The Mapping Museum research project was created to look at the increase in the number of museums in the UK. As part of this project, Carol Deer and Mike Deer were interviewed about the Micro Museum.

Explore more about the Mapping Museum project here and read the Deer's interview below:

Interview summary

Name of persons being interviewed: Carol Deer, Mike Deer

Location of interview: Micro Museum, Ramsgate

Date of Recording: 05 November 2018

Recording Length: 01:14:29

Name of interviewer: Dr Toby Butler

Description: The Micro Museum showcases vintage computers, video gaming, and micro-electronics such as mobile phones, small electronic games, and toys; an array of consoles and computers are working and visitors can play games and try programming on them

Summary of main points in interview: The museum displays the Deers’ personal collection of vintage computers, games consoles and associated electronics – "anything that’s got a microchip in it" – from the late 1970s to 2014.

The first version of the museum opened for a few weeks in the summer of 2005. The museum in its present location opened in 2014. Three to five volunteers help Carol and Mike Deer run the museum.

While living in Barking they first experienced curating a display for an exhibition at Barking Central Library and participated in the "Carry on Collecting" exhibition of private collections at the Museum of London. The exhibition space was small, but they had working computers, games and some history boards. They built the display cabinets themselves. Mike collects and has expertise on the equipment; Carol researches the history.

Mike says visitors to the museum range from computer engineers, nostalgic adults and children who want to play on the games. They have a quiz to encourage the children to find out more about the history of computing, and they are part of the Children’s University. He started collecting in 1981 when he bought a Sinclair ZX81 in his mid-twenties. This led to buying more powerful computers.

Consumer electronics developed quickly and fantastic equipment was seen as obsolescent and could be bought cheaply. Many people kept equipment in the attic, but damp conditions are bad for electronics, which also means equipment donated to the museum often doesn’t work.

Carol discusses her research into history, mathematics, and women in computing. Mike also became interested in Clive Sinclair and Alan Sugar (who went to the same school as Mike). Carol explains that the collection had overtaken the house, shed and loft and they decided that they wanted to share the collection with the public. They were also looking for a place to retire to and found the premises (two buildings) in Ramsgate.

Visitor numbers are around 2,000 per year (they are open weekends, April to October). They have plans to open an extra day and open the second building, to have display space in one and the games playing in the other. A particularly proud moment was winning the Pride of Thanet Award. They discuss the challenge of advertising cheaply and reaching out to schools.