Print Punch: Artefacts from the Punch Card Computing Era

[Patrick Fry]

Hi all,

We have just released our new book which covers the visual history of the computer punch card. I thought this might be of interest to the group. Some of you have generously helped us with images and information already.

The book features over 200 punch cards, 150 archival images and essays by Steven E Jones, Sandra Rendgen and John L Walters. You can see shots of the book on my site and more info on the CentreCentre site, with a press release attached.

We would love to spread the word about this book to anyone who might be interested. Please let me know if you’d like to know more.

Thanks,

Patrick

Patrick Fry
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www.centrecentre.co.uk

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215a Kingsland Road
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+44 (0)7877 132 499

[Al Kossow]

On 1/29/20 3:10 AM, Patrick Fry wrote:

> We have just released our new book which covers the visual history of the computer punch card.

Please state EXACTLY when there is a documented use of the term "punch" card during the period being documented.
All of the documentation I have calls them "punched" cards or "IBM" cards.

[Patrick Fry]

Hi Al,

You are right there are very few instances. I can look up EXACTLY when they are used but it’s certainly not the norm. 

All the best,

Patrick

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[Al Kossow]

On 1/29/20 10:45 AM, Patrick Fry wrote:
> Hi Al,
>
> You are right there are very few instances. I can look up EXACTLY when they are used but it’s certainly not the norm. 

Then WHY did to title the book "Punch Card Computing Era" ?

[Patrick Fry]

A little unnecessarily confrontational with the all caps questions there Al!

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[John Doty]

On Jan 29, 2020, at 3:13 PM, Patrick Fry <frypa...@gmail.com> wrote:

A little unnecessarily confrontational with the all caps questions there Al!

He copied the text from a punched card ツ

John Doty              Noqsi Aerospace, Ltd.

j...@noqsi.com

[ga...@u.washington.edu]

It seems to me that written it should be "punched", but it is hard to pronounce that way,

at least if you say it fast.   If you want the "ed" to sound, you have to really emphasize it.

(Say it fast 10 times, and see what it sounds like.)

On the other hand, what do you call one that hasn't yet been punched?

I don't think I ever heard "punchable card".

Then again, in those days when you said "card" everyone knew what kind of

card you meant. 

On Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at 9:44:19 AM UTC-8 Al Kossow wrote:

(snip)

[Stewart Russell]

I suspect this might be more of a UK vs US English thing. While there are lots of cits for "punched card" in the UK press at the time, there are also enough for "punch card" to be considered a variant. For example:

• Computer Weekly, Sep 22 1966, p.13: Pfizer Group vacancy ad: "... the day-to-day operation of an I.B.M. punch card installation"
  https://docs.media.bitpipe.com/io_10x/io_102267/item_1306461/First-edition-of-Computer-Weekly-1966.pdf
  
  
• Computer Weekly, Feb 22 1979: an ad from Dalton & Mohan looking to buy redundant computer stationery, including "Punch Cards"
  
  
• Though not a UK book, there are lots in "Punched Cards: Their Applications To Science And Industry" (second edition, 1958) — https://archive.org/details/PunchedCardsTheirApplicationsToScienceAndIndustry/page/n113/mode/2up?q=punch+card:
  • p100: Guy, A. G., and Geisler, A. H., “A Punch Card Filing System for Metallurgical Literature,” Metal Progr., 62, 993 (Dec. 1947).
  • p310: M Milne, Lorus J., and Margery, “Foresight and Hindsight on a Punch-Card Bibliography,”
  • p334: Patton, A. R., “Punch Card Filing System for Your Slides,” The Camera, 73 (1) 63, 130, (Jan. 1950).
    
    
• Every other mention, seemingly, in the UK Computer Conservation Society magazine: https://www.computerconservationsociety.org/resurrection.htm . It's contemporary, but is mostly written by cardboard age folks.

Two independent cits is usually enough for the OED, and they even give Big Daddy John  Von Neumann as writing "... a system of punchcards" in 1945.

cheers,

 Stewart