Angela Lorenz “Balzaculator”

Angela Lorenz “Balzaculator”

“This is an analog, proto-computer to determine which characters created by Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) appear in which stories or novels of The Human Comedy. In 1833, after Balzac had already started writing this collection of 90+ novels and stories, he realized the potential of weaving repeating characters throughout the works … Of the thousands of characters, all appearing four or more times are here. The loom apparatus pays homage to French weaver and merchant Jacquard, whose innovations around the time of Balzac’s birth constituted the first computer program: a series of punched cards to indicate a pattern to be woven automatically on a loom. The viewer may place the punched card in front of any of the 179 repeating characters in the Balzaculator colored dots will show the novels or stories in which a character appears.” Text from Reed Library, Reed College Library

Lorenz, Angela

1998

Angela Lorenz