Oh no! Now we're getting into the realms of who set up the first SMR - was it Don Benson in Oxfordshire (Oxoniensia 1974)? Though I think Lancashire had early provision also. Hope this doesn't paralyse the whole HER community!
Mike
Mike Shaw
City Archaeologist
Wolverhampton City Council
Civic Centre
Wolverhampton
WV1 1RP
e-mail [log in to unmask]
Tel: 01902 555493
-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Hancox, Emma (ACS, Archive and Archaeology)
Sent: 21 March 2012 08:48
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: HERstory
A time before computers.................We found the attached while clearing out to move buildings.
Emma Hancox
Historic Environment Policy and Advisory Manager Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service The Hive, Sawmill Walk, The Butts, Worcester
WR1 3TD
Telephone: 01905 765654.
Website: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/archaeology
The HER and Advisory Sections of WAAS are closed to the general public until Summer 2012. During this period we will continue to provide advice and information via email and telephone as normal. Where available, sources referenced in Briefs and HER Searches will be emailed on request. It will not be possible to visit the HER or our library until The Hive opens.
-----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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