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ERNIE on show. |
The Science Museum in South Kensington, London is a great draw for children and adults of all ages. Within its cavernous galleries there is an inspiring mix of both static and interactive displays, which are guaranteed to hold your interest throughout the day. Temporary exhibitions often capture the technological theme of the moment, while also offering a retrospective glance into history. In recent years the rapid advances in computing power have displaced older machines, making the topic a popular subject to explore more fully. Studies have revealed that developments such as Colossus* can be traced back to the Post Office research establishment of Dollis Hill. Thus it is not surprising to learn that the Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment (ERNIE), which generates Premium Bond numbers, was a product of the same team.
* Colossus was developed to break the coded messages which were generated by the German Lorenz SZ42 cipher machine, during the second world war.
Up to February 2019, the power behind Premium Bonds was ERNIE 4, a chipset, which was produced by LogicalCMC and first used for a live draw in April 2004. In August of the same year, the Museum staged a one-day exhibition with a line-up of ERNIEs 1 to 4, spanning more than 40 years of number generating equipment. For this event, a small section of the massive ERNIE mark 1 (circa 1956) was brought out of long term storage. This was the one time that the first four versions of ERNIE were displayed at a single location.
When NS & I (National Savings and Investments), celebrated 50 years of Premium Bonds in June 2007, they were already working in conjunction with the Science Museum to put ERNIE mark 1 on permanent display. As I had previously been in contact with Dr. Tilly Blyth, Curator of Computing and Information, I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the preview of the opening on Thursday 26th June 2008.
ERNIE 1 Display
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The wonderful display of ERNIE Mk 1. |
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All four versions of ERNIE were on display for the first time ever in 2004 at the launch of ERNIE 4. |
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ERNIE 2 on display. |
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The launch event was hosted by science and mathematics personality, Johnny Ball, and attended by the engineers who designed and built ERNIE 1 almost 50 years ago, as well as those responsible for developing ERNIE 4, from LogicaCMG. The one day exhibition at the Science Museum was the first time that all four versions of ERNIE were on display together. |
Disclaimer: These pages are an unofficial review of ERNIE and Premium Bonds. Photos copyright Light Straw Archives, as marked. Other photos and images used with kind permission of National Savings and Investments (NS & I). With thanks to the Science Museum, NS & I, and BT Heritage.
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