3 ms·

Rebuilder of Colossus, Tony Sale, dies

59 points by sim1066 15y ago

there 15y ago
please edit this and put the person's name in the title.
- sim1066 15y ago
  Done. Sorry, new here- I know not an excuse!
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
rwmj 15y ago
I was only there a few months ago, and he was giving tours of the Colossus (and he looked great - would never have known he was 80). This is such a shame.
- michh 15y ago
  A couple of weeks ago for me. from what I understood the museum is struggling very much financially. Such a shame.... Perhaps a couple of wealthy hackers reading this can donate in his memory? It's a legacy worth preserving.
  - gamble 15y ago
    I think they're doing a bit better these days. They were able to get some lottery money to renovate the mansion, and Google has made a few prominent donations this year. The main problem is that the site is so large and most of the buildings are just cheap, unmaintained concrete shells that weren't intended to outlast the war. They might have been better off demolishing some of the less important buildings so that they could focus on the remaining structures of historical significance.
culturestate 15y ago
Shame. The story of Bletchley Park is what got me interested in computers as a kid, and I followed both the preservation efforts and the rebuilding of Colossus closely. I wish I had made it there before now so I could've had a chance to speak to him.
sasvari 15y ago
[..] Instead of going to university [..] He rose to become principal scientific officer of the intelligence agency [..] quite a career it is.
neilm 15y ago
I spoke to him only a few weeks ago. An amazing individual, unassuming and would chat with everyone. It's very sad to hear the bad news.
simonw 15y ago
What an amazing person. If you haven't been to Bletchley Park to see Colossus (and the other fascinating things there) you have an absolute treat in store. Last time I went they were using it to decrypt German Naval codes from the 1940s - lights blinking and tape flying everywhere. Incredible.
- dampier 15y ago
  Agreed on all counts. I was there in February, and can't recommend it highly enough for any self-respecting nerd. Many wonderful artifacts from the history of human ingenuity, and an incredible sense of place. It was there that I saw my first Dekatron! Mr. Sale's enthusiasm for and dedication to this functioning piece of history -- and to educating more recent generations about it -- were truly inspiring. It was fun to see a group of schoolchildren hanging on his every word as he pointed out parts of the machine ... after which he simply went back to tinkering with it alongside his colleague. I'm really sad to learn of his passing. But I'm deeply grateful for the legacy he's left behind.

59 points by sim1066 15y ago

there 15y ago

please edit this and put the person's name in the title.

sim1066 15y ago
Done. Sorry, new here- I know not an excuse!
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]

rwmj 15y ago

I was only there a few months ago, and he was giving tours of the Colossus (and he looked great - would never have known he was 80). This is such a shame.

michh 15y ago
A couple of weeks ago for me. from what I understood the museum is struggling very much financially. Such a shame.... Perhaps a couple of wealthy hackers reading this can donate in his memory? It's a legacy worth preserving.
- gamble 15y ago
  I think they're doing a bit better these days. They were able to get some lottery money to renovate the mansion, and Google has made a few prominent donations this year. The main problem is that the site is so large and most of the buildings are just cheap, unmaintained concrete shells that weren't intended to outlast the war. They might have been better off demolishing some of the less important buildings so that they could focus on the remaining structures of historical significance.

culturestate 15y ago

Shame. The story of Bletchley Park is what got me interested in computers as a kid, and I followed both the preservation efforts and the rebuilding of Colossus closely. I wish I had made it there before now so I could've had a chance to speak to him.

sasvari 15y ago

[..] Instead of going to university [..] He rose to become principal scientific officer of the intelligence agency [..] quite a career it is.

neilm 15y ago

I spoke to him only a few weeks ago. An amazing individual, unassuming and would chat with everyone. It's very sad to hear the bad news.

simonw 15y ago

What an amazing person. If you haven't been to Bletchley Park to see Colossus (and the other fascinating things there) you have an absolute treat in store. Last time I went they were using it to decrypt German Naval codes from the 1940s - lights blinking and tape flying everywhere. Incredible.

dampier 15y ago
Agreed on all counts. I was there in February, and can't recommend it highly enough for any self-respecting nerd. Many wonderful artifacts from the history of human ingenuity, and an incredible sense of place. It was there that I saw my first Dekatron! Mr. Sale's enthusiasm for and dedication to this functioning piece of history -- and to educating more recent generations about it -- were truly inspiring. It was fun to see a group of schoolchildren hanging on his every word as he pointed out parts of the machine ... after which he simply went back to tinkering with it alongside his colleague. I'm really sad to learn of his passing. But I'm deeply grateful for the legacy he's left behind.