- Date:
- 1865
- Original Format:
- Carte de Visite
- Item#:
- MES22736
- Photographer:
- Henri Claudet
Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
Charles Babbage was the British mathematician who built the first computing machines, forerunners of the modern computer. He held a chair in mathematics at Cambridge University (1828-39). His Difference Engine (1821) compiled mathematical tables. In 1854 George Scheutz constructed a machine based on Babbage's designs, which printed mathematical, astronomical and actuarial tables, and was used by the British and American governments. Babbage's Analytical Engine (1856) performed a variety of calculations or "programs." But the British government suspended funding for his research and despite his significant achievements Babbage died a bitter man. This carte de visite is signed.