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archivesofit.bsky.social
Archives of IT
@archivesofit.bsky.social
380 followers 890 following 90 posts
UK Charity capturing the stories of tech pioneers & inspiring future #STEM leaders. Online archive of oral history interviews with tech leaders from 1950s to today & free computing curriculum resources for teachers.
#HistTech #EduSky #TeamCompSci #CSed
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archivesofit.bsky.social
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 👇
November 10, 2025 at 11:16 AM
archivesofit.bsky.social
For our 10th birthday, Trustee Bill Dutton shares his favourite interview from our archives, our most popular, the trailblazing Dame Stephanie ‘Steve’ Shirley 🎙️
November 7, 2025 at 9:32 AM
archivesofit.bsky.social
We are 10! 🎂
To celebrate we will be sharing our favourite oral history interviews throughout November. Here Chairman John Carrington introduces his. What would your favourite be?
November 6, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Reposted by Archives of IT
neilstewart.bsky.social
IHR Director Professor Claire Langhamer @clairelanghamer.bsky.social has written about today’s History Day #histday25 here at Senate House, and how it reflects the crucial work of @ihr.bsky.social in supporting historical research in all its forms. Read more here! www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
Making History Together
History Day
www.history.ac.uk
November 4, 2025 at 10:35 AM
archivesofit.bsky.social
Happy History Day! 🥳
If you are wondering how we can help you with your tech research project, look no further 👀
@senatehouselib.bsky.social
@ihr.bsky.social
#HistDay25
November 4, 2025 at 10:36 AM
archivesofit.bsky.social
💡 On 2 November 1897, Nikola Tesla patented the electrical transformer.
He described it as 'a novel form of transformer or induction-coil... in which the energy of the source is raised to a much higher potential for transmission over the line than has ever been practically employed heretofore' ⚡
archivesofit.bsky.social Archives of IT @archivesofit.bsky.social · 15d
⚡ Ferranti's Greater Manchester factory produced transformers and meters from 1905, playing a key role in the establishment of the National Grid. Despite having international clients, their Transformer Division closed in 1975. Photo: @sciencemuseum.org.uk.
@exploreyourarchive.bsky.social
A black and white photograph of the inside of a factpry, showing large transistors and components. The building has large windows down one side, and exposed metal beams and joists.
November 3, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Reposted by Archives of IT
ihr.bsky.social
1 week to go until History Day - don't forget to sign up! Read about why History Day is such a fantastic event in this blog by Claire Langhamer: buff.ly/ySfBuWR

#HistDay25 @senatehouselib.bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 3:30 PM
archivesofit.bsky.social
English Electric's Stafford site was a key UK tech hub in the mid-20th century. Acquired by GEC in 1968 and Alstom in 1989, it was bought and demolished by General Electric in 2015, now replaced by housing. Photo: Express & Star Newspapers, Wolverhampton Archives.
@exploreyourarchive.bsky.social
A black and white aerial view of a large factory. A railway line is to the south and to the north is a housing estate and fields.
October 31, 2025 at 12:04 PM
archivesofit.bsky.social
⚡ Ferranti's Greater Manchester factory produced transformers and meters from 1905, playing a key role in the establishment of the National Grid. Despite having international clients, their Transformer Division closed in 1975. Photo: @sciencemuseum.org.uk.
@exploreyourarchive.bsky.social
A black and white photograph of the inside of a factpry, showing large transistors and components. The building has large windows down one side, and exposed metal beams and joists.
October 27, 2025 at 11:03 AM
archivesofit.bsky.social
Marconi established the UK's first radio factory in Chelmsford, Essex in 1912 and later set up research labs in Great Baddow in 1939. This Essex Record Office photo shows the labs camouflaged, taken for the Home Office ARP in November 1939, two months into WWII. @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social
A black and white photograph of a building draped in camouflaged netting. A red stamp to the right says 'SECRET'.
October 25, 2025 at 11:02 AM
archivesofit.bsky.social
🌓 Professor Sir Martin Sweeting, Queen Elizabeth II, and UoSAT-12 at Surrey Satellite Technology in 1999.
The UoSAT-12 mission highlighted innovations like imaging cameras and internet expansion to space. Its 'Firsts' include capturing a lunar eclipse in 2000.
@exploreyourarchive.bsky.social
A white man wearing a lab coat and hat, stood in front of a satellite, demonstrating it to a white woman in a green velvet hat, holding a handbag and a white man in a shirt and tie, white coat and hairnet. They are all in a lab.
October 22, 2025 at 2:07 PM
archivesofit.bsky.social
📡 Jodrell Bank's MKII radio telescope, made by Ferranti was the first telescope of any type in the world to be controlled by a digital computer, the Ferranti Argus 100.
1966 Photograph thanks to @sciencemuseum.org.uk Collection Online. (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
@exploreyourarchive.bsky.social
Two radio telescopes outside an observatory, surrounded by trees.
October 17, 2025 at 3:13 PM
archivesofit.bsky.social
English mathematician Ada Lovelace, is celebrated as the first computer programmer. @adalovelaceday.bsky.social honours women's STEM achievements in her memory. We've created a free educational lesson plan archivesit.org.uk/lesson-plans.... Engraving courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery.
An engraving of a woman in a floral dress and shawl, holding a fan by William Henry Mote, after Alfred Edward Chalon stipple engraving, published 1839 NPG D5123, thanks to the National Portrait Gallery.
October 14, 2025 at 10:05 AM
archivesofit.bsky.social
Fancy a brew? ☕ An employee at Birmingham tech firm Deltacam Systems uses CAD software to design a jug kettle. The PC monitor is by US company SiliconGraphics. Deltacam Systems was based in Aston Park in the 1990s. Photo courtesy of Express & Star Photo Archives at Wolverhampton Archives.
A white man wearing a light coloured shirt and dark tie using a PC to design a plastic kettle using CAD software
October 10, 2025 at 10:02 AM
archivesofit.bsky.social
Happy 60th Birthday BT tower, inaugurated by British PM Harold Wilson on this day in 1965, the tallest UK building until 1980. Here our Chairman John Carrington, poses for a photo on the roof of his office in Howland Street, 1984. He was the first MD of BT Cellnet.
@exploreyourarchive.bsky.social
A white man with short fair hair in a side parting stood holding an early mobile phone, in front of a large tower. There are dishes at the top of the tower, which looks like a large antenna.
October 8, 2025 at 2:50 PM
archivesofit.bsky.social
🍰 LEO (Lyons Electronic Office) was the first computer used for business, developed by UK firm J. Lyons & Co Ltd, known for tea shops and cakes. They needed to automate their payroll, marking the beginning of computers in business. Photo courtesy of the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick.
A photograph showing the set up of LEO including where the power supply, circuits, store and input and output equipment should be.
October 6, 2025 at 2:16 PM
archivesofit.bsky.social
⚡English Electric's London HQ in Aldwych housed two bronze giants, 'Power' and 'Speed,' by Sir Charles Wheeler. Sold to an American bank in 1971, they were returned as 'unacceptable' due to their realism. Now at Eltham College. Photo: Express & Star Newspapers, Wolverhampton Archives. #EYAMonsters
Two naked bronze giants atop a building entrance which says 'English Electric'. Each statue holds aloft a creature from the natural world, a lion and an eagle and represent power and speed.
October 1, 2025 at 1:57 PM
archivesofit.bsky.social
💽 Ferranti was a key UK electrical engineering firm, known for defence electronics, power grids, and the Ferranti Mark 1, the first commercial computer. It had training schools where apprentices wore brown dust-coats. Photo courtesy of Science Museum Group Collection Online. #EYAEducation
Young people working in a lab. All are wearing brown coats whilst a man in a white coat at the front shows another man something on a board.
September 26, 2025 at 2:05 PM
archivesofit.bsky.social
People working in the warehouse at Digital, Galway Ireland, packaging computer hardware for delivery to customers.
American tech firm Digital (or DEC as it was also known) operated a factory in Galway which ran from 1971-1993.
Image thanks to Digital Galway 💻
two people unpacking large pieces of computer hardware in a warehouse. Behind them a person is driving a forklift truck. All the boxes say 'Digital, Galway, Ireland'.
September 23, 2025 at 10:28 AM
archivesofit.bsky.social
September is the month of education @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social and what better time to share the *free* teaching resources we have for you to use in the classroom, assembly or home education setting 👨‍🏫
#EYAEducation
September 22, 2025 at 12:41 PM
archivesofit.bsky.social
Professor Sir Martin Sweeting preparing UoSAT-2 for thermal vacuum testing in 1983 🛰️
@exploreyourarchive.bsky.social
A white man with black hair and sideburns, wearing plastic gloves inspects a satellite on a chrome table at chest height. Behind him is a round piece of space equipment.
September 22, 2025 at 12:17 PM
archivesofit.bsky.social
📢🎓Primary teachers!

👀 Check out our primary Computing Curriculum resources - now including complete lesson plans for Year 1 through 6, as well as themed whole school activities.

All designed to be user-friendly and freely available for teachers 👉 bit.ly/4gkHSg4

#CSEd #EduSky #TeamCompSci #STEM
Back to school chalked on blackboard next to pot of colourful pencils and pile of notebooks
September 10, 2025 at 8:25 AM
archivesofit.bsky.social
🤔 What advice would you give a young person starting out in the tech industry today?

At Archives of IT, we are grateful to the many inspirational tech leaders who have shared their advice with young people as they look back on their own careers in conversation with us... see the archive for more!
Image of Professor Sir Martin Sweeting at SSTL plus a quote from him on Careers advice: "Whatever you do, if you have the choice, choose something which you're interested in, something that stimulates you."
September 2, 2025 at 1:06 PM
archivesofit.bsky.social
It is with great sadness we share Roger Graham OBE, founder of Archives of IT, passed away on Friday 8 August. Our thoughts are with Roger’s wife Irene, family and friends. Roger founded us in 2015 after a 60 year career in IT. Find out more in our tribute below.
archivesit.org.uk/roger-graham...
Roger Graham OBE, founder of Archives of IT, dies aged 86 - Archives of IT
Roger Graham at the 40th anniversary dinner of the Prince’s Trust (now the King’s Trust)…
archivesit.org.uk
August 12, 2025 at 3:12 PM
archivesofit.bsky.social
We are sad to hear of the death of Dame Stephanie Shirley. We had the privilege to interview her about her life and achievements in 2017. Listen to her interview below.
We remember her as a information technology pioneer, businesswoman and philanthropist.
archivesit.org.uk/interviews/d...
Dame Stephanie Shirley - Archives of IT
Dame Steve Shirley founded the software house F International initially only using women workers who worked from home. It was in 1962 and she had hit the glass ceiling again in her employment. She had...
archivesit.org.uk
August 11, 2025 at 3:19 PM