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 YEAR: 1955
 ITEM: Childrens' Comp./Game
 COMPANY: Oliver Garfield Co., Inc.
 COUNTRY: USA
 IN OUR COLLECTION: Yes
RARITY: Not rare   Click here for further information on our rarity scale Information on the rarity of this item is unknown.

Geniac

A view of the vintage Geniac an important part of computer history

Geniac, which is short for Genius Almost-Automatic Computer, is essentially an educational toy for young people. It can be assembled to play games, like tic-tac-toe, or solve arithmetic puzzles. There are 125 separate circuits for operating each "brain machine"2.

In 1955, Edmund Berkeley and Oliver Garfield began producing the first Geniacs. The partnership between Berkeley and Garfield did not last long. The two had disputes which culminated in a lawsuit. As a result, Garfield continued to sell his version of the product as the "Geniac" for a time, and Berkeley started selling his official version of the product as the "Brainiac"1. The Geniac model in our collection is one of the Oliver Garfield Co., Inc. models.

We also have the original documents that come with the kit. These include:
Information on Simple Electric Brain Machines and how to use them.
Beginners Manual
Wiring Diagrams
Machine to Compose Music
Symbolic Analysis of Relay Circuits
Geniac Study Guide
Labels for Geniac
Design-O-Mat

1. Popular Electronics. October 1958.
2. J.K. Petersen. Fiber Optics Illustrated Dictionary. Page 395.



Viewer Stories & Comments
   dave b     st louis, usa     March 10, 2022

       My first introduction to Boolean Logic, and digital logic.

   Richard Kirschenbaum     Sycamore, IL, USA     December 21, 2021

       Can anyone tell me what an original GENIAC computer kit from 1958 would be worth. It is in its original shipping box.

   Douglas C Kubler     Thousand Oaks, United States     November 26, 2017

       I had a GENIAC as a 10-year old. Fascinating to see it again. The site says you have the original documents. Will you please scan the documents for online display? If I remember correctly the documents contain the thesis of Claude Shannon, a big step up for a 10-year old.






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IMAGES
Click on any of the images below to see the slideshow.
Original box. Closeup of shipping label. Materials in the box.