Models and Mainframes

Or “Babes and Bits”. Whatever.

Back in the 50′s and 60′s, IBM and other computer companies were fond of promoting their big ol’ computers in association with mini-skirted women (or ‘girls’, as they were called back then). Sex sells, right? For some reason, I now find these photos hilarious. Here are some I’ve found on the Interwebs:

The oldest I could find is this picture of two female technicians working with ENIAC during WWII.

This girl (and a guy) are working on an old IBM Type T04.

Here are two babes and a box at Lawrence Livermore Labs.

Here’s another at LLL, operating a UNIVAC. I think she’s got a kind of ‘Barbara Stanwick’ thing goin’ on there.

Whoa! These babes really know their way around inside the guts of a UNIVAC!

This chick uses a plunger to pull up the false floor in the computer room.

Here are two miniskirted techs on an IBM System 360 Model 67 computer as installed in Newcastle University in 1967.

This site has photos of lots of female (and male) computerists working at Bell Labs in the late 60′s.

And then there’s this blonde with black stockings who’s running a UNIVAC. Rowr!

IBM tape drive, circa 1955. And a blonde. But no mini-skirt. Not yet.

You’ve gotta love this redhead with her PDP-11! Yowsa!

This is a whole roomful of (mostly female) punchcard operators at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I’m guessing late 60′s.

This gal is operating a giant digitizer for drafting illustrations, around 1963.

I just love this pic of the “Computer Secretary of the Future”.

This site hosts a half-dozen excellent photos of women with mainframes.

As does, of course, Jim Lileks in his wonderful online Compu-Promo display area.

Don’t be afraid to check ‘em all out! What would you rather be doing? Working? (I thought not.)

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