STEVE JOBS & THE FIRST MACINTOSH — 1984

A young entrepreneur. A small computer. A moment at the beginning of a technological revolution.

January 1984.

Steve Jobs, then 28 years old, leans forward with his hands clasped, resting on one of the most influential personal computers ever created: the original Apple Macintosh.

Photographed against a vivid red background by Bernard Gotfryd, Jobs appears confident, composed, and almost theatrical.

The Macintosh 128K, introduced on January 24, 1984, represented Apple's ambitious attempt to make personal computing more intuitive and accessible.

With its graphical user interface, mouse, and compact all-in-one design, the Macintosh offered an alternative to computers operated primarily through typed commands.

THE IMAGE WITHIN THE IMAGE

Look closely at the Macintosh screen.

It displays A Woman Combing Her Hair, an image by Japanese artist Hashiguchi Goyō (1880–1921).

This small detail creates an unexpected connection between traditional Japanese printmaking and the emerging world of digital graphics.

A work of art from the early twentieth century appears on the screen of a computer that would help shape the visual culture of the decades to come.

The photograph thus captures more than the introduction of a new machine. It records a moment when technology was beginning to transform how images could be created, displayed, and experienced.

THE PHOTOGRAPH

Taken by Bernard Gotfryd in 1984, the original color photograph is preserved in the Library of Congress.

Its striking composition, intense red background, and the relationship between Jobs and the compact Macintosh make it a memorable portrait of the early personal-computer era.

THE DESIGN

This transparent phone case features Gotfryd's archival photograph, retaining its distinctive red background and original visual character.

A small piece of computing history, carried on a contemporary device.

READING FRAMES — WEARABLE ARCHIVES

Reading Frames is an independent visual-history project and YouTube channel exploring archival photography and the stories behind historical images.

Our collection brings selected photographs into everyday objects, creating new ways of looking at the past.

Reading Frames — History, Reframed.