Incredible set of nine color glossy 3.5 x 4.25 Polaroid photographs of several founding employees of NeXT Computer, a group highlighted by principal founder and CEO Steve Jobs. Also pictured are George Crow, Rich Page, Susan Kelly Barnes, Tom Carlisle, Bruce Blumberg, Lynn Takahashi, Bud Tribble, and Dan’l Lewin, all of whom were former Apple Computer employees. The name of each pictured employee is annotated in the lower border in an unknown hand. The consignor notes that these pictures were taken shortly after the formation of NeXT and that these Polaroids were used as temporary company ID badges. Presented in their original file folder, with each photo stapled to their protective sleeve. In overall fine condition.
George Crow — Vice President of Analog Hardware Engineering
Crow joined the original Macintosh development team at Apple Computer in 1981 and designed the analog board containing the power supply and video circuitry for the first Macintosh 128K. When the prototype developed problems with the early Twiggy drive, he worked behind the scenes to replace it with Sony's new 3.5-inch floppy mechanism. He left Apple with Jobs in 1985 to become a co-founding member of NeXT as the Vice President of Analog Hardware Engineering, ultimately leaving NeXT to work for SuperMac and then Truevision. In 1999, Crow returned to Apple with Jobs back as CEO.
Rich Page — Vice President of Digital Hardware Engineering
Page was recruited by Jobs to join Apple Computer at the urging of John Couch. Among his achievements, Page chose to use the Motorola 68000 processor in the Lisa and the first Macintosh 128K, and he later prototyped Apple's first portable computer and the 68020-based system. Page became an Apple Fellow in 1983 and, two years later, he left Apple and joined Jobs as a founding member of NeXT. Page was responsible for developing the NeXTcube and NeXTstation.
Susan Kelly Barnes — Chief Financial Officer
Barnes joined Apple Computer in 1981 as the financial controller of the Macintosh division, first reporting to financial executive Debi Coleman and then directly to co-founder Steve Jobs. In 1985, Barnes and Coleman helped Jobs get Apple to acquire a 19.99% stake in Adobe Systems, the developer of PostScript. Barnes left Apple and joined Jobs as a founding member of NeXT, where she became the Chief Financial Officer. In 1989, she helped arrange an investment of $100 million by Canon in exchange for a 16.7 percent stake in the company. Barnes married fellow Apple and NeXT colleague Bud Tribble.
Tom Carlisle — Director of Facilities
Carlisle was an early employee of Apple Computer who worked as an interior designer. He followed Jobs to NeXT and became one of its first 10 employees as the director of facilities. Carlisle later became the facilities director at Jobs' other venture, Pixar.
Bruce Blumberg — Product Marketing Manager and Senior Development Support Engineer
Blumberg joined Apple in 1981 and later became a product manager in the Lisa and Macintosh divisions. In 1985, Blumberg followed Jobs to NeXT and became one of its first employees. He left NeXT in 1992 to continue his studies and became an assistant professor at the MIT Media Lab.
Lynn Takahashi — Office Manager
Takahashi was a member of the original Macintosh development team at Apple Computer where she worked as an assistant to co-founder Steve Jobs. In 1985, she followed Jobs to NeXT where she served as the office manager.
Guy ‘Bud’ Tribble —Vice President of Software Engineering
Tribble was recruited by Jef Raskin to join the original Macintosh development team at Apple Computer in 1980, helping design the user interface of the system software as manager of Mac software. He later joined Jobs at NeXT, where he became an expert in software design and object-oriented programming. Tribble is one of the few early Apple Computer employees to have completed a ‘round trip’ with Jobs to NeXT, and then back to Apple after it acquired NeXT Software in 1997.
Dan’l Lewin — Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Lewin was hired by Apple in January 1981 and, while assigned to the Macintosh division, established the Apple University Consortium. He eventually became the Director of Global Education Sales and Marketing. He left Apple with Jobs in 1985 and became a founding member of NeXT, where he became the Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
