How was data collected in the 1920s?

Question

How was data collected or stored in the 1920s? Were computers used, or other forms of technology?

Keep it to the 1920s please.

Answer 1

Hi Ryokashi,

In the 1920s there were no computers. Data were collected by hand, and tallied in ledger books. All forms of data were written down in books.

Answer 2

In the 1920s data such as the national census in the USA was collected by folks going door to door. The information was hand written and stored in each county court house or local government facility. It depends on ones definition of a computer, but modern day computers were not widely used until the late twentieth century. However, it is interesting to note that some cultures, such as the Chinese, used a form of computers and calculators as much as five-thousand years ago.

Answer 3

In the 20s they used handwritten notes, typewriters and newspaper technology (presses). This was before the first major computer (used to tally the 1930s census) was functioning.

They also had film (movie quality and 8mm film) which was used for news reels. Depending on the kind of data you are looking for, those might be important.

I believe they had ticker tape machines, too, but I'm not certain. These were used to keep track of activity on the NY Stock Exchange. Since the crash in 1929 was due to overactive amateur investors, it argues that the ticker tape machine had been invented and was in wide use. Telephones and telegrams were being used.

That first big computer (built for the 1930s census) was not complete and functioning in the 1920s. It was comprised of three buildings full of switches and vacuum tubes in which the technicians walked and flipped switches at the programmer's instruction. For more information on this, look for accounts or books by Rear Admiral Grace Hopper (one of the technicians on that early computer).

Answer 4

There was no electronic data storage as known today. The most used method was written by a person using notes. Official documents were notes then type written on a typewriter.

Movies didn't even have sound at that point. So much for multimedia.

Answer 5

Ever hear of file cards? 3 x 5 inch card were used, data was written on them and they were filed in file cabinets... (see how the word "file" is so common? It meant something else before it was used for "computer files."

Answer 6

Actually the use of punch cards and machines to read them and tabulate data were in use by the time of the 1890 census. They were developed by Herman Hollerith -- the guy who founded IBM.