Ada Lovelace display at Totnes Museum, Devon

Visit Totnes Museum in south Devon from Monday 11th to Friday 29th October to find out more about Ada Lovelace and why she is a role model for girls and women who want to pursue careers in STEM subjects.

Coinciding with the creation of a new statue of Ada Lovelace by sculptors Etienne and Mary Millner, to be erected in London this autumn, the free display will include a maquette of the sculpture, an original drawing of Ada, and details about her remarkable achievements, plus information on career possibilities for girls in science, technology, engineering and maths. Puzzle sheets for children will ask them to crack a code based on computer punch cards, which of course were an important part of Charles Babbage’s plans for an ‘Analytical Engine’ on which Ada worked, and were effectively the first ‘computer program’. Ada also went on to see the possibilities of the machine creating things other than numbers, such as music and poetry.

Totnes and Devon have strong links to Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace. Babbage came from a Totnes family and went to school there for a while, and Lovelace spent a good deal of time with her family at their house Ashley Combe in north Devon. Totnes Museum is planning to expand its collections to emphasise the history of STEM subjects.

Entry to the museum is free and the museum relies on donations.

Opening hours Mon-Sat 10am-4pm (last admission 3.30pm)