An Electric Tabulating System; Author's Edition

No less an authority than Columiba University points out that Herman Hollerith is "widely regarded as the father of modern automatic computation." (it's probably worth noting that Hollerith was a graduate of Columbia so they might not be entirely objective.) Without a doubt, Hollerith's Electric Tabulating machine brought about a sea-change in the way information was handled.

The first article that Hollerith wrote describing his invention was published in April 1889. We are fortunate enough to have the Author's Edition of that publication...a reprint that we believe belonged to Herman Hollerith. In this article, he describes how his Tabulating System was being used in the 1890 U.S. census.

The handwriting on cover may be that of Herman Hollerith. It says, "Electrotypes sent to the Franklin Institute. Feb. 10, 1890" and refers to drawings sent to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia that would shortly appear as illustrations in the Franklin Institute's Journal.

Related Items