Allen (Steve) photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor, 1926-1997, bulk 1962-1979

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Summary

Title:
Guide to the Steve Allen photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor
Dates:
1926-1997, bulk 1962-1979
Creators:
Allen, Steve
Abstract:
The Steve Allen photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor contains photographs of professional photographer Steve Allen, a Fairchild Semiconductor and National Semiconductor Corporation employee from 1966 through about 1997. The collection documents executive employees, sales force, fabrication facilities, and products of Fairchild Semiconductor. The vast majority of the collection is comprised of photographs, negatives, and slides. There is a small amount of textual material.
Extent:
2 linear feet 2 record boxes
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], [Date], Steve Allen photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor, Lot X4360.2008, Box[#], Folder[#], Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The Steve Allen photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor contains the professional photographic files of Steve Allen. The collection represents some of the most innovative graphic design that took place in Silicon Valley in the 1960s and 1970s, including photomicrographs, photo macrographs, and life field metallography. After Allen became a contractor for NSC, he was allowed to keep those images that would be most frequently requested, most likely used in projects, or that he would generally need regular access to. The remainder of the files stayed at NSC. The records span 1960 through 1992 with the bulk of the collection being from 1962 through 1988. Topics include Sherman Fairchild, Fairchild Aviation Corporation, Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation and Fairchild Semiconductor, with approximately two thirds of the collection being related to Fairchild Semiconductor products and people. Unless otherwise noted dates are inclusive.

Biographical / historical:

In 1957, New York based Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation made a historic business decision when they sponsored the formation of Fairchild Semiconductor in Palo Alto, California. A group of eight scientists and engineers involved in solid-state electronics had developed a method of mass-producing silicon transistors using a double diffusion technique and a chemical etching system called the "mesa" process. Fairchild provided the necessary backing for the group's project and the development and production of silicon diffused transistors and other semiconductor devices began. The eight scientists and engineers were Julius Blank, Victor Grinich, Jean Hoerni, Eugene Kleiner, Jay Last, Gordon Moore, Robert Noyce, and Sheldon Roberts.

Fairchild Semiconductor became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation in 1959 and in 1961 became the Semiconductor Division. In 1959, Fairchild announced the development of the patented Planar process for semiconductor device manufacturing. The Planar process paved the way for such technological advances as the integrated circuit. In 1961 Fairchild introduced the world's first monolithic integrated circuit and in 1971 the isoplanar process for semiconductor manufacturing.

In 1968 the company's corporate headquarters were moved from Syosset, New York to Mountain View, California. In 1979 Schlumberger Limited purchased Fairchild Semiconductor as a diversification move, but sold the assets to National Semiconductor Corporation (NSC) in 1987. In 1997 NSC divested a number of former Fairchild mature product lines in a leveraged buy-out to executives based at Fairchild's former South Portland, Maine facility and the "new" Fairchild Semiconductor became a publicly traded company once again.

In early 1962 Richard Steinheimer was hired to start a photography department at Fairchild Semiconductor in Mountain View, California. Steinheimer hired Steve Allen (1938- ) in 1966 as a photographer. Graphic Art and Photography was a division of Marketing Services, which also included Advertising, Public Relations, and Reproduction and Distribution. Though the work at Fairchild Semiconductor was industrial, the photographers were encouraged to be creative and develop themselves as artists. When NSC bought the company the attitude toward creative staff shifted. The philosophy of NSC was not to have artists, photographers, and art directors on staff. About 1990, NSC sold Allen his equipment and made him a contract photographer. Allen continued in that capacity until about 1997.

Acquisition information:
The Steve Allen photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor was donated by Steve Allen to the Computer History Museum in November of 2007. These are the records Steve Allen collected during his career as a photographer for Fairchild Semiconductor and National Semiconductor.
Processing information:

While Allen's files were in active use, he kept them arranged chronologically and then by subject within each year. Since this collection contains a portion of Allen's complete files, the original order has been lost and no attempt has been made to reconstruct it.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in 3 series:

  • Series 1: A Solid State of Progress photographs
  • Series 2: Subject Files
  • Series 3: Collected history files

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Sara Chabino Lott
Date Prepared:
© 2008
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid created by Sara Chabino Lott. Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word. Date of source: November 5, 2008.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The Computer History Museum can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying any claims of the copyright holder. Permission to copy or publish any portion of the Computer History Museum's collection must be given by the Computer History Museum.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], [Date], Steve Allen photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor, Lot X4360.2008, Box[#], Folder[#], Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California.

Location of this collection:
1401 Shoreline Blvd.
Mountain View, CA 94043, US
Contact:
(650) 810-1010
research@computerhistory.org
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