iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

📢 🙌 We've been awarded a £97,571 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. ✳️ The Unlocking Our Digital Heritage project will redevelop the website and create an AI-powered 'Ask the Archive' portal. 🙏 A huge thanks to #NationalLottery players! #HeritageFund ➡️ archivesit.org.uk/archives-of-...

032

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

In 2013 Mandy Chessell at IBM created the Data Reservoir Architecture, later the Data Lake Architecture, showing how to manage 'big data' with governance. More about her ground breaking work with Egeria in this oral history youtu.be/1d-fTVsydDM?... #EYAArchitecture @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social

Mandy Chessell's Second Interview with Richard Sharpe for Archives of IT

Mandy Chessell CBE

022

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Ross Anderson, Professor of Security Engineering at Cambridge and Edinburgh shaped the field, building systems resilient to malice, error, and chance. Watch his oral-history interview to discover the history of cybersecurity youtu.be/jkd-xp4xzlw?... #EYAArchitecture @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social

Ross Anderson Interviewed by Elisabetta Mori for Archives of IT

Ross Anderson

041

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

In her recent interview with AIT Dr Nicola Hodson, Chair of IBM UK & Ireland, talks about how she's working with the government on its industrial strategy including the development of quantum to build hybrid cloud, AI and quantum infrastructure as part of the UK tech ecosystem. youtu.be/KIIn_rqec94

Dr Nicola Hodson on working with the government on its industrial strategy

YouTube video by Archives of IT

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Check out this clip from our interview with historian of computer art Catherine Mason on how in the '70s pioneers in the field were a niche of a niche and had to earn the respect of computer technicians to work on their expensive mainframe machines, often working late at night. youtu.be/AAsd3xy3FHg

Catherine Mason on the pioneers of computer art

YouTube video by Archives of IT

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

💳 In the mid-1990s Tim joined BACS as Head of Services. BACS, the UK's critical direct-debit operation, was bank-owned and he updated its ageing systems architecture. Today Visa owns BACS. Find out more in his oral history interview buff.ly/Khk1C9o #EYAArchitecture @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social

Tim Gregory interviewed by Tola Sargeant in 2025 for Archives of IT

Tim Gregory

121

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

This image captures IBM 3090 mainframes at NASA on March 25, 1991. The 3090 series was unveiled in February 1985 and remained in service until 1989🪐 (1/2). Image thanks to US National Archives. @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social #IBM #NASA #ComputerHistory

Three technicians working at CRT terminals in a computer room with a large IBM mainframe; two are seated at consoles while a third stands by open equipment cabinets under a hanging sign reading "MVS/ESA IBM 3090."

220

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Thank you to the wonderful primary school students who attended the STEAM Fair at Our Lady’s in Berkshire today, showing such curiosity & enthusiasm. Our CEO Tola Sargeant & trustee Tim Gregory thoroughly enjoyed exploring Archives of IT with you, sharing the stories of amazing tech leaders. 🚀

A man and a woman standing behind tables with computers, books and papers on them and next to a green pop up banner with Archives of IT on it.

020

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Happy International Archives Day! 🥳 We are Archives of IT, recording and sharing oral history interviews with anglophone computing pioneers and tech leaders for the past decade. Explore our archive to find out more about how IT and tech has shaped society 👇 archivesit.org.uk/themes-and-t... #IAW2026

Computing in a Nutshell @advanced-ict.info · 02/06/2026

Reposted by Archives of IT

What did computing look like in the 1960s? #TeamCompSci

011

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

This 1962 photograph shows the LEO III computer at the company offices Hartree House, Queensway, London. LEO III computers were installed in Customs & Excise, Inland Revenue, The Post Office and in Australia, South Africa and Czechoslovakia. Photo thanks to Prof. Frank Land/The LEO Computer Society

A large computer room with striped floor tiles and large cabinets on each side holding the computer. In the centre is a console with desks. There are strip lights on the ceiling.

100

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Tom Povey created one of the earliest electronic newsletters — the VOGON News Service, named after Douglas Adams' fictional bureaucratic overlords — to keep DEC expats connected to home. Learn about this pre-internet innovation: archivesit.org.uk/interviews/t... #DigitalHistory

archivesit.org.uk

Tom Povey on editing one of the world’s first electronic newsletters - Archives of IT

The VOGON News Service was a pioneering electronic newsletter sent over email. It was launched 45 years ago by Digital Equipment Corporation software engineers.

000

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

We are sad to hear of the death of tech pioneer Frank Land OBE at the age of 97. Here, Frank demonstrates the workings of LEO, the world's first business computer, launched by J Lyons & Co in 1951 Photograph thanks to the Centre for Computing History, LEO Computers Society Ref: CMLEO/LS/PH/5/63632.

A white man in a dark suit jacket, white shirt and pale tie points to a chart showing a computer system. The chart is on a large flip chart. The man has short dark curly hair.

100

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Digital archives are older than you think. In the 1970s librarians and archivists were already managing digital data on magnetic tape. Here, Mrs. E.T. Brown is pictured in the US Navy's NMDSC medical library that held nearly 4,000 reels by 1975. Photo thanks to Navy Medicine.

A black woman with short dark hair, light coloured earrings, wearing a white blouse with a dark coloured animal print and light trousers is searching racks of large magnetic tape reels. She is stood in the stacks.

030

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Australian ICT Pioneer Dr Trevor Pearcey (1919-1998) with one of the world's earliest digital computers, the CSIR Mark 1, later known as CSIRAC. Only the UK and then the USA beat Australia into the computer age, and that was by months, not years. Image thanks to Museums Victoria.

A white appearing man with short curly hair and wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and tie is holding a sheaf of papers. He is pressing a switch on a control board for a large computer, which fills the side of the room. It has lots of circuits and valves.

022

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

In 1963, LEO III utilized transistors and tape drives, replacing mercury valves. LEO, the first commercial computer, was created in 1951 for J. Lyons & Co, a UK bakery, to automate payroll, processing 40 payslips per minute. #TechHistory #Innovation

A large computer in a room with dark and light floor tiles in a checkerboard pattern. Large tape reels can be seen in some of the wall cabinets. Two people are using dashboard equipment.

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Jodrell bank's radio telescope, made by Ferranti, in August 1966. At the time it was completed, it was the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope and is still used to observe space. Photograph @sciencemuseum.org.uk (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). #SpaceHistory

Two radio telescopes, one in the foreground and one silhouetted in the background. Texty reads 'View showing Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope...Photographed August, 1966'

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan in 1972. Cernan and his crewmate Harrison Schmitt spent three days exploring the Taurus-Littrow valley, collecting a record 115 kg (249 pounds) of lunar samples. To date, he is the last human to walk on the moon. Photograph thanks to NASA. #SpaceHistory

An astronaut in a buggy travelling on the surface of the moon. The wheel arches have been coloured yellow and there is a mountain to his left. The rest of the image is grey, white and black.

000

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Astronaut Franklin R. Chang‑Diaz works with a grapple fixture during EVA on the International Space Station 9 June 2002. STS‑111's first spacewalk installed the fixture for the station's robotic arm on P6 truss. Photograph thanks to NASA #SpaceHistory

An astronaut stood on a piece of machinery in space. The earth can be seen behind them.

Science Museum @sciencemuseum.org.uk · 01/04/2026

Reposted by Archives of IT

#OnThisDay 50 years ago, Apple Computer Company was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. They launched their first product, the Apple I computer, a few months later. You can see the Apple I on display in our Making the Modern World gallery: bit.ly/4sNNULJ

A vintage Apple-1 computer setup, featuring a wooden case with a built-in keyboard in the front. On top is an exposed monitor with visible wiring and circuit components.

051

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Professor Sir Martin Sweeting receiving Digitalker signals from UoSAT-1, a British amateur radio satellite. Built at the University of Surrey, it launched into low Earth orbit on October 6, 1981. #SpaceHistory

A white man with dark curly hair, wearing a dark jumper and light collared shirt, holding a radio receiver in one hand. Behind him is a brick built building, with satellite dishes and aerials on.

020

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

The iconic Jodrell Bank radio telescope, crafted by UK tech giant Ferranti in 1966. Discover Ferranti's legacy here 👉️ archivesit.org.uk/iconic-compa... Photo courtesy of Science Museum Group Collection Online. (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). @jodrellbank.bsky.social @sciencemuseum.org.uk #TechHistory

000

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Here's a glimpse of a factory worker inspecting circuits on computer equipment at the DEC Galway plant in 1972, just in time for St. Patrick's Day! 🍀 Big thanks to DEC Galway for the image. #StPatricksDay #TechHistory

A white woman with long pale hair, wearing a dark jumper and a light coloued, collared shirt, sat at a bench in a factory setting. She is holding a soldering iron in her hands and is using it to work on a large piece of equipment, likely a circuit board.

121

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

English Electric, formed after WWI by merging five UK companies, initially focused on aviation, trams, and electric locomotives. During WWII, they produced the Handley Page bomber and Comet tank, and continued making aircraft for the RAF, like the Canberra and Lightning.

100

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

If you shop online, please consider signing up to #Giveasyoulive for us this year. Every time you make an online purchase, order a grocery delivery, book a trip or switch your energy providers, you can generate donations that support our work, for free 👍 👉 bit.ly/4skr65B

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

A technician from DEC , testing heart monitors before dispatch. 💓 This photo, taken in the 1970s is thanks to DEC Galway.

100

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

☎️ In this poster from BT Group Archives, a career in telephone engineering is being advertised by the General Post Office. Wondering why? Telecommunications and the Post Office came under the same government department until the Post Office Act in 1969. (1/2)

110

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Archives of IT is delighted to be collaborating with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds @rspb.bsky.social Big Schools' Birdwatch with complementary lesson plans. Big Schools’ Birdwatch submissions open today and offer a fun way to incorporate nature and data handling into curriculums.

archivesit.org.uk

AIT collaborates with RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch 2026 - Archives of IT

Main image: A pupil from Wigmore Primary School, Bedfordshire, taking part in the RSPB’s annual…

020

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Together we have raised £14,352 with the @biggiveorg Christmas Challenge! 🤩 Thank you to the AKO Foundation and all our generous supporters. There is still time today to donate to our work and get us closer to our target! donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Wow! Thanks to your amazing support, we’ve reached £12,790 — that’s 76% of our goal! And because of the #ChristmasChallenge, every donation has been doubled. 💚 We’re not done yet! There’s still time to double your difference by donating before midday tomorrow, Tuesday 9 December bit.ly/4iF44Tj ✨ 🙏

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

🚀 We’re halfway through the Big Give #ChristmasChallenge! 🎁🎁 Thanks to your generosity, we’ve raised £5,650 so far & every penny has been doubled. 💚 There’s still time to make double the impact before 9 December. For more information & to donate see: bit.ly/4iF44Tj ✨ 🙏

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

The Big Give #ChristmasChallenge begins! For one week donations to us on the Big Give site will be matched £1 for £1, doubling your impact. Our aim? £16,800 to support our mission 'Capturing the past to inspire the future.' Thanks to pledgers and The AKO Foundation donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

Two Christmas elves with similar facial features, brown skin and black hair wearing green and red jackets and elf hats. They are working in a Christmas Santa's workshop tying parcels with red ribbon. White text says Double the difference at the top. At the bottom is Christmas Challenge, white tex on a red triangle and BigGive, white text on a black triangle.

011

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

🧊 Early cube offices at the Digital offices in Galway, Ireland. DEC's first plant outside the USA opened there in 1971 and closed in 1993. Today, open plan offices are popular. Anyone remember working in a cube? Image thanks to Digital Galway. @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social

An office space divided by temporary walls into cubes. Each cube contains a desk with a PC and files, documents and books.

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

It’s great to be included in The National Archives’ Year in Archives 2025 for the work we completed publishing interviews with former workers of the Digital Equipment Corporation in collaboration with @readingmuseum.bsky.social and The National Museum of Computing. #AYearinArchives #OralHistory

040

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Adrian, our Public Relations and Communications Manager, has selected this conversation with Eva Pascoe, a cybercafe trailblazer. Remember them? Discover the reasons behind his choice and learn about the well-known personalities she introduced to the digital world!

youtube.com

🎂 AIT's 10th Anniversary - Adrian Murphy on Eva Pascoe #shorts

Archives of IT's PR Manager Adrian talks about why his favourite interview is with internet pioneer Eva Pascoe.

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

We’re excited to join Big Give’s #ChristmasChallenge from 2–9 December. Your donation to Archives of IT will be doubled, enhancing our efforts to preserve tech heritage and inspire future STEM leaders. 💚 Thanks to our Pledgers and Big Give Champion, AKO Foundation, for their support.

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Our trustee Martin Campbell-Kelly highlights his top oral history interview from the last decade. Hint: He unveiled Colossus's vital role in computing history. #ComputingHistory #OralHistory

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

In celebration of our decade milestone, our archivist Stephanie shares her top oral history interview. Hint: it's all about shopping and finding great deals! 🤩 🛍️ 💳

030

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Since 2015, we've been capturing the stories of tech trailblazers. Trustee Tim Gregory's top pick is the memorable chat with legendary innovator Sir Clive Sinclair 🎙️

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

To celebrate our decade milestone, CEO Tola Sargeant shares why her top pick is our interview with tech innovator Duane Jackson 🎤

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Trustee Mike Short's top pick from our archives is the oral history chat with UK space tech expert Prof. Sir Martin Sweeting. 🌌 #SpaceInnovation

030

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

Our Education Lead, Ravi Chagger, selected Sir Robin Saxby, ARM's founding CEO and a strong supporter of AIT's educational efforts, from a decade of interviews. Find out why 👇

Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

For our 10th birthday, Trustee Bill Dutton shares his favourite interview from our archives, our most popular, the trailblazing Dame Stephanie ‘Steve’ Shirley 🎙️