We just launched the Silent Memorabilia Auction. The first ten
items are now open for bidding. Fifteen more will follow in this week.
As of today, ten pieces of free software history are up for auction - which will you bid on?
As announced, we opened the first items in the Free Software
Foundation's (FSF) Silent Memorabilia Auction for bidding today. We
would love to see one or two of the auction items displayed on your
wall because we genuinely believe that you, the members of the free
software community, will take special care of these pieces of free
software history. These ten historical artifacts are available for
bidding as of today:
If you ever dreamed of GNU and Tux teaming up to save the day, this
composition is your dream come to life. The GNU General Public License
insignia on their chests proclaims them as the dynamic duo of user
freedom, ready to vanquish DRM and proprietary systems at a moment's
notice. There are other prints of this poster but this one is signed
by Richard M. Stallman and the artist Lissanne Lake, making it
double cool. Hang it by your workstation to summon daily GPL-approved
inspiration.
A classic serial terminal! Once a staple of just about every library
and office building in the country, this VT220 still works, and can be
connected to your favorite free machine over the serial
interface. Note that the keyboard is a bit busted. This is the same
terminal that was on the FSF reception desk for some time, introducing
visitors to ASCII art, NetHack, and other free software lore. This
VT220 comes with a USB serial converter with which you can connect the
term to a PC and initialize it via getty system service. The USB
serial converter is generic and works with Linux-libre. In the early
days of the GNU System, a VT220 like this was used to develop GNU
software.
Behold: the gnu that could front a 1980s hair metal band. Ripped
muscles, a confident stance — this drawing is your motivational poster
for how powerful free software can be when a bunch of hackers join
forces. Created in '93, it's peak retro GNU art, reminding us that
user freedom, like muscle, only grows stronger when we exercise it
together. The drawing by Etienne Suvasa decorates page 197 of Richard
Stallman's book Free Software, Free Society.
This original GNU artwork shows two leaping gnus drawn by Etienne
Suvasa in 1990. This drawing which is also called the "dancing
parentheses" is on the cover of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference
Manual and will be a great asset on your wall.
A retro pop-art poster celebrating icons like Richard Stallman, Linus
Torvalds, and other prominent tech innovators. The poster shows
pop-art style photos of the seven awardees who received the Takeda
award in 2001 and discussed their techno-entrepreneurial
achievements at the Takeda Award Forum 2001 in Tokyo. The seven
awardees are: Richard M. Stallman, Ken Sakamura, Friedrich
Schmidt-Bleek, Linus Torvalds, J. Craig Venter, and Ernst Ulrich von
Weizsaecker. These folks weren't just coding but rewriting the rules
for everyone else. It's visual proof that free software ideas could
electrify entire industries and shift paradigms. Display it publicly,
and watch your fellow hackers geek out over a serious piece of
computing history.
This brindled, stuffed plush gnu from Fiesta has been greeting
visitors in the lobby of the FSF office for years. Now, it would love
to migrate onto your computer desk or bookshelf.
This slick glass plaque honors GCC. GCC is the silent powerhouse that
compiles your code on almost every architecture known to
humankind. ACM SIGPLAN recognized what free software hackers have
known for years: building top-tier compilers without locking people
out is a game-changer. Display this and let visitors know your coding
heart belongs to freedom's toolchain.
An Amiga donated to the GNU project some time in 1990. FSF staff
programmers used it at MIT to help further some early development of
the GNU operating system.
This original GNU artwork was drawn and signed by Etienne Suvasa in
1998. The drawing shows a gnu holding a swatter in one hoof. Framed,
this original artwork will be a great asset on your wall.
This original GNU artwork was drawn and signed by Etienne Suvasa in
1981. The drawing shows a gnu wearing a computer as a helmet. Framed,
this original artwork will look fabulous on your wall.
We will unlock about five new items for bidding every day at
12:00 EDT (16:00 UTC) until Thursday, March 20. The bid period
for all items will end on March 21, 2025 at 15:00 EDT (19:00
UTC).
The silent auction will be followed by a live auction on Sunday,
March 23, 14:00 EDT (18:00 UTC). Review the FSF Memorabilia Live
Auction Booklet to learn about the prestigious items that will be up
for auction on Sunday and -- if you haven't done so yet -- don't forget to
register to secure a spot.
You can rest assured that all proceeds from both auctions will go
towards the FSF's continued work to promote computer user freedom
worldwide.
