Russell Kirsch

Russell Kirsch
Photograph of Russell Kirsch
Russell Kirsch (left) in Portland, Oregon with Joel Runyon[1] in 2012
Born(1929-06-20)June 20, 1929
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
DiedAugust 11, 2020(2020-08-11) (aged 91)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
EducationBronx High School of Science (1946), BEE New York University (1950), SM Harvard University (1952), American University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology[2]
OccupationComputer scientist
Known forFirst digital image scanner
SpouseJoan (née Levin) Kirsch
ChildrenWalden Kirsch (KGW reporter), 3 other children[3]

Russell A. Kirsch (June 20, 1929 – August 11, 2020) was an American engineer at the National Bureau of Standards (now known as the National Institute of Standards and Technology). He was recognized as the developer of the first digital image scanner, and subsequently scanned the world's first digital photograph – an image of his infant son.[4]

Early life

Pioneering digitally scanned image of Russell Kirsch's son Walden, 1957

Kirsch was born in Manhattan on June 20, 1929. His parents were Jewish emigrants from Russia and Hungary.[5] He attended the Bronx High School of Science, graduating in 1946. He continued his education at New York University in 1950, Harvard University in 1952, and later the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[2][5]

Career

In 1951 Kirsch joined the National Bureau of Standards as part of the team that ran SEAC (Standards Eastern Automatic Computer).[2] SEAC was the U.S.'s first stored-program computer to become operational, having entered service in 1950.[6]

In 1957, Kirsch's group developed a digital image scanner, to "trace variations of intensity over the surfaces of photographs", and made the first digital scans. One of the first photographs scanned,[7] a picture of Kirsch's three-month-old son, was captured as just 30,976 pixels,[8] a 176 × 176 array, in an area 5 cm × 5 cm (2" x 2").[9] The bit depth was only one bit per pixel, stark black and white with no intermediate shades of gray, but, by combining several scans made using different scanning thresholds, grayscale information could also be acquired.[7] They used the computer to extract line drawings, count objects, recognize alphanumeric characters, and produce oscilloscope displays.[9] He also proposed the Kirsch operator for edge detection in images.[10]

Later in life, Kirsch became the director of research of the Sturvil Corporation and an advisory editor for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He was the advisory editor of the journal Languages of Design.[2]

Personal life

Kirsch was married to Joan (née Levin) Kirsch for 65 years until his death. Together, they had four children: Walden, Peter, Lindsey, and Kara.[5] Kirsch spent most of his professional life in Washington, D.C., where he was affiliated with the National Bureau of Standards for nearly 50 years. He moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2001[5] after his retirement.[3][11]

Death

Kirsch died on August 11, 2020, at his home in Portland at age 91. According to his son Walden, Kirsch's cause of death was frontotemporal dementia, a form of Alzheimer's disease.[12]

Accomplishments

In 2003 Kirsch's scanned picture of his son was named by Life magazine one of the "100 Photographs That Changed the World"[9] due to its importance in the development of digital photography. The original image is in the Portland Art Museum.[3] Although Kirsch did not work for NASA, his invention led to technology crucial to space exploration, including the Apollo Moon landing. Medical advancements such as Sir Godfrey Hounsfield’s CAT scan can also be attributed to Kirsch's research.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ Runyon, Joel (August 2, 2012), "An Unexpected Ass Kicking", ImpossibleHQ.com, archived from the original on November 7, 2019, retrieved September 12, 2014
  2. ^ a b c d Kirsch, Russell A., "Russell A. Kirsch", NISTS Museum; SEAC and the Start of Image Processing at the National Bureau of Standards, National Institute of Standards and Technology, archived from the original on August 9, 2012
  3. ^ a b c Woodward, Steve (May 11, 2007), "Russell Kirsch: The Man Who Taught Computers to See", The Oregonian, OregonLive.com, archived from the original on December 15, 2017, retrieved August 12, 2012
  4. ^ "Computer Scientist, Pixel Inventor Russell Kirsch Dead at 91". PBS NewsHour (Press release). Portland, Oregon. Associated Press. August 13, 2020. Archived from the original on September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Rogoway, Mike (August 12, 2020). "Russell Kirsch, Inventor of the Pixel, Dies in Oregon at Age 91". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  6. ^ Kirsch, Russell A. (January 2001). Lide, David R. (ed.). "Computer Development at the National Bureau of Standards" (PDF). A Century of Excellence in Measurements, Standards, and Technology: A Chronicle of Selected NBS/NIST Publications, 1901-2000. Spec. Publ. 958. National Institute of Standards and Technology: 86–89. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Kirsch, Russell A., "Earliest Image Processing", NISTS Museum; SEAC and the Start of Image Processing at the National Bureau of Standards, National Institute of Standards and Technology, archived from the original on July 19, 2014
  8. ^ Kirsch, R. A., et. al (December, 1957), "Experiments in Processing Pictorial Information with a Digital Computer", National Institute of Standards and Technology, archived from the original on December 21, 2016
  9. ^ a b c d Newman, Michael E (May 24, 2007), "Fiftieth Anniversary of First Digital Image Marked", Tech Beat (news release), National Institute of Standards and Technology, archived from the original on August 28, 2016, retrieved March 31, 2010.
  10. ^ "Russell A. Kirsch – Obituary". The Oregonian. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  11. ^ Ehrenberg, Rachel (June 28, 2010). "Square Pixel Inventor Tries to Smooth Things Out". Wired News. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  12. ^ Langer, Emily (August 13, 2020). "Russell Kirsch, Computer Scientist Who Scanned the First Digital Image, Dies at 91". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2024.

Further reading