A device for measuring and recording the magnetization parameters in thin magnetic films used for computer storage elements. It was designed and built in the Burroughs Corporation's Paoli, Pennsylvania Research Laboratories ca. 1963 by my grandfather and his research group and patented in 1966 (patent No. 3254298). One of four photographs of the device recovered from my grandfather's lab notebooks. View full size.

March 1943. "Seligman, Arizona. Teletype operator in the telegraph office of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. The time here changes from Mountain to Pacific time." Medium-format safety negative by Jack Delano. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Tabulating Machine Co." Our second look at the company's equipment. This installation is at the Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.

About 1961 in the camera store. The salesman is showing Dad the cutting edge of Polaroid Technology. The swipe marks are now visible across the bottom of the photo. Deanna Lowe is the beautiful subject ... previously afraid of cameras! View full size.

October 1910. "Wireless operator Ginsburg of Trent." Radioman Ginsburg aboard the steamship Trent, which, after being alerted by "Morse lamp," took on passengers from Walter Wellman's hydrogen dirigible America near Bermuda in an exciting air-to-sea rescue that saved all those aboard the foundering airship, including a tabby cat. 5x7 glass negative, G.G. Bain Collection. View full size.

"C & P Tel. Co." Another look at the operations of the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. around Washington circa 1925. Plus an interesting glimpse at the kind of working-class houses not usually seen in the photo archives from this era. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

June 6, 1950. Pembroke, Ontario. "Vis-O-Matic department store." A variation on mail-order shopping, the Vis-O-Matic system used color slides to display merchandise to potential customers, with orders placed by Teletype and delivered to your door. Photo by Bernard Hoffman, Life image archive. View full size.