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Difference between revisions of "Elliott Brothers"

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'''Elliott Brothers (London) Ltd''' was an early computer company of the 1950s–60s in the United Kingdom, tracing its descent from a firm of instrument makers founded in London around 1804.
'''Elliott Brothers (London) Ltd''' was an early computer company of the 1950s–60s in the United Kingdom,  


The research laboratories were based at Borehamwood, originally set up in 1946. The first Elliott 152 computer appeared in 1950.
* 1804 The company traces its descent from a firm of instrument makers founded in London around 1804.  


The well-known computer scientist, Sir Tony Hoare was an employee there from August 1960 for eight years and wrote an ALGOL 60 compiler for the Elliott 803. He also worked on an operating system Elliott 503 Mark II for the computer, although this was less successful and abandoned along with "over thirty man-years of programming effort." (c.f. The Emperor's Old Clothes)
* 1920 Jan. Physical and Optical Societies Exhibition. Exhibitor of electrical instruments.


John Lansdown pioneered the use of computers as an aid to planning; making perspective drawings on an Elliott 803 computer in 1963, modeling a building's lifts and services, plotting the annual fall of daylight across its site, as well as authoring his own computer aided design applications.
* 1946 The research laboratories were based at Borehamwood, originally set up in 1946.  


Elliott Automation (as it had become) merged with [[English Electric]] and was then taken over by International Computers and Tabulators ([[ICT]]); this marriage was forced by the British Government, who believed that the UK required a strong national computer company, shortly afterwards in 1968. The combined company was called International Computers Ltd. ([[ICL]]). Sometime later, ICL was acquired by [[GEC]]
* 1950 The first Elliott 152 computer appeared in 1950.
 
* 1960 The well-known computer scientist, Sir Tony Hoare was an employee there from August 1960 for eight years and wrote an ALGOL 60 compiler for the Elliott 803. He also worked on an operating system Elliott 503 Mark II for the computer, although this was less successful and abandoned along with "over thirty man-years of programming effort." (c.f. The Emperor's Old Clothes)
 
* 1963 John Lansdown pioneered the use of computers as an aid to planning; making perspective drawings on an Elliott 803 computer in 1963, modeling a building's lifts and services, plotting the annual fall of daylight across its site, as well as authoring his own computer aided design applications.
 
* Elliott Automation (as it had become) merged with [[English Electric]] and was then taken over by International Computers and Tabulators ([[ICT]]); this marriage was forced by the British Government, who believed that the UK required a strong national computer company, shortly afterwards in 1968. The combined company was called International Computers Ltd. ([[ICL]]). Sometime later, ICL was acquired by [[GEC]]


==Sources of Information==
==Sources of Information==
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Bros.] Wikipedia
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Bros.] Wikipedia
* [[The Engineer]] of 16th Jan 1920 p62

Revision as of 13:12, 8 September 2007

Elliott Brothers (London) Ltd was an early computer company of the 1950s–60s in the United Kingdom,

  • 1804 The company traces its descent from a firm of instrument makers founded in London around 1804.
  • 1920 Jan. Physical and Optical Societies Exhibition. Exhibitor of electrical instruments.
  • 1946 The research laboratories were based at Borehamwood, originally set up in 1946.
  • 1950 The first Elliott 152 computer appeared in 1950.
  • 1960 The well-known computer scientist, Sir Tony Hoare was an employee there from August 1960 for eight years and wrote an ALGOL 60 compiler for the Elliott 803. He also worked on an operating system Elliott 503 Mark II for the computer, although this was less successful and abandoned along with "over thirty man-years of programming effort." (c.f. The Emperor's Old Clothes)
  • 1963 John Lansdown pioneered the use of computers as an aid to planning; making perspective drawings on an Elliott 803 computer in 1963, modeling a building's lifts and services, plotting the annual fall of daylight across its site, as well as authoring his own computer aided design applications.
  • Elliott Automation (as it had become) merged with English Electric and was then taken over by International Computers and Tabulators (ICT); this marriage was forced by the British Government, who believed that the UK required a strong national computer company, shortly afterwards in 1968. The combined company was called International Computers Ltd. (ICL). Sometime later, ICL was acquired by GEC

Sources of Information

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