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ROBERT TINNEY GRAPHICS
331 East Carriere St.
P.O. Box 778
Washington, LA 70589
Phone 337-826-3003
Fax 337-826-5686
Smalltalk
Print Dimensions:
11" X 14"
Edition Size: 500 Prints
The computer language "Smalltalk" graced the cover of the August '81 BYTE. But what, you ask, is the meaning of the balloon and the island far below? The tale is a long one, but if you're really interested, read on!
Exactly 3 years before, the August 1978 BYTE cover had presented that month's theme, the Pascal computer language. For that cover, Carl Helmers (BYTE's Founding Editor) assigned to Robert Tinney the task of painting a rather esoteric allegory, in which Carl lauded Pascal, while other languages were, shall we say... besmirched. The Smalltalk language was portrayed as cloistered in an ivory tower, beyond the reach of average users.
For three years Carl suffered the slings and arrows of disgruntled Smalltalk devotees who resented the 1978 cover. Finally he had enough: Tinney's August '81 cover depicts the liberation of Smalltalk from the ivory tower far below! The Xerox developers and other Smalltalk supporters had the last laugh!