Half a century ago, computers were not only expensive new technology, but also massive items; sometimes as big as a closet. Outside of government departments and academic specialists,  everyday citizens had little chance of ever seeing one.

Photographer James Ball, also known as Docubyte, collaborated with INK studio for his project – “A Guide to Computing”; photographs of various “ancient” computers from the 40’s to the 70’s placed against brightly coloured backgrounds. His visuals replace the cold impression of technology with a new sense of liveliness. The earliest featured computers include the world’s oldest Harwell Dekatron; The EAI Pace, which evolved from the Apollo launch program; and the Meda 42TA, one of only 20 produced by East Germany.

At the beginning of the project, James Ball visited the UK and Germany, searching for items to photograph from local museums and technology centres. After completing the shooting, he passed the images to INK studio for post-production, where these half-a-century old computers were polished to look like new items in a window display.

The photographs shot by Docubyte “have been ‘digitally restored’ and returned to their original form. As some these computers predate modern colour photography, Guide to Computing showcases them as they have never been seen before never,” revealed Ball on his website. This project’s ability to introduce a new viewpoint towards ancient designs makes it particularly attractive.