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Hollerith Census Machine

Manufacturer Hollerith
Replica manufactured by Roberto Guatelli for The Computer Museum.
Identification,ID XD231.81
Date of first manufactureabout 1890 - (replica - 1981)
Number produced ? - (replica - 1)
Estimated price or cost-
location in museum -
donor Digital Equipment Corp.

Contents of this page:

Photo
  • Hollerith replica - 110 K Bytes
  • card reader, sorter from patent
  • Hollerith card punch courtesy of Computer History Museum

    • Placard
    .

    Architecture
    Electrically driven card reader and 40 dial accumulators, with provision for signal to be sent to open a door in the sorter.

    The card reader was an array of spring loaded pins that would individually sense a potentially punched hole by passing through the hole, into a small pool of mercury, completing an electrical circuit.

    The machine could be wired to use that individual electric current to increment one of the 40 dial accumulators, and/or open the door of one of the sorter pockets.

    The processed (read) card could be easily, reliably placed in the automatically opened door.

    Special features
    The sorter mentioned above provided for selection of cards for further types of counting and analysis in further passes of the cards through the system. An example could be sorting in pass 1 could be by country of origin, then on pass 2, the system could count those of each country of origin by state of current residence. This provides a great deal of flexibility in processing and analysis.

    There is a question about the electrical current that was used to power this machine. Carbon/zinc primary batteries were commercially available, and Mr. Edison's electric light and power systems were becoming available (in some cities). Both were direct current. Which was in use? What voltage?

    Historical Notes
    A discussion of Herman Hollerith and sorting in general by Donald Knuth

    There are no known original Hollerith census machines. This machine is a replica.

    Hollerith had earlier considered using wide paper tape, with many records per length of tape, but the potential problems of tape damage, and difficulty of finding particular records, and well as inability to sort on particular characteristics discouraged further consideration of the paper tape idea. The punched cards of the Jacquard loom operation promised better operation. (The cards of the Jacquard loom were physically connected to insure correct serial operation. Hollerith cards were not physically connected.)

    The story that the Hollerith card was the identical size as the then current U.S. dollar to provide an easy source of storage drawers seems correct.

    An early Hollerith card had 24 columns and 12 rows of possible round holes. The was column count was later increased to 80 columns of narrower rectangular holes.

    The Hollerith Census Machines were a "second generation" of successful machines used in 1887 to tabulate mortality statistics in New Jersey and New York City.

    e-mail from Yellow Airplane who suggests this link to U.S. Census Bureau.
    (The U.S. Census Bureau bought UNIVAC 1, serial # 1. One of a series replacements for the 1890s Hollerith machines.) 
    ----- Original Message -----
From: "Len Shustek" 
Subject: Re: Univac 1 SN 001 plaque

> George:
>
> I'm chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Computer History Museum, 
> and I echo John Toole's and Grant Saviers' interest in collaborating 
> with you, especially insofar as the history of the Census Bureau 
> overlaps the history of computing.
>
> One thing that puzzles me, though, is how the Census Bureau can only 
> be celebrating it's 100th anniversary if we've been doing the census 
> since 1790.  Even the Bureau's web site page on their own history
> (http://www.census.gov/acsd/www/history.html) talks about activity 
> in the 1800's, and doesn't mention anything significant happening 
> in 1902.  From the perspective on computer history, 
> the important dates are 1890 (for the introduction of the Hollerith 
> machine, leading to IBM), and 1950 (for the use of the Univac).  
> Is there a better place to look for the history of the Bureau?
>
> Len Shustek
> shustek@computerhistory.org
    Hi Len. Thank you for your welcome reply.

    You are correct that there have been national population censuses taken since 1790 and every ten years thereafter. However, that first census was undertaken under the auspices of the State Department (headed at the time by Thomas Jefferson), and conducted by U.S. Marhsals.

    Subsequent censuses were conducted under the auspices of the State Department, the Department of the Interior, and the Commerce Department. It was not until March 6, 1902, that legislation was passed to create a Census Bureau, a full-time, year round agency. Prior to that, it had been the Census Office and was located in several different places.

    Further, it was not until July 1, 1902, that the U.S. Census Bureau literally opened its front doors. In fact, on or about July 1, 2002, there will be additional festivities taking place in Suitland.

    I hope you and your colleagues will be able to attend. I am very excited about the prospect of working together on this, and will present the information you and your colleagues from the Computer History Museum have sent.

    As to a better place to look for information about the Bureau's history, there are several publications available including one written by ex-director, A. Ross Eckler, called "The Bureau of the Census."

    Plus, I am about to complete a Centennial Planner that documents much of the Bureau's history and technological achievements. It includes anecdotal information, a timeline, and historical photos. I'll see to it that you all receive copies.

    I am scheduled to meet with the Census Bureau's Centennial Committee on Monday afternoon, and feel certain that this news will be greeted with a most positive reaction.

    Thank you again, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

    Sincerely,

    George Selby, Manager
    Marketing Services Office
    U.S. Census Bureau
    4700 Silver Hill Road
    FB3-3019
    Suitland, Maryland 20746

    This Specimen
    • Replica commissioned by Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC)

      E-Mail to Dag Spicer from Gwen Bell May 11, 2000
      We got permission from IBM to use Guatelli and DEC paid for the replica. (That was at a time that the division between DEC and the Museum was not clear.) When the division came, then we ended up with the replicas.

      While Guatelli was an independent businessman probably 75% of his income came from IBM. DEC could not take over this role and IBM had made it possible for Guatelli to work for clients like the Government of Italy. Fortunately they gave their permission. Gwen

      Yes, the donor was DEC. But that was a time when the line between the Museum and DEC did not exist. Since the Museum was a part of DEC that was meant to spin off, then the object can simply say "manufactured by Roberto Guatelli for The Computer Museum." That is totally true, (and probably meaningless to most folks.) But IBM cannot object.
      The bottom line is that this is great to have in terms of telling the story of the history of computers.
      Gwen

    Interesting Web Sites

    Other information
    from Pamela McCorduck March 17,2001
    Guatelli [the builder of this replica] was fascinated by da Vinci's machines (or rather, the plans for them) and built a few--the bicycle, a kind of flying machine, some other objects. This was in the thirties, and when they went on exhibit, Mussolini was so pleased with this great example of Italian engineering heritage that he decided to fund a traveling exhibit to impress his gallant Axis allies in Japan, which is how Guatelli and his models went to Japan.

    The war suddenly intervened, and Guatelli couldn't get back to Italy, much less anyplace else. He stayed in Japan until war's end, and then somehow made the acquaintance of T. J. Watson, Sr., who recognized his genius for building, and commissioned him to do some replicas of very early computation machines. Watson was instrumental in bringing Guatelli to the U.S., where Guatelli set up a small workshop on Lafayette Street in NYC, where he built many things for IBM.

    He really was superb at what he did.

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    Updated Feb 8, 2002