Cracking Hitler’s codes with Colossus – the world’s first electronic computer

The National Museum of Computing houses the world’s largest collection of working, historic computers. Among them, a rebuild of Colossus – the machine Bletchley Park codebreakers employed to crack Adolf Hitler’s messages with his high-command during the Second World War. TNMOC commissioned me on the 75th anniversary of D-Day to go beyond the technology and explore the military impact made by Colossus to a wider audience.

Through primary research and collaboration with technology experts, I built the new Colossus story. I created the exhibition design to fit with the existing Colossus Gallery by working closely with a designer of the museum’s choosing. My work featured on the BBC online and in The Times. TNMOC chair of trustees Andrew Herbert says of my work: “Working with newly researched materials, to a very tight schedule and limited budget, Gavin produced a thoroughly engaging display about the role of the Colossus decrypts in the run-up to D-Day.”