IBM

The IBM iHorn is made from a vintage IBM Signal Horn.  It is a Simplex 4030 2-Horfire alarm or air raid siren from the 1940s.  These horns were used in factories or other commercials settings.  This piece measures a total of 18".

Most of have heard of IBM.  IBM was incorporated in 1911 in New York as the “Computing- Tabulating- Recording Company (C-T-R).”  It is an amazing foreshadowing that its original name included “computing.”  On February 14, 1924, the name was changed to International Business Machines Corporation.  When World War II began, all IBM facilities were placed at the disposal of the U.S. government. IBM's product line expanded to include bombsights, rifles and engine parts - in all, more than three dozen major ordnance items. Thomas Watson, Sr., set a nominal one percent profit on those products and used the money to establish a fund for widows and orphans of IBM war casualties.

IBM holds a special place for me.  My father worked for IBM and was on a business trip when he was killed in a commercial plane crash.  I was 2 years old.  

Simple, sturdy and alarming, the IBM computes, tabulates, records and will put you on notice of the import of humanity and our collective lives.