Capturing the past, Inspiring the future
At Archives of IT, we have been recording and curating an online archive of oral history interviews with British computing pioneers and tech leaders for the past decade.
By preserving the heritage of the UK tech sector in this way, we’re enabling future generations to study, and be inspired by, the stories of the people who built and lead it – from early computing pioneers to today’s forward-thinking entrepreneurs.
The archive also plays an important role in powering our work in education. The stories of these STEM icons, who come from all walks of life, are embedded in AIT’s computing curriculum resources for primary and secondary schools, helping to inspire the next generation of tech pioneers.
Through the course of our long-form interviews, we have built up a unique record of life in the early days of computing and the pioneering companies that created the UK tech sector.
Many of these iconic brands no longer exist – the likes of LEO, English Electric, Ferranti, Marconi, ICL and Logica – and their histories risk being lost as memories fade.
We need your help to enable us to capture more of these memories and ensure their preservation within the archive – so we can make sure it remains an important resource for students, researchers and anyone with an interest in the history of computing.
You can read more about the history of Archives of IT in our tenth anniversary feature – Building a legacy for future generations.
Our impact
- To interview, share and preserve oral history interviews from the people involved in the development of the UK tech industries
- To capture IT history that would otherwise be lost and preserve it for current and future generations to use
- To encourage study of the industry’s history
- To provide free educational resources for schools to encourage study of IT and promote it as a good place to have a career
- To demonstrate how IT, tech and telecommunications has changed the lives of human beings.
You can read more about why this is important and the impact we’re making in our Theory of Change infographic.
Contact us
AIT is governed by the board of trustees, who are senior and authoritative participants in the field, chaired by John Carrington.
We are fortunate to have an experienced team, led by CEO Tola Sargeant, comprising a mix of staff and volunteers.
Find out more about who they are and what they do on our Meet The Team page.
Want to speak to one of the team? Please email [email protected] and we’ll get back to you.
Want to let us know what you think? Please fill out the AIT Feedback Form.
You can find us on social media here or scan the QR code below with your mobile phone.
Registered address: Manufactory House, Bell Lane, Hertford, SG14 1BP
Get involved
If you would like to get involved with or support our work, please find out more here.
You can also sign up for our Newsletter to be kept up to date with our work and for exclusive access to news and in-depth features on the history of IT.