Skip to main content

Search

My Visit
Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Maps and Brochures
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
      • Group Sales
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current
      • Upcoming
      • Past
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
  • Explore
    • - Art & Design
    • - History & Culture
    • - Science & Nature
    • - Innovation & Tech
    • Collections
      • Open Access
      • Snapshot
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Asian Art Museum Archives
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
    • Podcasts
    • Stories
  • Learn
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
      • Art & Design Resources
      • Science & Nature Resources
      • Social Studies & Civics Resources
      • STEAM Learning Resources
      • Professional Development
      • Events for Educators
      • Field Trips
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
  • Support Us
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Ambassador Program
      • Museum Information Desk
      • Docent Programs
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Participatory Science
  • About
    • Our Organization
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
        • Contact
      • Museums and Zoo
      • Research Centers
      • Cultural Centers
      • Education Centers
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Employee Benefits
        • How to Apply
        • Job Opportunities
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • Office of Equal Opportunity
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Small Business Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Contracting Opportunities
          • Additional Resources
        • Special Emphasis Programs
      • Sponsored Projects
        • Policies
          • Combating Trafficking in Persons
          • Animal Care and Use
          • Human Research
        • Reports
        • Internships
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

Ralph H. Baer Papers

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Donor
Baer, Ralph H., 1922-2014
Topic
Books
Firearms
Games
Litigation
Inventions -- 20th century
Machine guns
World War, 1939-1945
Weapons
Video games
Toys -- 20th century
Television -- History
Rifles
Pistols
Military intelligence
Provenance
The collection was donated by Ralph H. Baer in 2003.
Donor
Baer, Ralph H., 1922-2014
See more items in
Ralph H. Baer Papers
Summary
Ralph H. Baer was a German-born ordnance specialist, inventor, and engineer. He was a pioneer of early videogame technology. The papers include autobiographical materials; firearms notes, manuscripts, and photographs; and videogame and television engineering notes, diagrams, schematics, and video documentation.
Accruals
Additional materials were donated by Ralph H. Baer in 2006 and 2008, by Larry Mauksch in 2008, and by Mark Baer in 2016.
Biographical / Historical
Ralph H. Baer (1922-2014) was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1938. A graduate of the National Radio Institute (1940), Baer worked as a radio technician in the New York City area, servicing all types of home and auto radios. During World War II, Baer served in the United States Army, one year stateside, and two years in Europe. He was assigned to Military Intelligence and became an expert on military small arms. Baer returned to the United States with eighteen tons of foreign small arms for use in exhibits at Aberdeen, Maryland; Springfield, Massachusetts Armory; and Ft. Riley, Kansas. After the war, Baer attended the American Television Institute of Technology in Chicago, graduating with a BS in television engineering. In 1949, Baer joined a small electro medical equipment firm, Wappler, Inc., as their chief engineer. He designed and built surgical cutting machines, epilators, and low frequency pulse generating muscle-toning equipment. In 1951, Baer moved to Loral Electronics of Bronx, New York as a senior engineer, designing power line carrier signaling equipment for IBM. During 1952-1956, Baer worked at Transitron, Inc., in New York City as a chief engineer and later as vice president. In 1956, Baer joined Sanders Associates in Nashua, New Hampshire building airborne radar components. He became manager of the Electronic Design Department at Sanders and eventually Division Manager and Chief Engineer for Equipment Design. Baer retired in 1987. At Sanders in 1966, Baer began an independent project experimenting with ways for consumers to interact with standard home television sets. Development of interactive TV Game (TVG) ideas became a company-supported project continued by Baer and assisted by William H. Harrison and William T. Rusch (download the TV Game chronology prepared by Ralph Baer in 2006). By mid-1967, ping pong videogames were played inside Sanders, patent disclosures were applied for, and hardware was designed. Baer and his associates called the devices they were developing "boxes" and numbered the various versions one through seven. In 1971, Magnavox became Sanders Associates's first videogame licensee. Between 1972 and 1975, Magnavox produced and sold over 700,000 units of Odyssey, a set of games played on its television receivers. Atari became a licensee in 1976 after the first of many lawsuits won by Sanders in pursuit of patent infringements. During his tenure at Sanders and thereafter, Baer was a prolific inventor. His creations included many electronic toys and games and other consumer electronic products. Among the better known products based on Baer's work are Milton Bradley's Simon, Galoob's Smarty Bear Video, and Kenner's Laser Command. In 2004 President George W. Bush awarded Baer the National Medal of Technology. Baer married Dena Whinston in 1952 and they had three children, James, Mark, and Nancy. Ralph Baer died on December 6, 2014, at the age of 92.
Extent
16 Cubic feet (45 boxes and 1 oversize folder)
Date
1943 - 2015
Custodial History
Working in consultation with Ralph Baer from 2002-2005, David Winter provided important assistance in the discovery, identification, and organization of additional videogame history documentation relating to Ralph H. Baer, held at the Chicago law firm of Leydig, Voit & Mayer.  
Archival Repository
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier
NMAH.AC.0854
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Audiotapes
Audiocassettes
Cd-roms
Diagrams
Drawings
Interviews
Videotapes
Correspondence
Sketches
Photographs
Oral history
Notes
Manuals
Citation
Ralph H. Baer Papers, 1943-2015, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 12 series. Series 1: Autobiographical Documents, 1962-2006 Subseries 1.1: Manuscript, book and other documents, 1962-2006 Subseries 1.2: Other Media: CDs, VHS videos, periodical, 1991, 2000-2003 Series 2: WW II Small Arms Documents, 1943-1953 Subseries 2.1: Correspondence, 1950-1953 Subseries 2.2: Writings and notes, 1943-1948 Subseries 2.3: Drawings and schematics, undated Subseries 2.4: Manuals and encyclopedias, 1943 Subseries 2.5: Photographs, 1945 Series 3: Hans Otto Mauksch Materials, 1944-1964 Subseries 3.1: Personal background information, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1964 Subseries 3.2: Instructional materials, 1944-1946, undated Subseries 3.3: Ft. Riley, Kansas, 1946, 1953 Series 4: TV Game Documents, 1966-1972 Subseries 4.1: Working notes, diagrams and schematics, 1966-1971 Subseries 4.2: Administrative documents, 1966-1972 Subseries 4.3: Notebooks, 1966-1968 Subseries 4.4: TV game development documentation, 1966-1968 Series 5: Sanders Associates, Transitron, and Van Norman Industries, 1952-2003 Series 6: Product Development Documents, 1974-2015 Series 7: Product Guides and Technical Support, 1943-2011 Series 8: Legal and Patent Documents, 1966-2014 Series 9: Writings and Notes, 1946-1999 Series 10: Miscellaneous, 1961-2012 Series 11: Correspondence, 1983-2014 Series 12: Publicity and Awards, 1979-2015
Processing Information
Series 2 processed by Alison L. Oswald, archivist, 2003; Series 3 processed by Tiffany Draut, 2008; Series 1 and 4 processed by Cory Bernat, March 2006; supervised by John Fleckner, archivist; Series 5-12 processed by Sara Wheeler, June 2017; supervised by Alison L. Oswald, archivist.
Rights
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions. Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution.
Existence and Location of Copies
Select materials in Series 2 digitized in 2012; Series 4 digitized in 2006; and select materials from Series 6 were digitized in 2016.
Genre/Form
Audiotapes
Audiocassettes
CD-ROMs
Diagrams
Drawings -- 1940-1950
Interviews -- 2000-2010
Videotapes
Correspondence -- 1950-2000
Sketches
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1940-1950
Photographs -- 20th century
Oral history -- 2000-2010
Notes
Manuals -- 1940-1950
Scope and Contents
The Ralph Baer Papers include autobiographical materials and an extended oral history interview. The Papers also include materials about military small arms created by Baer during his World War II service. The largest portion of the collection documents Baer's work on video games.
Restrictions
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at [email protected] or 202-633-3270.
Related Materials
Materials at the Archives Center, National Museum of American History Ralph H. Baer Innovative Lives Presentation, August 15, 2009 (NMAH.AC.1179) The presentation documents a moderated conversation about Baer's life and work. Baer reenacts, with his partner William Harrison, the first time he played "Odyssey," the first home video game for the consumer market, which he invented, and answers questions from the audience. Materials include original video (born digital), master videos, and reference videos. Materials at Other Organizations Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play at The Strong Ralph H. Baer Papers, 1968-2010 inclusive; 1975-1998 bulk The Ralph H. Baer papers are a compilation of correspondence, game designs, drawings, notes, reference materials, photographs, product descriptions, digital videos, schematics, electronic components, and manuals utilized by Ralph H. Baer throughout his lengthy career in the toy and game industry. The bulk of the materials are from 1975 through 1998. U.S. Ordnance Museum, Fort Lee, Virginia Materials consist of data on foreign small arms brought back from Europe in 1946 by Ralph H. Baer. Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, New York Holdings include set of seven recreations of "TV game" prototypes originally created between 1966 and 1969, donated by pioneering game developer Ralph Baer. One of Baer's game prototypes, known as the "Brown Box," was licensed by Magnavox and released in 1972 as the Magnavox Odyssey, the world's first commercial home video game console. University of Texas, Austin, Briscoe Center for American History Ralph H. Baer "Brown Box" replica, 1952-1983, 2006-2012 The Ralph H. Baer "Brown Box" replica includes a fully-functional replica of Ralph Baer's "Brown Box," the prototype video game console that was used as the basis of the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972. The collection also contains related research materials.
Separated Materials
The Division of Medicine and Science holds artifacts related to this collection including early video game prototypes and TV Game products. TV Game Unit #1 (TVG#1); 1966; vacuum tube spot generator with Heathkit IG-62 Generator (See Accession 2006.0102.01) Heathkit IG-62; used with TVG #1 (See Accession 2006.0102.02) TV Game Unit #2 (TVG #2), aka the "Pump Unit," 1967; large aluminum chassis with wooden "pump" handle (See Accession 2006.0102.03) TV Game Unit #7 (TVG#7), aka "Brown Box," 1967/1968; prototype for Magnavox Odyssey (See Accession 2006.0102.04) Cardboard program cards for use with Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.05) Lightgun, 1967/1968; game accessory for Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.06) TV Game Unit #8, 1968; "de/dt" (velocity responsive) ballgame chassis for use with Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.07) Magnavox Odyssey (Model ITL200) video game unit, 1972; with all accessories in the original carton (See Accession 2006.0102.08) Milton-Bradley Company SIMON handheld microprocessor-control game, 1978 (See Accession 2006.0102.09) Ideal Toy Company MANIAC microprocessor-control game, 1979, in original box with game instructions (See Accession 2006.0102.10) Golf Game accessory, 1968; golf ball mounted on joystick handle for use with Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.11 "Brown Box" programming card, target shooting, 1967 (See Accession 2006.0102.12)
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1503513699154-1503513699171-0
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep82f137fe4-60d3-4527-aa78-fed55d4b4fef

In the Collection

Pages

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • next ›
  • last »
  • Untitled Notes and Diagrams

  • WW II Small Arms Documents

  • Autobiographical Documents

  • "Sanders Associates Engineering Notebook," authored by William Rusch

  • TV Game #2 Updated Schematic

  • Notes and Diagrams, including DMV Spec-Schematic #1, MOD IG-62 Block Diagram, MOD IG-62 Outputs

  • TV Game Data in Chronological Order, folder with lawsuit identification stickers

  • Patent Disclosure Sheet and Detailed Description form

  • List of Possible Games and Untitled Diagram of Joystick

  • Summary of Major Games

  • Parts order forms

  • Untitled Block Diagram; TVG Schematic

  • Bike Max and Bike Locks: Bike Max Patent Application Data

  • Television game development documentation

  • Bike Max and Bike Locks: Bike Man

  • Schematics, including "Spot Gen," "Summing Amp Modulator & FR Osc.," "Primary Flip Flop," "Secondary Flip Flop," "Joystick Amps," "Chroma Gen.," "Rifle Electronics"

  • Television Game Documents

  • Notes and Diagrams, including "Rifle Electronics," "Low Free Circulator Movement of Dot," "Method of Voltage Control of Delay Multivibrators," "Black Dot for Golf Putting"

  • Two Untitled Schematics

  • Price List, Cost Estimate, and Power Requirements

  • Miscellaneous Ideas for T.V.G., Company Memorandum

  • Untitled Diagrams

  • Bike Max and Bike Locks: HiTech Bike

  • Bike Max and Bike Locks: Bike Max II

  • Original Schematic, TV Game

  • Bike Max and Bike Pro

  • Notes and Schematics (and copies), including "Low Freq Multivibrator," "Spot Gen," "Gun Electronics"

  • TVG 1st Game, 2nd Game, 3rd Game, 4th Game, 5th Game and Mo-W.H.

  • Notes and Diagrams, including TV Sync Notes, TV Gaming Techniques, To Produce Moveable Dot, and Car Race

  • Volume II, Brown Box #7

  • Block Diagram; Updated Block Diagram; and Untitled Block Diagram

  • Schematic for TV Game Unit #6

  • Undated Schematics

  • Schematic for early May start of TV Game #2"

  • Notes and Diagrams, including "Game Sequence"

  • Product Development Documents

  • Notes and Diagrams, including "Pool or Billiards Game," "Hockey," "Wall Bounce"

  • Bike Max and Bike Locks by Milton Bradley

  • Independent Research and Development Plan and Special Sales Order

  • Game Unit #4 Rusch's Slicer Circuits as ball and paddle generators

  • Notebooks

  • "Sanders Associates Engineering Notebook," authored by William Rusch

  • Bike Max and Bike Locks

  • Notes, Diagrams, Schematics, including "Color Receiver," "Remote Unit," Target Game

  • Bike Max and Bike Locks: Bike Accessories

  • Notes and Diagrams, including "Chroma Channel" Block Diagram, "One Transistor," "Rifle Electronics"

  • TV Game time line

  • "Engineers' Notebook," authored by William Harrison

  • To add color to TV Game #3, Schematic

  • Second Experiment: Creating various hues from background and screen symbols

  • "TVG List of Games" Notes

  • TVG diagrams

  • Discussion with R. Solomon, Future Planning-TV Gaming

  • Some Proposed Basic Circuits and TVTY­NDB

  • "Sanders Associates Engineering Notebook," authored by William Rusch

  • Sanders Electrical Parts Lists

  • Notes and Diagrams, including "Spot size change" and "DMV Voltage Controlled"

  • TV Game Unit #4 Ball & Paddle Slicer Circuits adapted for cable

  • Layout for Gun Electronics in Pocket Radio Shell

  • Notes and Schematics,including "Game Truth Table," "Chroma Gen for Magnavox"

  • Proposal for Anticipated IR&D Programs and cost estimate FY 68

  • Disclosure Document

  • Notes and Diagrams and Switching Functions and untitled documents

  • Course Material

  • Notes and Diagrams, including "Target Shooting," "Test of Resistance Vrs Light"

  • Low Cost TV Data Entry Devices-Funding For, Memorandum and Operation of Color TV Set (4 copies)

  • Independent R&D Program Monthly Status Reports

  • Working notes, diagrams and schematics

  • "Cludge" Notes and Schematic John Mason's Original Idea, and Random Pulse Gens, Notes

  • Bike Max and Bike Locks: Bike Accessories

  • Bike Max and Bike Locks: VR Bike Lock

  • Administrative documents

  • Manuscript, book and other documents

  • Writings and notes

  • Unidentified block diagram

  • Notes and Diagrams, including "TVG Available Functions," "Utilizing Integrated Ckts," "Modulator Economizing," "Target Shooting," "Dot Disappearance"

  • Schematics of TVG Game Unit #3, completed August 2, 1967 (3 versions)

  • TVG Cost Summary, TVG-DigBox Estimate, and Price/Parts for Hockey ADD ON for TVG

  • Trike Fan Fare

  • Spokester Bike Tunes/Smart Traffic Light

  • Recording Handbook Prepared for the United States Army

  • Transitron Inc., Product Photos

  • Aircraft Machine Guns

  • Spatial Recognition

  • Interactive Video Playback System Patent

  • Heathkit Assembly Manual Solid-State Ignition Analyzer

  • Heathkit Manual Assembly 8-Channel Digital Proportional Receiver

  • Gillette Products

  • Volume II, TVG Development, Support to Magnavox

  • The Story of the Tommy Gun

  • Reconstructed Games and Accessories, TVG #7 "Special Hybrid" Brown Box

  • Audio Branching Player

  • Transitron Inc., Series Gate Modulation System

  • Smart Baby/Teach Me! Reading Doll

  • Strobe Light Research

  • Reconstructed Games and Accessories, TVG #8, Brown Box Replica

  • Scientific American Journal

  • Ralph Baer Oral History

  • Heathkit Assembly Manual Vacuum Tube Voltmeter

  • Nolan Bushnell

Pages

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • next ›
  • last »
Ralph H. Baer Papers
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer
View Finding aid

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Get Involved
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Accessibility
  • EEO & Small Business
  • Shop Online
  • Host Your Event
  • Press Room
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Sign up for Smithsonian e-news

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Back to Top