Existing comment:
Hollerith Key Punch, 1900:
Adopted by the Census Bureau for the 1890 decennial census, the Hollerith key punch was used to record census return data on cards that could be read, counted, and sorted by the electromechanical Hollerith Tabulating System. The cards used with the key punch were about 3.5 by 8.5 inches, with round holes and 24 columns. These cards were approximately the same size as the U.S. paper dollars that were in circulation at the time of the decennial census.
Hollerith Tabulating System:
Illustrated and displayed here is a selection of images and artifacts that captures the innovative spirit and efficiency of the Census Bureau. Beginning in the late 19th century, the Census Bureau embraced new technologies to improve the speed and accuracy of its data collection and processing duties. The objects represented here were built to support the work of Census Bureau employees who relied on the electromechanical and data storage innovations of American inventor and former Census Bureau employee Herman Hollerith. |