Computer History Museum

Charles A. Jortberg collection

Item Details

Description

The Charles A. Jortberg collection is made up of items Jortberg collected throughout his career in the computer technology field. The records span 1976 through 1990 with the bulk of the collection being from 1960 through 1980.

Jortberg collected a large amount of material related to his employers Viatron and IBM. The Viatron records in the collection date from 1967 to 1971 and include materials that document the company and its products, including memos, notebooks, design drawings, system descriptions, patents, proposals, reviews, personnel records, business overviews, and expense reports. IBM materials date from 1946 to 1984 and include manuals, program libraries, parts catalogs, reports, conference proceedings, and internal marketing documentation. Almost half of the IBM series is made up of manuals for the 7000 series of computers and its components.

Also included in the collection is a large amount of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) material from 1963 to 1973, with a focus on the PDP-10, PDP-6, and LINC computers.
As a patent litigation consultant, Jortberg acquired a small collection of legal documents related to patents. The collection includes transcripts, legal briefs, court opinions, and correspondence related to the patent infringement appeal case Northern Telecom Inc. v. Datapoint Corp. (1990), and documents related to two patents, including a patent application and court of appeals briefing.

The smallest portion of the collection is made up of manuals, promotional material, specifications, books, clippings and reports, all published by companies and institutions that did not have enough material in the collection to warrant having their own series. These include Computer Terminal Corporation, National Cash Register Company, Control Data Corporation, Bunker Ramo Corporation, and Storage Technology Corporation.

Biographical/Historical Note

Charles A. Jortberg was born on June 13, 1929, in Portland, Maine. He received his BA from Bowdoin College in 1951. After graduating, Jortberg briefly served with the National Security Agency and then worked at International Business Machines (IBM) for 14 years — finishing at IBM as Executive Computer Concepts Instructor and Manager of Sales Training in the New England region. Jortberg left IBM in the late 1960s and moved to Viatron Computer Systems, working as Marketing Manager. In 1974 he founded Jortberg Associates, a consulting firm specializing in high-tech patent litigation and computer systems integration. Jortberg died May 12, 2008, at his home in Naples, Florida.

Level of description
Folder
Date
1946-1990 (Made), 1960-1980 (Bulk)
Publisher
Computer History Museum (Publisher)
Extent
18.75 linear feet in 15 record cartons
Subject
Computer Industry, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), General Electric Company (GE), International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), Radio Corporation of America (RCA), Remington Rand, Inc., Univac (Computer)
Collection title
Charles A. Jortberg collection
Credit
Courtesy of Charles Jortberg
Catalogue number
102733949
Lot number
X2381.2002

<p>Three color brochure for Univac Flow-Matic. The cover is black on top with green and white lettering. In the upper right corner is a black and white picture of a Univac computer. The lower portion of the cover has a zebra-like print in two shades of green. A graphic consisting of three intersecting oval shapes is on the left. The logo for Remington Rand Univac is on the lower right. The first two pages consist of a general rundown of the features of Univac Flowmatic and contains a quote from a "Typical FLOW-MATIC User" citing the advantages of the language. The middle of the brochure includes 7 numbered boxes with text and graphics that each note a savings. The lower right corner has a section on "Support of the Leaders in Programming Research." The last two pages contain drawings of flowcharts and coding.</p>

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102646140
converted_cover_pdf

These folders include manuals for the IBM 24, 26, 29, 56, 59, 75, 77, 80, 82, 83, 84, 88, 89, 108, 513, 514, 519, 548, 552, 557, 604, 607, and 870, and a computer entry punch machine. A 1962 manual for the 82/83/84 sorter has been scanned.

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102734375
converted_cover_pdf

This brochure introduces the Model 1103A as a computing system for scientific applications designed to solve complex problems such as those found in engineering and research. It is printed in blue, black and white on white glossy paper. The front cover shows a black and white photographic close up of detail on a computer creating a repetitive pattern, which is continued on the front inside page. The back cover shows the cmopany logo, which is the globe with electrons spinning around it and the Hermes (Mercury) wearing a helmet . Black, white, and blue photographs of computers and hardware components are shown throughout the broch The name "Donald G. McBrien" is stamped on the top right corner of the first page. Contents of text include: How it can serve you; The computing system; Preparing a problem; The results may be printed or stored; An entire organization can use the computer; For greater flexibility.

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102646141

This brochure introduces the UNIVAC II as being twice as fast as the existing Univac computer. It is printed in black, gray, blue, and white, with each page having as a background a view of the night sky. The front cover shows the image of Atlas holding up the planets in orbit with an enlarged Earth at the center. The back cover shows the company logo: Hermes with wings on his helmet and the earth as the nucleus of an atom with electrons orbiting around, and slogan: UNIVAC--the first name in electronic computing. Views of planets and orbiting electrons continue throughout the inside pages. Each page displays black and white photographs of the UNIVAC II with textual explanations. Text headings include: The central computer; UNIVAC input auxiliaries; UNIVAC output auxiliaries; Operating the system.

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102646302

This brochure introduces the UNIVAC File-Computer System. It is printed in manuscript style on thin weight white paper. The front cover shows a black and white photograph of the Univac File-Computer System and the company logo. A circular yellow sticker, with the number 75 handwritten on it, appears at the upper right corner. The back cover shows the logo of Remington Rand, Division of Perry Rand Corporation. Throughout the inside pages, the text altenates with full page diagrams of functions and operations of the 709. Diagram captions include: Building-block versatility; On-line operation, Off-line operation; Multiplexer; High-capacity general storage; High-speed general-purpose storage; Univac file-computer; Production control--new work; Production control--work done. Text headings include: General outline of component units; On-line billing with typewriter input-output; New approaches to production control.

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102646303

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102703261

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102703262

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102709665

Includes bibliographical references. Signed, "To Gwen and Gordon Bell, Good friends for many years, Best wishes for the years to come." Signature likely author.

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102709720

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102734345

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102734346

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102734347

These folders contain manuals for the model 810 printer, model 911 video display terminal, model DS10 cartridge disk system, link editor, and TMS 9900 microprocessor assembly language.

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102734348

These folders contain manuals for the DX10 and TX990 operating systems.

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102734349

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102734350

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102734351

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102734352

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102734353

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102734354

Type
Document
Catalogue number
102734355