Open Tech Calendar

Synopsis: We think of computer graphics as originating with the early video games and computer-generated imagery of the 1980s and 1990s, however, its development goes back to the very beginning of electronic computation. In this presentation, I will trace the fascinating history of computer graphics, beginning in 1949 with Project Whirlwind at MIT through the developments in timesharing and computer-aided design of the 1960s and ‘70s to the high quality interactive graphics that give today’s personal computing devices their amazing capabilities.

Bio: Stephen J Marshall began using computers professionally in 1975 when they were room-sized mainframes which were programmed via decks of punched cards. In 1979, he had his first hands-on experience of microcomputers and was amazed by the incredible power and freedom that interactive personal computing offered. Since then, he has followed the development of computers with a fascination that remains undimmed with the passing years. He published his first book on the subject, The Story of the Computer: A Technical and Business History, in March 2015.