From Flowers to Fibre – an interactive visitor exhibition telling the hidden story of Britain’s telecommunications journey from The National Museum of Computing and The Communications Museum Trust.
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The National Museum of Computing, Bletchley, 6 March 2023 – The National Museum of Computing (TNMOC) and The Communications Museum Trust (CMT) are together celebrating the anniversary of the start of a journey to modernise Britain’s telephone network under the engineering genius of Tommy Flowers, the man behind Bletchley Park’s Colossus code-breaking computer, with an exciting new exhibition.
Flowers and his successors at the General Post Office (GPO) and British Telecom (BT) worked for half a century starting in 1947 to make the existing copper voice network a faster and more reliable vehicle for the digital services we enjoy today. They not only turned research into core principles of technology underpinning telecoms - including fibre – they also built the world’s first digital phone exchanges in Britain.
The joint TNMOC and CMT exhibition Flowers to Fibre takes visitors on a journey through this often overlooked story: from first pilots of the prototype digital exchanges to the planned national switch from copper to fibre after 2025. It shines a light on the stories of those involved, too.
Flowers to Fibre is a hands-on, interactive experience that includes:
A working example of early Strowger electro-mechanical telephone exchange equipment, that dominated the national phone network and visitors can use to make phone calls.
Rare examples of components from the early modern exchanges, a prototype of System X digital telephone switching system, and ADSL pilot equipment from the dawn of Britain’s broadband.
The chance to experience “dial-up internet” today with the technology of the past – a 1990s’ PC/modem.
Press material from coverage of the GPO’s very first, ground-breaking digital-exchange pilot.
The chance for those involved in development of Britain’s high-speed phone network to record their stories as part of a new TNMOC archive project.
Visitors can also test their knowledge of Tommy Flowers, telecoms and more through our digital quizzes with STEM activities and competitions for families, schools and colleges.
Jacqui Garrad, TNMOC director, said: “We take the digital age for granted – broadband on the go, streaming media, social apps – but these would not have been possible without modern telecoms foundations. Tommy Flowers is rightly celebrated for his war-time work on Colossus but his contribution to laying those foundations is often overlooked.
“Flowers to Fibre celebrates the work of Tommy and his team at the iconic GPO Dollis Hill Research Station, plus their descendants. Their vision and conviction that technology could be done better regardless of the obstacles in their path is an inspiration to us all and something The National Museum of Computing and Communications Museum Trust wished to celebrate. We wish to thank CMT for their hard work and support in delivering this compelling and exciting visitor experience at our museum in support of this date!”
Andrew Wood, Trustee at The Communications Museum Trust, said: “The world we know today is only possible because of the global communications network that underpins it. This network transmits a vast amount of data daily, and our joint exhibition tells the story of the technology that made it happen.
“From the Strowger switch to packet switching, we celebrate the pioneering work and some of the individuals that helped to bring it to life. We are proud to partner with The National Museum of Computing to tell the story, preserving it for future generations.”
The exhibition will open on the 11th March with a gallery opening event.
10:30 - 10:45 - Refreshments - Welcome
11:00 - 12:15 - Dr David Abrutat Departmental Historian (GCHQ Historical Section)
12:20 - 13:30 - Gallery Opening - Visitors explore the Exhibition and meet the experts
13:30 - 14:15 - Lunch & Networking
14:15 - 16:30 - Visitors explore the Exhibition and meet the experts,Museum free flow
You can find out more and purchase tickets for the event on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/flowers-to-fibre-tickets-479544820467
The National Museum of Computing and The Communications Museum Trust are thankful for the support of Andrews & Arnold (www.aa.net.uk ) for its support with the exhibition build and transportation.
About The National Museum of Computing
Located on Bletchley Park as an independent museum, The National Museum of Computing (TNMOC) brings to life the history and ongoing development of computing for the inspiration and enjoyment of both the general public and computing enthusiasts.
TNMOC acquires, conserves, restores, and rebuilds historic computing machinery and related artefacts. The museum displays and interprets its exhibits to tell the history of modern computing, with a particular emphasis on British contributions. Many of the exhibits are maintained in working condition and regularly demonstrated, including the Turing-Welchman Bombe and Colossus code-breaking machines from WWII, the Harwell Dekatron Computer, the world’s oldest still working original computer dating from 1951, mainframe computers and minicomputers from the 1960s, 70s and 80s, through home and personal computers of the 90s, to modern tablet computers and smartphones.
The museum runs a highly successful Sandford Awarded learning programme for schools and colleges that introduces computing technology and coding to young people to help inspire the next generation of computer scientists and engineers. It also runs a popular ongoing programme of hands-on activities during school holidays and offers lectures and interactive events, both on-site and via remote Internet access.
About The Communications Museum Trust
The Communications Museum Trust Ltd is a non-profit charitable company limited by guarantee. The board of directors (trustees) is elected each year by our members. Membership is open to any individual as well as organisations.
The founders have extensive experience of working with various museums across the UK with significant communications & computing exhibits who have come together to lay the future for telecoms history preservation in the UK recognising that there was a need for a more formal central body to coordinate the collections which are geographically dispersed and ensure that technical skills and knowledge to keep these exhibits working are not lost for future generations. In addition to supporting physical collections they have an online museum covering many aspects of communication from the telegraph system of the 1800s to fibre broadband.