Yes, the Hertfordshire SMR was computerised onto a mainframe sometime in the late 70s (77-79) by Tom Jeffrey, the 1st County Archaeologist. And I personally remember the Greater Manchester SMR being computerised on a mainframe in the early 80s (80-82) by an MSC team - a computer (then one of the most powerful around) that has its antecedence in the 1st ever computer (or so Manc. claims).
The England ID project, having recently made contact with a number of HERs, suggested in a recent meeting with ALGAO that they would be interested in undertaking an oral history of SMRs/HERs with current and past HEROs as part of the project. Just an idea at present, but we thought it would be very interesting - and timely - were keen to help progress it.
Stewart
Dr Stewart Bryant
Head of Historic Environment
Environment and Commercial Services Dept.
Hertfordshire County Council
Address: Historic Environment Unit, CHN108, County Hall, Pegs Lane, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG13 8DN
Email: [log in to unmask]
Tel: 01992 555244 / int. 25244
Mob: 07810813092
-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dingwall, Lucie
Sent: 21 March 2012 08:46
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: HERstory
Having read these emails, it would be an interesting study to see how many SMRs/Archaeology sections of local authorities were the first to introduce/utilise new technologies in their authority. I suspect that there may have been quite a lot of "firsts", and that this trend may have continued e.g. with use of GIS, web databases etc. Its good to see archaeologists have been (still are ??) at the forefront of progress !
Lucie
Lucie Dingwall BA MSc MIFA
Sites and Monuments Record Officer
Herefordshire Archaeology
Planning and Transportation Services
Herefordshire Council
PO Box 230
Blueschool House
Blueschool Street
HEREFORD
HR1 2ZB
Tel: 01432 260130
Fax: 01432 261802
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
web: www.herefordshire.gov.uk/htt/
-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris Wardle
Sent: 21 March 2012 08:38
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: HERstory
David,
8-inch disc were the future.
It's just that it wasn't a very long future!
Chris
-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Baker
Sent: 20 March 2012 20:27
To: Issues related to Historic Environment Records; Chris Wardle
Subject: Re: HERstory
The index to the (then) Bedfordshire Sites and Monuments Record (f. 1971) went digital from Optical Coincidence Cards in 1982 thanks to a program written by Jonathan Moffet and a large 8-inch-disk computer known familiarly as 'tin-brain' but quietly much envied by the rest of the (then) County Planning Department as the first computer to cross its threshold. We were assured by the hardware recommender that 8-inch disks were the future ...
David Baker
email [log in to unmask]
Telephone +44 (0)1234 781179
Facsimile +44 (0)1234 782645
Mobile +44 (0)7974 842417
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Webster" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 4:59 PM
Subject: HERstory
I've recently come across the following report that dates the computerisation of the Somerset HER to 1983. It comes from the Bulletin of the Somerset Industrial Archaeology Society (SIAS) hence the industrial bent. I believe that the machine itself may reside in the basement of County Hall in the heap of old equipment that IT used to keep to read old disks. It was one of the first desktop computers in the authority.
"The County Council Planning Department has recently installed a mini computer for use with the Sites and Structures Record of archaeological sites and buildings. Over the next two to three years all the data currently held on record sheets will be transferred to the machine. It will then be possible to retrieve information in a whole variety of ways (e.g. by type, date, parish, land use, etc) giving archaeological research in the County a powerful new tool.
A temporary archaeological post, funded by the Department of the Environment, has been created to do the work under the watchful eye of Dr Ian Burrow, the County's Field Archaeologist. For the technical minded the computer is an Interdec Superbrain II with two drives for 5-inch diskettes.
Many of the entries already transferred reflect the work of S.I.A.S.
members, e.g. information about corn mills supplied by Derrick Warren or about limekilns by Tony Ward. A few weeks ago Brian Murless was able to view the machine in action and noted the simple way in which entries can be corrected and updated."
Chris Webster
Historic Environment Record
Somerset County Council
Somerset Heritage Centre
Brunel Way
Taunton
TA2 6SF
01823 347434
Online HER: www.somerset.gov.uk/her
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