fbpx

Who are Archives of IT?

Archives of IT (AIT) is a charity founded by Roger Graham OBE in 2015 to capture, preserve and share the voices of people from the UK IT and Telecommunications industry. Its aims are to both help understand and to encourage study of the industry, and how it has changed our lives. 

AIT is governed by the board of trustees, who are senior and authoritative participants in the field, chaired by John Carrington.  John played a key role in the development of cellular communications in the UK and Europe and was a founder member of the Worshipful Company of  Information Technologists, where he was Master 2001 – 2.

Work is carried out by a team of volunteers and consultants. Find out more about who they are and what they do on our Meet The Team page.

Meet our trustees by watching the film below:

 

What does Archives of IT do?

LEO II. Photograph thanks to Professor Frank Land.

Capturing the past

AIT is unique. Whilst other UK museums are focused on curating physical devices and working computers and machines, AIT collects the personal views, ideas and experiences of the people involved. The UK has a substantial record of innovation in the IT and tech industries and we believe their story should be told.

We are an online archive, with no physical premises. We record this through video and audio oral history interviews, which we make available to the public online. Supporters have donated company reports and other audio visual and physical media, and we make these available online where possible.

 

A large computer with the label English Electric being filmed by a large ATV camera operated by a man.
ATV camera filming “Deuce”, an English Electric computer at Stafford that was able to electronically analyse early election results in 1959. Express & Star, Wolverhampton Archives.

Inspiring the future

As well as saving this history, AIT shares it with the wider public. We do this in a variety of ways. For more traditional researchers, we have catalogued our website on both the Archives Hub and The National Archives’ Discovery catalogue to make our collections more discoverable. We inform the public about the individuals and organisations in tech, and the impact it has had on society through our news and features. Those who wish to know more about a certain topic, company or group of people can investigate more through our themes pages. We hold the AIT Forum event on the histories of the internet and networked society, past events can be viewed here.

AIT also provides teaching tools, including lesson and assembly plans for Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils, as well as careers advice. All is freely available on our website to use.

 

A group of school pupils working on an electronics project

Contact us

Registered address: Manufactory House, Bell Lane, Hertford, SG14 1BP

We are on social media. For our most up to date posts, follow us on Linked In. You can also find us on on Twitter and YouTube.

Want to speak to one of the team? Please fill out the AIT Feedback Form.

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.

 

Newspaper section of Emily McPherson College Library, Russell Street, circa 1960s thanks to Museums Victoria.

 

 

 

 
LinkedInTwitterFacebook