Ada Lovelace, born in 1815 in London as the daughter of famous poet Lord Byron, is considered the world’s first programmer. She enhanced the never-built Analytical Engine of Charles Babagge and advocated a vision of a universal computing machine. The computer language Ada is named after her.
To celebrate her 200th birthday, the Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum has dedicated a major exhibition on 700 square meters to women in computational science. The exhibition shows the significant role of women for the development of information technology. It features not only Ada Lovelace, but also appreciates other pioneers such as the programmers of ENIAC, Grace Hopper, Mary Allen Wilkes or Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann.
Archimedes Exhibitions has developed the scenography and the design of the exhibition as well as multimedia exhibits. Numerous interactive exhibits make technologies in the true sense of the word tangible, and thus comprehensible. Exciting presentations explain the challenges with which women had to deal with and illustrate their fight against social barriers. The visitor progresses through the exhibition in a journey through time; historic objects are complemented by modern multimedia stations, helping the visitors get a grasp for their working.
More information: www.hnf.de/adalovelace