Paper data storage

Paper data storage refers to the storage, on paper, of data that can be interpreted by a machine or is the result of the functioning of a machine. A defining feature of paper data storage is the ability of humans to produce it with only simple tools and interpret it visually. Though it is now mostly obsolete, paper was once an important form of computer data storage.

The earliest use of paper to store instructions for a machine was the work of Basile Bouchon who, in 1725, used punched paper rolls to control textile looms. This technology was later developed into the wildly successful Jacquard loom. The 19th century saw several other uses of paper for data storage. In 1846, telegrams could be prerecorded on punched tape and rapidly transmitted using Alexander Bain's automatic telegraph. Several inventors took the concept of a mechanical organ and used paper to represent the music. Similar technology, in the form of discrete punched cards, was used by Herman Hollerith for his tabulating machines built under contract for the 1890 US Census.

The data tabulation industry and computer revolution of the 20th century led to several more uses of paper as a data storage medium. Hollerith's company later became IBM and his cards were widely used with computers through the 1970s. Other technologies were also developed that allowed tabulating machines and computers to work with marks on paper instead of punched holes. This technology was widely used for tabulating votes and grading standardized tests. Barcodes made it possible for any object that was to be sold or transported to have some computer readable information securely attached to it.