Among my many areas of concern here, I am Curator of Computers.
Yesterday, I received a telephone call from a man who asked what
computers we have on display (none).  He asked when we would have
computers on display (not in the next 5 years, at least).

Says I:  "What, specifically, are you interested in?"

Says he: "Well, I want to donate some stuff."

Says I:  "What?"

Says he:  "You know those cards that computers used to use?"

Says I:  "Do you mean punchcards?"

Says he:  "Yeah . . . You know the things that were punched out of
them?"

Says I:  "The holes?"

Says he:  "Yes.  I would like to donate some--I've got millions of them.
 I think that someone could make a creative and meaningful display out
of them."

I allowed as how that probably was something that wouldn't really
interest us (I used them in high school for confetti).  It was all I
could do to get the phone hung up before I burst out laughing.

I've been offered a lot of things, but never anything like this.

Have a good day!

Claudia
Curator
Museum Collections Department
Minnesota Historical Society
345 Kellogg Blvd. W.
St. Paul, MN  55102-1906
      Tel: 612-297-7442
      FAX: 612-297-2967
      e-mail:  [log in to unmask]