Jack Kilby: The Eye of Genius
Photographs by the Inventor of the Microchip
July 12–September 21, 2008

View slide show of Jack Kilby photos

A quiet, unassuming man, Jack Kilby (1923-2005) had a creative bent that stretched from the invention of the microchip to the creation of photographs of great beauty. On September 12, 1958, Kilby demonstrated his prototype for the microchip to a group at Texas Instruments where he was then employed. His invention, also known as the integrated circuit (IC) or semiconductor, made possible limitless applications for computers, calculators, space age technology and much more. The IC is used today in nearly all electronic equipment; it was truly an invention that changed the world. For his contribution to the field of science, Kilby won numerous awards and honorary degrees including the Nobel Prize, National Medal of Science, and induction into the Inventors Hall of Fame. The year 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of Kilby’s invention, a year to celebrate and honor the man behind the genius.

The creativity Kilby displayed in his scientific inventions was evident in his photography, too. Well-known in the field of science, Kilby was a relatively obscure photographer, his passion for the subject known only to a few friends. He was a serious photographer, and in spite of the demands of his career, his output over the years was prolific. Kilby printed his own negatives and showed real ingenuity in framing, printing, and cropping his photographs. The subjects he chose fall into several categories: cityscape, industrial, landscape, people as well as abstractions and experimentation with processes.

After his death in 2005, Mr. Kilby’s daughters donated his photographs, personal collection of books, various papers and many of his awards to the DeGolyer Library, which is also home to the Texas Instruments corporate archives. “The Eye of Genius” exhibit will highlight Kilby’s photographs, his Nobel Prize as well as documents and museum objects from the Jack Kilby and the Texas Instruments historical archives.

Curated by Anne Peterson, DeGolyer Library’s curator of photographs, this exhibition has been organized by the Meadows Museum in collaboration with DeGolyer Library and will be installed in the downstairs galleries from July 12 to September 21.

Visit http://www.ti.com/tichip to learn more about Jack Kilby.