF.ORG to continue to be a UNIX platform for implementing new and interesting community ideas and Interim Computer Museum will handle the retrospective aspect of the amazing computer history in our collective recent past.
If you’re in the area, check out the Connections Museum too! https://www.telcomhistory.org/ConnectionsSeattle.html
This is such a cool museum. Calling it a museum doesn’t do it justice though: it’s more of an interactive experience, with many generations of communications equipment under one roof.
Really awesome looking collection! I want to go next time I visit Seattle.
I know there's a great museum near Atlanta for those interested in vintage computing who live on the other side of the country -- https://mimmsmuseum.org
I believe both of these museums got lots of artifacts from the LCM, so its legacy lives on
ICM on a Saturday and Connections Museum on a Sunday is a delightful pairing! Close to the airport too if your just popping by on a layover, though plan on 2 to 4 hours for each
Discussed (only?) once before:
The Interim Computer Museum - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37304983 - Aug 2023 (15 comments)
Yes, I’m surprised it has not been discussed more.
I submitted this because it appears to be something of a successor to Paul Allen’s Living Computers museum which I occasionally see mentioned in comments. I think we were all disappointed at how that ended so I was relieved to see this project is carrying the torch.
It's awesome seeing physical computing history preserved like this, especially the lesser-known enterprise machines that usually just get scrapped when a company shuts down.
Click on the Recollections page, it has a bunch of real vintage Unix (etc.) computers you can log into.
This is sick. Way cooler than just looking at old computers behind glass.
The fact you can actually log into some of the old Unix machines is awesome lol.
If I’m ever in Seattle I’m 100% checking this place out.
Somewhat related discussion about developments with the Living Computer Museum, whose collection is connected to this:
Living Computers Museum to permanently close, auction vintage items
Did this collection come from the LCM? It was sad to see that one go along with Paul Allen.
Partially.
> Is this the Living Computer Museum?
> We are not Living Computers, but in May of 2024 the Living Computers Remote Vintage Systems were acquired and transfered to us.
I believe it's the LCM items that either didn't sell or were not considered worthy of auction by Jody Allen and her droogs.
Jody Allen is the executor and trustee of Paul Allens estate. She is simply complying with his wishes.
If his wishes were to shut down the LCM+L, fire all its staff, and auction off its collection, why didn't he do that while he was still alive? To me it seems like the actions of a vindictive family member who wanted to destroy the best things her brother had created in his life.
This conversation is tiresome. It comes up every time the LCM is mentioned. Jody Allen is simply respecting her brother’s wishes.
Paul Allen had many projects. Only a handful were ever intended to outlast him. LCM was not one of them. He wanted his fortune liquidated and donated. That’s exactly what his sister is doing.
This is unfortunately true. He had plenty of time to set up a separate foundation and he certainly had the means to donate plenty of money to it. But he chose not to. I wish he had.
Thank you for saying this.
Its YouTube channel has some nice video, including footage of the KL-10: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZSXexPtkcnmJ59mPoeZyGDWQ... .
In the same vein if you're in Sydney check out the Australian Computer Museum https://acms.org.au/ https://maps.app.goo.gl/UKtUrrDpDnfAWn6d6
Hi that's fantastic collection, I love it. It actually kind of pair with a project about source code, no hardware: https://www.programmingmuseum.com/
That looks like a very useful way to convert one's obsession with holding on to old computers and tinkering with them to a socially-education experience.
But who will keep the keyboards clean from all of the crud that collects over the years? :-P
I want to see models of Vannevar Bush's rapid analytical machine computers supplied to the proto-NSA.
See Colin Burke and Pieces of the Action
cool. the orange glow reminds me of the first time i used a networked computer....
the Plato system. I was about 12 and some dude on the dungeon game said he was in california. I was in northern Michigan. That broke my brain for the day.
hey great work !