Ada King, Countes of Lovelace, 1840.

Watercolour portrait by Alfred Edward Chalon of Ada King wearing evening dres with a mantilla and holding a fan. Augusta Ada King, Countes of Lovelace (1815-1852) was the daughter of the great Romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824). She was a writer and a trained mathematician. King acquired fame by working with Charles Babbage (1791-1871) on the world's first computer, the 'Analytical Engine', which could carry out many different types of calculations. She designed several computer programmes for the engine which were coded onto cards with holes punched in them - thus becoming the world's first computer programmer. The universally recognised computer language ADA is named after her. Dimensions: 250mm x 183mm.