Artifact Details

Description

Black and white image of two men at the TRADIC computer. One man is esamining a control plug board while the other is setting switches from a sheet of paper held in his left hand. The system is without covers and shows the internal components. An oscilloscope is in a top rack with wires running to the computer. Attached to verso a white label with: Bell labs logo (201) 582-5661 Subject: Computers Number: B 654/ 0-56
General - TRADIC Source: Release, March 14, 1955 Date Taken: 1955

Background Information: "TRADIC, a new digital computer developed at Bell Telephone Laboratories, contains nearly 800 transistors instead of vacuum tuves. Transistors, completely cold, highly efficient amplifying devices invented at Bell Labs, enable the machine to operate on less than 100 watts - one-twentieth of the power needed by comparable vacuum tube computers. J.H. Felker (left) gives instructins to the computer by means of a plug-in unit while J.R. Harris, (right) places numbers into the machine by flipping simple switches. When design work has been completed, the computer will probably occupy less than three cubic feet of the critical space in modern military aircraft. Persons shown: H.H. Felker & J.R. Harris"

Date

1955

Publisher

Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc.

Identifying Numbers

Other number	#1213	Verso pencil
Other number	B654/0-56	Verso ink

Dimensions

8 x 10 in.

Category

Photograph

Credit

Courtesy of Gwen Bell

Lot Number

X7413.2015