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Five original vintage circa mid-1970s photographs of The Byte Shop from the personal archive of Paul Terrell, ranging in size from 4.25 x 3.25 to 8 x 10, documenting the exact birthplace of the personal computer retail market. Founded by Paul Terrell in 1975 at 1063 West El Camino Real in Mountain View, California, this specific storefront secured its place in global history by placing the world’s very first commercial order for an assembled and tested personal computer: the Apple-1. These photographs offer an unprecedented, candid glimpse into the dawn of personal computing, capturing the casual, enthusiast-driven retail environment where Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and early Homebrew Computer Club members regularly converged.
Includes:
- a vintage glossy 8 x 10 photo of the Byte Shop's storefront, with stylish "Byte Shop Computer Store" signage in the windows and three vehicles parked out front. Accompanied by the original negative.
- a vintage glossy 4.25 x 3.25 photo of the Byte Shop's innovative 'Computer Demo Room,' showing pioneering personal computers and peripherals—the Altair 8800, Lear Siegler ADM-3A, a Teletype Model 33 Read/Write Peripheral—set up for demonstration against a huge lunar background.
- a vintage semi-glossy 5 x 3.5 photo of merchandise on display inside The Byte Shop, including posters, user's guides, t-shirts, and accessories.
- a vintage semi-glossy 5 x 3.5 photo of an Altair 8800 disassembled on a backroom desk for bench testing.
- a vintage glossy 4.25 x 3.25 photo of Paul Terrell posing with a framed set of "Byte" magazines.
In overall fine condition.
The Byte Shop was the epicenter of the microcomputer explosion. In June 1976, Paul Terrell famously agreed to buy 50 fully assembled computers from two young hobbyists—Jobs and Wozniak—on the condition they came pre-assembled, effectively forcing the creation of Apple Computer, Inc. as a commercial enterprise. This photographic archive provides an invaluable historical record, capturing the storefront, the inventory, and the founder.
Crucially, this archive features rare, period-correct images of Byte Shop founder Paul Terrell, the visionary retail pioneer who altered technological history by placing the world's very first commercial order for an assembled and tested computer from Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak of Apple Computer. Dating from the pivotal 1976–1977 era, these photographs offer an unprecedented look at the world's first successful computer store.
From the Paul Terrell Collection
