Ampex sign comes down

Billy you obviously were not from around here and have no idea what that signs means to long time residents. Before we were Silicon Valley, we were small little towns that dotted the peninsula. Then came Varian, Hewlett Packard and even Ampex. That signs is significant to our history and nostalgia to all the greats that started this region on the tech track. I'm not a tech guy, but I appreciate the history of those who started here and the sign in question is a big part of that history. Maybe you just wouldn't understand, but most old timers do.

Billy,
You are correct. The sign is one of the icons of the peninsula for those that grew up and worked here. I worked for Redwood City for 28 years and most of it was in the area south of Woodside and east of the Caltrain tracks. That sign is a survivor of what was an important part of the city. Those that see it now don't know the incredible history of the company. Perhaps Stanford, which was wise enough to keep their original basketball facility and re-purpose it, could keep the sign and maybe put a pedestal with a large plaque describing what preceded them and its importance to how we live today.

Mr. Conway, I think the writer was agreeing with you; he also thinks the Ampex sign should stay :)

The Ampex sign IS Redwood City history. It's City Council chose to ignore it.

A couple of engineers, having learned what they could from what the Nazis left behind, made their way to Bing Crosby (remember him?) and showed him what the new magnetic technology could do. His interest was more than piqued; he handed $50,000 to the men from the Ampex corporation, which at that time was just a half-dozen people. The machines they delivered went into use in 1947, and a new Crosby show, edited by tape splicing, was broadcast—the first radio show to use the new technology. Suddenly audio—recorded media—was flexible. It could be cut and pasted, rearranged, and edited. Few know that Crosby in effect was one of the first investors in the Silicon Valley!

In 1958 (60 years ago), Ampex introduced the first videotape recorders, and later introduced the helical scan concept that made home video players possible (remember VHS?). They also introduced multi-track recording, slow-motion and instant playback television, and a host of other advances. Sadly, Sony and Panasonic were more prolific and took over the personal VCR market. Nevertheless, Ampex then turned to turned to digital storage products, an innovation that spawned new firms such as Box, also located in Redwood City.

Ampex, along with Hewlett-Packard, Intel and few others, were some of the founding companies that spawned Silicon Valley. Ampex alums included Larry Ellison, Atari’s Nolan Bushnell and sound pioneer Ray Dolby, all Silicon Valley innovators.

I am deeply saddened that the elected officials in my community failed to show the interest or desire to make sure the Ampex sign would stay in the present location so that future generations who drove along 101 would wonder what Ampex was all about and Ampex's role in making this region the global center for high technology, venture capital, innovation, and social media.

I could also blame Stanford University for not looking to support and teach about a celebrate a local landmark. But they're from Palo Alto. What do they know?

St. George. You read the first sentence and based your opinion on that bit of information. Perhaps, before voicing your opinion, you should get all the facts. He thinks the sign should stay. "Ampex thought enough about Redwood City to put it on all their packages".

Thanks to Zach and the SM Daiky for breaking this story! Mayor Bain working now to convince Stanford to restore and replace the sign. Stay tuned!