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Hewlett-Packard's history frozen in time

William Hewlett and Dave Packard's 1960's-era offices look today just as they did then.

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james-martin-profile-crop
James Martin
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1 of 18 James Martin/CNET

Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard began their work in Dave's garage on Addison Avenue in Palo Alto in 1939 -- it was the beginnings of what Silicon Valley has grown into today.

HP went public in 1957 after growing rapidly and headquartered the business at 1501 Page Mill Road in Palo Alto, California.

Today, that location is home to HP Labs, but the historical significance of the symbolic founders of Silicon Valley has been so well preserved it looks just as it did in 1960.

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2 of 18 James Martin/CNET

Bill Hewlett once left a penny on his desk, quipping that eventually someone would take it.

His secretary replied that no, everyone was in such awe of him, no one would ever take it.

No one ever picked it up, the penny stayed. Soon, visitors began leaving money as an homage to Bill which continues to this day.

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3 of 18 James Martin/CNET

A giant 26-cigarette ashtray with the design schematic for HP's first product, the 200A Audio Oscillator.

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4 of 18 James Martin/CNET

The floors, the ceilings, the furniture and the kitschy window designs are all remniscent of a bygone era in computing.

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5 of 18 James Martin/CNET

The sitting area in Bill Hewlett's office looks as if it could be from the set of "Mad Men".

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6 of 18 James Martin/CNET

Both Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard were known to have an "open door" policy towards HP employees, welcoming anyone in to discuss the company.

Just how extreme "open door" policy was is evident in the discoloration of the floor -- the dark color hidden behind the door resisted years of fading.

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7 of 18 James Martin/CNET

Personalized stationary, a letter opener and pencils still sit at Bill Hewlett's desk.

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An HP logo pen holder on Bill Hewlett's desk.

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Light switches and other fixtures in the two adjoining offices are original.

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10 of 18 James Martin/CNET

The view from Dave Packard's desk gives a clear line of sight through the connecting doorway to Bill Hewlett's chair.

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Remember when all phones had cords?

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A view of Dave Packard's desk at HP at 1501 Page Mill Road in Palo Alto.

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Both Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard's offices feature west-facing glass walls, which look out into a peaceful garden and towards the Santa Cruz Mountains.

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HP's boardroom, which effuses power and the creation of big ideas.

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An original Honeywell thermostat hangs on the wood-paneled walls.

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16 of 18 James Martin/CNET

The cracked and faded leather of one of the office chairs shows the years of HP history within the office.

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One of William Hewlett's desk phones.

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18 of 18 James Martin/CNET

Dave Packard's office, nearly frozen in time.

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