What if the World’s first computer programmer came back to inspire women and girls to pursue achievements in the fields of science, technology, engineering, ART and mathematics (STEAM)? 

As part of ModVic’s ‘Flights of ReImagination’ Series, Bruce Rosenbaum’s latest Humachine sculpture is another collaboration with Jon Bander, owner of Notorious Weld. A daughter of the eccentric writer and poet, Lord Byron, Ada Lovelace is considered to be the world’s first computer programmer – as a result of her work and lifelong friendship with Charles Babbage a prominent professor of mathematics at Cambridge.

Babbage was the inventor of a new calculating machine called the Difference Engine – he was a pioneer of early computers. Ada called herself “an Analyst (& Metaphysician)”. From a young age her mother had her tutored in mathematics and science. This was to counter-balance the more poetic and whimsical traits of her emotion driven father.

Despite these efforts by a mother to temper an eccentric daughter, Ada’s in-depth study of mathematics is what drove her to dream of inventing steam powered wings in the likeness of Leonardo da Vinci’s batwing Ornithopter flying machine.

Bander sculpted and created the look of ‘Ada’s Ornijethopter’ to pay tribute to the past, while incorporating today’s engineering ideas in true reimagination form.

The experimental, fantastical Steampunk flying machine piloted by Ada Lovelace integrates the natural flapping bird wing motion with a jet rocket pack and fan blade drone technology to create controlled and sustained flight.

Invented in June 2021, Ada’s Ornijethopter can be seen outside the ModVic Gallery and Steampunk Wonderland in Palmer, MA.

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