Technology Photos

Detroit circa 1906. "Detroit Publishing Co., northwest view." Note the greenhouse-style glass to the right employing sunlight for printing and perhaps enlargement, as well as the unusual windows to the left. In the early years of the 20th century, the company was one of the world's biggest producers of color postcards. Panorama made from two 8x10 inch glass negatives. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1924. "Brent Daniel, formerly of the Radio Laboratory of the Bureau of Standards at Washington, with the first portable Super-Heterodyne, his own design. The seven vacuum tubes, batteries, loop antenna, loudspeaker and other necessary units are completely self-contained in the carrying case. He has been able to hear Pacific Coast stations from this outfit." View full size.

Detroit circa 1905. "Detroit City Gas Company office, heater." Note the photographer or his assistant holding the drape. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Democratic National Committee." The convention hall in the old Liberty Market. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size.

When I graduated from high school in 1974, I used a graduation award to buy a $395 (Canadian) Hewlett Packard HP-35 calculator. My mom had to order it from the Vancouver HP office (their pocket calculators - a new line of not-quite-consumer products from a company that had specialized in electrical measuring instruments and desktop electronic calculators for engineers - were not then available in Canadian stores). The first HP programmable (the HP-65) had been available for a year or two, but for the impossible price of $795. With the non-programmable HP-35, I could do trig, logarithms and powers, and my pocket slide-rule was put on the shelf forever. Yes, the family crowded around. 35mm photo by my dad. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1918. "Bankers Automatic Receiving Teller Co." These machines (designed to look like little bank buildings) were used, among other places, in the D.C. schools into the 1930s to encourage thrifty habits. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "National Radio School." Some of the equipment at the high-tech technical school seen here. National Photo Co. View full size.