A treasure trove of historic tech artifacts, once belonging to the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, is set to go under the hammer at Christie’s auction house this fall. The collection, amassed over decades by the visionary technologist, offers a glimpse into the early days of personal computing and space exploration, and includes items from both Microsoft and Apple’s nascent years.
A Glimpse into Tech History
The auction, titled “Gen One: Innovations from the Paul G. Allen Collection,” will feature over 150 items across three separate sales:
- “Firsts: The History of Computing” (Online sale, Aug. 23 – Sept. 12): This sale will highlight the evolution of computing, featuring early mainframe computers, minicomputers, microcomputers, and artifacts chronicling the rise of Microsoft and personal computing.
- “Pushing Boundaries: Ingenuity from the Paul G. Allen Collection” (Live sale in New York, Sept. 10): This live auction will showcase a diverse range of items reflecting Allen’s broad interests, including scientific artifacts, space exploration memorabilia, and fine art.
- “Over the Horizon: Art of the Future” (Online sale, Aug. 23 – Sept. 12): This sale will feature visionary artwork inspired by space exploration and the future of technology.
Star Lots
Undoubtedly, one of the most coveted items in the collection is an Apple-1 computer, estimated to fetch between $500,000 and $800,000. This iconic machine, from the desk of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, represents a pivotal moment in the birth of personal computing.
Other notable items include:
- Early Microsoft memos and programming printouts
- A collection of Popular Electronics magazines, including the January 1975 issue that sparked the creation of Microsoft
- A Microsoft “Green-Eyed Mouse”
- A MITS Altair 8800
- A copy of “Computer Notes” with Bill Gates’ famous “Open Letter to Hobbyists”
- A set of nine early microcomputers that Allen and Gates posed with at the Living Computers Museum in 2013
The live auction will also feature an array of fascinating items outside the realm of computing, such as:
- A signed letter from Albert Einstein to President Franklin D. Roosevelt warning about the atomic bomb
- The original pitchbook for the television documentary series “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau”
- An abstracted sculpture by Antony Gormley
- The original procedures for America’s first spacewalk
- A four-rotor Enigma Machine from 1941
- A first-class luncheon menu from the Titanic
A Legacy of Philanthropy
Proceeds from the auction will go towards philanthropic causes, in accordance with Paul Allen’s wishes. This continues the legacy of the noted philanthropist, whose generosity has extended beyond his lifetime through the sale of his vast and varied collections.
Closure of the Living Computers Museum
The auction comes in the wake of the permanent closure of Allen’s Living Computers Museum + Labs in Seattle. The museum, which had been closed since the start of the pandemic, housed many of the items now up for auction. While the closure disappointed many, the auction offers a chance for these historic artifacts to find new homes and continue to inspire future generations of innovators.
