Computer Weekly magazine has donated five decades' worth of its back issues to the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park.
The 44-year archives of the world's first weekly computer magazine are now available on request to researchers at the Buckinghamshire-based charity (which relies on financial goodwill to keep running so feel free to dig deep). The 104 volumes of Computer Weekly will be featured on the National Museum of Computing website in time.
Kevin Murrell, a trustee and director at the museum, said the donation was a "fascinating resource" for those looking to trace back history of the UK IT industry as it was reported at the time. He said:
I'm sure these records of the IT industry will help stimulate research and interest in our computing heritage which has come so far so quickly. The early issues of Computer Weekly reflect a rather different world as computing was beginning to find its feet in business. I noticed a job advert in the first issue for '23 to 28-year-old male programmers' – the annual salary was £735!
The National Museum of Computing got a cash injection of £100,000 earlier this month courtesy of Bletchley Park Capital Partners. But the site, based at the second world war codebreaking centre Bletchley Park, continues to rely on grants and donations to secure its future.
Researchers wanting to dig into the Computer Weekly archive – possibly to examine the prose of its former scribbler and now Guardian technology editor Charles Arthur – are advised to email info@tnmoc.org explaining the nature and purpose of their work.
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