Census tech: When punch cards reigned
Paper punch cards enjoyed a remarkably long tenure at the U.S. Census Bureau, from the 1890s through the 1960s. Hollerith's "statistical pianos," developed for the 1890 census, led to the creation of IBM.
Hollerith tabulators
Eventually, Hollerith's patents were bought by a business known as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. You may have heard of it by its later name: IBM.
Hollerith's tabulators, sometimes called "statistical pianos," were one of the first steps toward what we now think of as the information technology revolution. They were adopted by business for payroll and inventory records; punch cards were in use through the 1960s.
Tabulator and pantograph
One clever twist: Hollerith made sure that his paper cards were the same size as the dollar bills that existed at the time, so existing boxes and cabinets could be re-used.
Card puncher
Making punch cards
Machinists in the 1950s
Occupied Dwelling Schedule
Punch card sorter
1910 Census form
1920 Census form
Mechanical sorter
The typewritten caption says: "This machine is a mechanical sorter which is used by the United States Census Bureau in its tabulation system. The machine sorts cards automatically into different classifications as may be required. For instance, cards representing the workers of a certain section of the country will be run through this machine to show the number of carpenters, chauffers, mechanics, etc."