Discovering Vintage Tech in the KIP

Pre-Prep to Year 12s have been having fun getting hands-on with some vintage technology over the past couple of weeks in the KIP. Students have been bashing away on a couple of 1950s' typewriters, having a great time playing on an electric typewriter from the 1990s, learning to dial an old rotary phone from the 1960s and playing ‘retro-school’ with an overhead projector from the 1970s.

The theme of Library and Information Week 2021 was 'Adventures in Space and Time', so an interactive display of vintage technology seemed fitting after National Simultaneous Storytime was streamed from the International Space Station last Wednesday.

We even have a boxy old Commodore Amiga Computer from 1987 which has been the catalyst for several conversations between KIP staff and students about all the steps we had to follow just to play a computer game way back in the '80s and '90s. The children were decidedly unimpressed with cutting-edge 80s' technology.

Here is what some of our Junior School friends thought of the vintage technology:

“It (the rotary telephone) is kind of satisfying, but a little bit harder, too." – Patrcick Geng, Year 6

“It (the 1987 computer) is very different to what we use today." – Audrey Hilbert, Year 3

“The (1950s) typewriter is very fun to use." - Griffin Egberts, Year 4

“It (the 1987 computer) is so massive!” – Scarlett Weaven, Year 3

“It’s so much quicker and easier to use today’s phones." - Tom Hunt, Year 6

“I think it’s great, amazing and it should stay here forever!" – Filippa Capone, Year 6