Images courtesy of http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/
The Inspiration for Charles Babbage's 1871, "Analytical Engine."
The Jacquard mechanism of digital control and digital imaging in the weaving industry
On Charles Babbage's Analytical
Engine |
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Jacquard is credited with combining a number of pre-existing inventions into an efficient and reliable mechanism for weaving complex patterns. The punched card was a crucial step towards separating the "information" of which warp threads to lift to form the shed, from the "power" required to lift them. Thus began the trend of increasing the ratio of bits per gram of storage medium (or bits per unit energy). | |||
Keystone Stereoview Keystone Stereoview, "90932-(8): Weaving the Linen Fabric - Linen Industry, Canada." Chains of thousands of punched cards, hanging above the looms, direct the patterned weaving process. |
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Explore a (large or small) 3d Stereo Pair for Eyes-Crossed Viewing. |
Explore a 3d Stereo Pair for Eyes-Parallel Viewing. |
Jacquard Mechanisms for Pattern
Weaving |
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![]() This Halton Jacquard mechanism from the 1920s (above) was used to weave the contemporary "Coquette" label (top-right) from a massive chain of punched cards (bottom right). There are 216 holes per card. The label is 21.6mm wide. The thread count is 10 per millimeter. Gift of the Pittsfield Weaving Company. |
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Monuments, Museums and Artisans Keeping the Technology Alive |
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The world's
largest monument to the Hollerith punched card: ![]() Formerly the IBM Research Center in West Los Angeles. Now the Otis Art Institute. |
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Jacquard Looms in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines,
France. |
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A Variety of Punched Cards, Rolls & Tapes Used in Data Processing. |
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![]() Three perforated Jacquard cards. One of many card formats. |
![]() Section of a contemporary perforated Jacquard paper roll. |
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McBee Keysort System for data storage and retreival |
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Some Contemporary Jacquard Mechanisms. |
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![]() Staubli 1000 stepper-motor Jacquard. |
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