Philadelphia - Birthplace of the Computer

We arrived in Philadelphia with plenty of daylight left so took a quick run down town to get a feel for the city.  Naturally, I headed first for 33rd and Walnut, the location of the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electrical Engineering.  And there was the state historical marker that I wanted to photograph.


If that claim for the first digital computer sounds familiar, it may be because you remember a similar claim that I photographed in Ames, Iowa.


Resolving the conflicts between those two claims requires the skill of a "Philadelphia lawyer."  And you can certainly find them advertised here, right alongside the freeways.



Yes, U-CAN-SUE!

And when the holders of Penn's claim sued the rest of the computer industry, Iowa's claim came to light and saved the day.