[COFF] More LCM fallout

[COFF] More LCM fallout

[Noel Chiappa]

I just noticed this:

  Sep 2018: The Multics History Project Archives were donated to the Living
  Computer Museum in Seattle. This included 11 boxes of tapes, and 58 boxes of
  Multics and CTSS documentation and listings. What will happen to these items
  is unknown.
	https://multicians.org/multics-news.html#events

That last sentence is ironic; I _assume_ it was written before the recent news.

I wonder what will happen to all such material at the LCM. Anyone know?

	Noel

[COFF] Re: More LCM fallout

[Chris Hanson]

On Jul 13, 2024, at 6:17 AM, Noel Chiappa <jnc@mercury.lcs.mit.edu> wrote:
> 
> I wonder what will happen to all such material at the LCM. Anyone know?

Having talked to some folks close to this, my understanding is that what’s being auctioned off are pieces from Paul Allen’s *personal* collection, some (or all?) of which were *on loan* to the LCM.

My understanding is that the LCM’s own collection is *not* being auctioned off, but is instead part of the package for whoever acquires the museum as a whole.

  -- Chris

[COFF] Re: More LCM fallout

[Aron Insinga]

How is the LCM not part of his personal collection?  It's part of his 
estate.  IIUC he had not created and transferred it to another legal 
entity.  (I wish he had, but....)


On 7/27/24 17:18, Chris Hanson wrote:
> On Jul 13, 2024, at 6:17 AM, Noel Chiappa <jnc@mercury.lcs.mit.edu> wrote:
>> I wonder what will happen to all such material at the LCM. Anyone know?
> Having talked to some folks close to this, my understanding is that what’s being auctioned off are pieces from Paul Allen’s *personal* collection, some (or all?) of which were *on loan* to the LCM.
>
> My understanding is that the LCM’s own collection is *not* being auctioned off, but is instead part of the package for whoever acquires the museum as a whole.
>
>    -- Chris
>

[COFF] Re: More LCM fallout

[Charles Anthony]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1184 bytes --]

The Multics tapes, documentation and the 6180 maintenance panel have been
transferred to SDF, a Seattle area computing nonprofit.

https://sdf.org/

The maintenance panel has been relocated to its new home, and is up and
running and online. (I went and visited it today.)


-- Charles

On Sun, Jul 28, 2024, 11:10 AM Aron Insinga <aki@insinga.com> wrote:

> How is the LCM not part of his personal collection?  It's part of his
> estate.  IIUC he had not created and transferred it to another legal
> entity.  (I wish he had, but....)
>
>
> On 7/27/24 17:18, Chris Hanson wrote:
> > On Jul 13, 2024, at 6:17 AM, Noel Chiappa <jnc@mercury.lcs.mit.edu>
> wrote:
> >> I wonder what will happen to all such material at the LCM. Anyone know?
> > Having talked to some folks close to this, my understanding is that
> what’s being auctioned off are pieces from Paul Allen’s *personal*
> collection, some (or all?) of which were *on loan* to the LCM.
> >
> > My understanding is that the LCM’s own collection is *not* being
> auctioned off, but is instead part of the package for whoever acquires the
> museum as a whole.
> >
> >    -- Chris
> >
>
>

[-- Attachment #2: Type: text/html, Size: 1682 bytes --]

[COFF] Re: More LCM fallout

[Chris Hanson]

I believe the LCM was always a distinct legal entity—regardless of the *ownership of* that legal entity—which would make it a distinct asset separate from his other assets. Similarly, his collection could be one asset, or it could be a large variety of assets, depending on how (and whether) he structured such things.

  -- Chris

> On Jul 28, 2024, at 11:04 AM, Aron Insinga <aki@insinga.com> wrote:
> 
> How is the LCM not part of his personal collection?  It's part of his estate.  IIUC he had not created and transferred it to another legal entity.  (I wish he had, but....)
> 
> 
> On 7/27/24 17:18, Chris Hanson wrote:
>> On Jul 13, 2024, at 6:17 AM, Noel Chiappa <jnc@mercury.lcs.mit.edu> wrote:
>>> I wonder what will happen to all such material at the LCM. Anyone know?
>> Having talked to some folks close to this, my understanding is that what’s being auctioned off are pieces from Paul Allen’s *personal* collection, some (or all?) of which were *on loan* to the LCM.
>> 
>> My understanding is that the LCM’s own collection is *not* being auctioned off, but is instead part of the package for whoever acquires the museum as a whole.
>> 
>>   -- Chris
>> 
> 

[COFF] Re: More LCM fallout

[Lars Brinkhoff]

This presentation reveals a little more about LCM and a new upcoming
museum:

https://toobnix.org/w/ozjGgBQ28iYsLTNbrczPVo

[COFF] Re: More LCM fallout

[Dan Halbert]

Late followup in this thread: here is the Christie's auction for items 
being auctioned off:
https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/firsts-history-computing-paul-g-allen-collection/lots/3726

[COFF] Re: More LCM fallout

[John Levine]

It appears that Dan Halbert <halbert@halwitz.org> said:
>Late followup in this thread: here is the Christie's auction for items 
>being auctioned off:
>https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/firsts-history-computing-paul-g-allen-collection/lots/3726

Many of the bids are underwhelming.  KA-10 for $300, KI-10 for $400, KS-10 for $400.

Somebody wants the IBM 7090, bid $11,000 but still well below the $40-$60K estimate,
and somebody really wants the CDC 6500, bid $160,000.

All plus packing and shipping from Seattle, of course.

[COFF] Re: More LCM fallout

[Chris Hanson]

On Aug 30, 2024, at 3:09 PM, John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> wrote:
> 
> It appears that Dan Halbert <halbert@halwitz.org> said:
>> Late followup in this thread: here is the Christie's auction for items 
>> being auctioned off:
>> https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/firsts-history-computing-paul-g-allen-collection/lots/3726
> 
> Many of the bids are underwhelming.  KA-10 for $300, KI-10 for $400, KS-10 for $400.

Underwhelming, or reasonable?

It’s a serious pain to get a Christie’s account, plus fees & tax add about 25% on top of a bid. The only reason eBay prices for old hardware are so high right now has been a bunch of YouTubers chasing clout and treating old hardware like a Funko Pop to put on a shelf to show how cool you are.

> Somebody wants the IBM 7090, bid $11,000 but still well below the $40-$60K estimate,
> and somebody really wants the CDC 6500, bid $160,000.
> 
> All plus packing and shipping from Seattle, of course.

It doesn’t help that the kinds of people “helping” Christie’s put together their estimates are YouTubers chasing clout.

  -- Chris

[COFF] Re: More LCM fallout

[John R Levine]

On Sun, 1 Sep 2024, Chris Hanson wrote:
>> It appears that Dan Halbert <halbert@halwitz.org> said:
>>> Late followup in this thread: here is the Christie's auction for items
>>> being auctioned off:
>>> https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/firsts-history-computing-paul-g-allen-collection/lots/3726
>>
>> Many of the bids are underwhelming.  KA-10 for $300, KI-10 for $400, KS-10 for $400.
>
> Underwhelming, or reasonable?

Both, I would say.  It's hard to believe those lowball bids are serious 
since it would cost a fortune to pack and move those machines.  As the 
small print says, you have to disassemble them and it is not easy to take 
them apart in a way that gives you any hope of putting them back together 
later.

Regards,
John Levine, johnl@taugh.com, Taughannock Networks, Trumansburg NY
Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly

[COFF] Re: More LCM fallout

[Grant Taylor via COFF]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 588 bytes --]

On 9/2/24 04:45, John R Levine wrote:
> Both, I would say.  It's hard to believe those lowball bids are serious 
> since it would cost a fortune to pack and move those machines.  As the 
> small print says, you have to disassemble them and it is not easy to 
> take them apart in a way that gives you any hope of putting them back 
> together later.

That seems to be predicated on the desire to take them part in a way 
that gives you any hope of putting them back together.

Is there any reason to think that scrappers wouldn't toss a lo-ball bid?



-- 
Grant. . . .

[-- Attachment #2: S/MIME Cryptographic Signature --]
[-- Type: application/pkcs7-signature, Size: 4033 bytes --]