FSF launches pre-bid phase for silent memorabilia auction
Twenty-five pieces of free software history will be up for auction - which will you bid on?
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In early February, the FSF announced that it would be hosting an online free software memorabilia auction as part of its fortieth anniversary activities. During the auction, the FSF welcomes everyone who supports user freedom to bid on historical and symbolic free software memorabilia. The auction is split into two parts: a silent auction hosted on the LibrePlanet wiki from March 17 through March 21 and a live auction held on the FSF's Galène videoconferencing server on March 23 from 14:00-17:00. The auction is only the opening act to a months-long itinerary celebrating forty years of free software activism.
As the FSF's memorabilia auction draws closer, the FSF has begun to reveal more of the items that will be up for sale next week in their virtual silent auction. Some of these items were disclosed in earlier communications, such as the vintage and rare "terminus-est" microcomputer (which was used at FSF's old office at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the early days of GNU) and a variety of plush animals that had greeted visitors at its former offices in Boston on 51 Franklin Street. Other items, such as multiple original artwork pieces that have been used to promote free software as well as awards that the FSF and its founder have received for their work, were posted last week on the silent auction LibrePlanet wiki page. "We hope that bidders will appreciate this chance to review the many memorabilia items that will be available for bidding in the week of March 17-21," says program manager Miriam Bastian.
"We hope that bidders will appreciate this chance to review the many memorabilia items that will be available for bidding in the week of March 17-21." Executive director Zoë Kooyman adds: "These items are valuable pieces of FSF history, and some of them are emblematic of the free software movement. We want to entrust these memorabilia in the hands of the free software community for preservation and would love to see some of these items displayed in exhibitions."
All in all, there are twenty-five pieces that are either directly part of the FSF's history and/or representative of the free software movement that will be available in the silent auction. Winning bidders can rest assured that all proceeds from this auction will go towards the FSF's continued work to promote computer user freedom worldwide.
To participate in the silent auction, you must be logged into the FSF's LibrePlanet wiki and agree to the terms and conditions. There is no need to pre-register for the silent auction.
Preamble to the live auction
While there are many excellent collectibles up for bidding during the silent auction, the most notable items have been reserved for the live auction on Sunday, March 23, 2025 from 14:00 to 17:00 EDT. Six historical artifacts will be available for bidding, including:
- The original GNU Head by Etienne Suvasa (1992) that is an earlier version of the iconic GNU logo. The bolder redesign more familiar to free software supporters represents the heart of the free software movement worldwide.
- The Norbert Wiener Award for Social and Professional
Responsibility, which was awarded to the free software movement
itself and given to the FSF in 1999 "in appreciation for their deep
commitment to the socially responsible use of computing technology"
as the plaque itself states.
- A pair of GCC gnu letter drawings by Gary Torrisi Studio, the same artwork that is on the cover of the book Using GCC - The GNU Compiler Collection Reference Manual for GCC.
- The Internet Hall of Fame medal awarded to the FSF's founder, Richard M. Stallman, in 2013 as ultimate recognition of free software's immense impact on the development and advancement of the Internet.
- A legendary katana given to the FSF's founder by friends of the FSF. The sword resembles the one drawn in the XKCD webcomic 225 and represents how wit can be used as a weapon in the fight for computer user freedom.
- Gnu birthday by Etienne Suvasa (1993) that decorates the cover of Introduction to the Command Line, a reminder that command line can be as fun as a birthday party.
From left to right: The original Gnu head by Etienne Suvasa (1992); the Norbert Wiener Award for Social and Professional Responsibility; the pair of GCC gnu letter drawings by Gary Torrisi Studio; the Internet Hall of Fame medal; a legendary katana; and Gnu birthday - Etienne 1993.
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To attend the live auction, register here. Registrants will receive a confirmation email, as well as a Galène (videoconference server) link, right after registration.
About the Free Software Foundation
The FSF, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and share computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its websites, located at https://www.fsf.org and https://www.gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at https://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.
MEDIA CONTACT
Miriam Bastian
Program Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
campaigns@fsf.org
"FSF40 live auction items" © 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc. This image is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.