Christie's to auction computer relics

'Origins of Cyberspace' will feature rare documents and technical items from history of computing.

February 22, 2005: 11:07 AM EST

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Computer geeks who love history will have a chance to get their hands on rare documents and technical relics at an auction in New York this week.

"The Origins of Cyberspace" sale is due to start at Christie's auction house Wednesday.

Items on the block include an early version of a data storage disc dating from 1951 that weighs 5.5 pounds and could hold about the equivalent of one paragraph of text.


There will also be a typescript of the first example of a high-level programming language, the Univac short code, dating from 1952.

One item sure to get attention will be "Outline of plans for development of electronic computers" by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, estimated at $50,000 to $70,000.

The Origins of Cyberspace collection will first be offered as a single lot, for one price, which was not disclosed.

But if that price isn't reached, the collection will be broken down and offered as 255 individual lots, according to Christie's.