Chilton Computing heritage archive

Over the years, we have collected over 3000 photographs and a fair collection of videos and other heritage artefacts relating to the Atlas Computer and Rutherford (Appleton) Laboratories, the technology and the staff who worked there. This is catalogued in the following pages on a best-efforts basis while we work towards securing a more suitable and permanent home for it all.

Photographs are catalogued (mostly) by date and fall into three main categories:

• Photographs taken by Harwell's Photographic Section. (Rutherford did not originally have a dedicated photographic section so events and projects were photographed by Harwell's photographer instead.)
• Photographs taken by Rutherford's Photographic Section (1965-2003)
• Photographs contributed by alumni and friends or other external sources

We welcome re-use of this material for non-commercial purposes providing suitable acknowledgement is given -- please read our image license terms.

Artefacts consists of papers and various bits of kit accumulated over time, or donated by alumni. Donors of particular note are:

• Papers donated by Joan Howlett on the death of Jack Howlett, the first (and only) Director of the Atlas Computer Laboratory;
• Archival material kindly provided by Trevor Amos, Oliver Atkin, Jim Austin, John Baldwin, Alex Bell, Paul Bryant, Bob and Jan Conrod, Jitze Couperus, Nigel Diaper, David Duce, Prof Iain Duff, Alan Francis, David Green, Jim Hailstone, Prof Bob Hopgood, Jack Howlett, Garry Hunt, Nero Knowles, Dik Leatherdale, Victoria Marshall, John McKay, George Michael, Robbie Roberts, Ken Robinson, Brian Spoor, Jim Stewart, Brian Sutcliffe, Eric and Judy Thomas, Brian Wichman, Bill Williams, Rob Witty and others.

We are always happy to consider adopting further material associated with the Atlas and Rutherford Laboratories, as well as AERE Harwell.

Our thanks to UKRI Science and Technology Facilities Council for hosting this site.