Jack Kilby is most known for his inventions in the field of engineering, but he was also a serious photographer, creating his own collection. His works are now on display at the Meadows Museum until Sunday.
The “Eye of Genius” exhibit in Meadows was donated by the Kilby family to honor the 50th anniversary of his invention of the microchip on Sept. 12, 1958. The exhibit portrays his many awards including the Nobel Prize, the invention of the microchip and his creative photography.
Kilby was a quiet man from Great Bend, Kan. who designed the first microchip for Texas Instruments. For his contribution to the field of engineering, Kilby was presented with numerous awards which are all on display in the museum.
Dr. Anne Peterson, curator of photographs for the DeGolyer Library said, “I am impressed with Kilby’s modesty and admiration for photography. Not only was he a great inventor, but he had a brilliant mind for photography.”
His black and white photos concentrate on different angles and views of his subjects. Kilby seemed to favor this stylistic approach of photographing construction sites from different vantage points.
Among the photographs at the museum are a collection of pictures displaying twisted manikins at a pawn shop in Deep Ellum. This collection depicts the great sense of humor Kilby had while also telling stories of true life.
His accomplishments in engineering transformed the world of technology. The microchip was built in 1958 for a design of the first hand held calculator. Although being an inventor was Kilby’s passion, his love for photography grew. Unfortunately, for some time his work as a photographer was unknown to many except his family and friends.
“The diversity of Kilby’s subject manner is quite impressive,” said Ian Aberle, manager of technology at SMU. “The most interesting thing about him is his passion for life that you clearly see attributed to his photographs.”
A genial and modest man, Kilby kept to himself about his many accomplishments in engineering. He began inventing at Texas Instruments in Dallas, TX where he stayed throughout his career. Kilby passed away in 2005 and more than 18,000 negative photos have been donated to SMU along with numerous memorabilia.
The Meadows Museum will be open this weekend for the final showing of the exhibit. The “Eye of Genius” will be open Friday- Saturday 10 a.m- 5 p.m. and on Sunday 12-5 p.m. The exhibit is free and is located on the lower level of the Meadows Museum.
