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| Antique Adding and Calculating Machines |
Adders
20th Century Eastern
European Office with Two Abacuses
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a large number of relatively inexpensive machines were marketed to businesses and others for use in performing simple addition and subtraction. In principle, these adders and other devices could also be used for multiplication by repetitive addition and for division by repetitive subtraction. Numbers were typically entered by using a stylus to move a dial or slide. Most of the handheld devices sold for $5 to $25. Two simple desktop machines were $35 and $50.
To be precise, some of the devices shown here are not adders. Peggy Kidwell, "Adders Made and Used in the United States," Rittenhouse 1994, pp. 78-98, states: "An adder...is a computing device that has parts moved to record the results of arithmetic problems but that does not actually contain a mechanism to do arithmetic....Those who made and sold adders often called them adding machines, calculating machines, or personal calculators. At the same time, some machines sold as adders were in fact adding machines." See also P. Kidwell, "'Yours for Improvement'--The Adding Machines of Chicago, 1884-1930," IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, July-Sept. 2001, pp. 3-21.
| Handheld and Other Small Devices | Image Click to Enlarge |
| Wilhelm Schickard Calculator
(replica) 1623 Germany |
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| Calculator 19th Century France |
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| La Multi Calculator 19th Century France |
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| Nystrom's Calculator Invented 1848 ~ Patented 1851 ~ Advertised 1852 J. W. Nystrom Philadelphia, PA Based on logarithms, but promoted for use in addition and subtractionas well as multiplication and division. "The merchant will find this calculating machine to be all they desire." |
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| Hatfield Adder Patented 1854 A. L. Hatfield Lewisburg, PA |
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| Fowler's Patent Adding Machine Patented 1863 ~ Advertised 1863, reported to be on market 1869 Geo. B. Fowler & Co., New York, NY Fowler Adding Machine Co., New York, NY 1863 Price $5 The Universal Adding Machine, patented 1890 by Geo. B. Fowler, advertised 1892 and c. 1897, and sold by the Universal Adding Machine Co., NY, NY, for $8, was an improvement with essentially same appearance. Slide bar adder |
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| Webb Adder Patented 1868 & 1889 ~ Introduced 1868 ~ Advertised 1869, 1889-93 C. H. Webb, New York, NY (1868) Webb Adding Machine Co., New York, NY (1869) Webb's Adder Co., New York, NY (1890-91) 1869 Price $6-$10; 1890-92 Price $7 The model advertised in 1869 (top photo at right) was based on the 1868 patent. The model advertised in 1889-91 (lower photo at right) was a modification based on the 1889 patent. |
 Patented 1868  Patented 1889 Courtesy Larry Wilhelm |
| Improved Calculator Patented 1868 Conkey & Loomis, Springfield, MA Peggy Aldrich Kidwell reports that an example of this circular adder is in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution. |
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| Groesbeck's Calculating
Machine Patented 1870 Ziegler & McCurdy Philadelphia, PA Top photograph courtesy of Larry Wilhelm |
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| Perfection Adding Machine (a.k.a.
Stephenson Adding Machine) Patented 1873 ~ Advertised 1896-1929 M. E. Oakley, Cincinnati, OH (1986) W. B. Clark Manufacturing Co., Cincinnati, OH (1899) Cincinnati Specialty Mfg. Co., Cincinnati, OH A. M. Stephenson, Beardstown, IL Stephenson & Co., Joliet, OH (1899) A. M. Stephenson, Joliet, OH 1899 Price $1.50; 1902 Price $0.98 (Sears) Cogged wheel disk-type adder The Mindling Vest Pocket Adding Machine, patented in 1926 and manufactured by G. N. Mindling, Pittsburgh, PA, is virtually identical. It sold for $1.85. |
 A.M. Stephenson, Beardstown, IL  A.M. Stephenson, Joliet, IL. Also made with nickel-plating |
| Tachylemme 1876 C. L Chambon France |
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| Field's Adding and Counting
Register Patented 1878 ~ Advertised c. 1883 Clague, Schlicht, & Field Rochester, NY c. 1883 Price $2 |
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| Hart's Mercantile Computing
Machine Patented 1878 Scovill Mfg. Co. Waterbury, CT |
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| Spalding Adding Machine Patented 1874-84 ~ Advertised 1887 C. G. Spalding Springfield, MA |
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| Madden Adding Machine
(a.k.a. Bouchet Adding Machine) Patented 1882-85 ~ Advertised 1887 (Madden) M. F. Madden & Co., U.S. 1887 Price $15 |
 Bouchet Adding Machine Courtesy of Bob Otnes |
| Ribbon Adder Invented 1886 ~ Patented by Charles Henry Webb 1891 ~ Advertised 1893 The Ribbon Adder New York, NY 1893 Price $15 Continuous band adder |
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| Landin's Computer (a.k.a.
Rapid Computer, Comptator, B.U.G.) Patented 1892 ~ Advertised 1891-1895 (Landin's Computer), 1902-14 (Rapid Computer), 1927 (Comptator, advertised in Germany) Landin Computer Co, Minneapolis, MN (1891-95) Rapid Computer Co., Minneapolis, MN (1902-06), Benton Harbor, MI (1906-14), Baker-Vawter Co., Benton Harbor, MI Hans Sabielny, Dresden, Germany (c. 1920s) Schubert & Salzer, Chemnitz, Germany (c. 1920s) 1902-14 Price $25 Slide-chain adder operated with stylus See Kidwell (2001) |
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| Centigraph Adding Machine Patented 1891 ~ Advertised 1891 American Adding Machine Co. Atlanta, GA |
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| Addometer Patented 1893 ~ Marketed sometime in the 1890s Gubelman Manufacturing Co. Buffalo, NY |
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| Biglow's Adding Register (a.k.a.
Bigelow Adding Register) Patented 1897 ~ Advertised 1899-1900 M. H. Biglow, Ontario, NY (1899) Bigelow Bros., Ontario, NY (1900) 1899 Price $1.50 |
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| Goldman's Arithmachine (a.k.a.
Goldman's Arithstyle, Contostyle)
Introduced 1898 ~ Patented 1899-1910 ~ Advertised 1898-1900 Office Men's Record Co., Chicago, IL (1898-99) International Arithmachine Co., Chicago, IL (1899-1902) Arithstyle Co. Gesellschaft für Maschinenbau GmbH, Berlin, Germany (c. 1905-1911) c.1899 Price $24-$48 Chain-driven adder See Kidwell (2001) |
 Arithstyle Patented 1899-1910  |
| The Adder (a.k.a. Lightning
Adding Machine, Victor Calculator) Patented 1889 ~ Advertised 1900-02 The Book-Keeper Publishing Co., Ltd., Detroit, MI 1900-01 Price $3-$5 Same as (1) the Webb Adder based on the 1889 patent; (2) the Adder advertised by E. R. Beach, New York, NY, in 1896 for $5, which also sold for $3.50; and (3) the Victor Calculator advertised by A. A. Weeks Mfg. Co., New York, NY, in 1905-10 for $5. |
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| Locke Adder Patented 1901-05 ~ Advertised 1900-08 C. E. Locke Manufacturing Co., Kensett, IA 1901-05 Price $5; 1906 Price $5 (oxidized copper finish) and $10 (oxidized silver finish with case); 1908 Price $5 & $10 Slide bar adder |
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| McComber's Instantaneous
Calculator Advertised 1903-04 McComber Calculator Co., Chicago, IL (1903) Instantaneous Calculator, Chicago, IL (1904) 1903 Price $0.50, 1904 Price $1 Cardboard disks with a pointer. bk04.97 |
For a
similar cardboard device, see Russo, Antique Office Machines, p. 48 |
| Adix 1903-05 ~ Advertised 1910 Adix Co., Pallweber & Bordt Mannheim, Germany |
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| Calcumeter Patented 1901 ~ Advertised 1903-14 Morse & Walsh Co., Trenton NJ (Walsh was the inventor) Herbert North Morse, Trenton, NJ Made with 5 to 12 dials. A 5-dial machine was $10. Each additional dial cost $5, so the 12-dial machine was $45. Stylus-driven cogged wheel adder. 35 models in 1907. "Over 25,000 in use on Jan. 1, 1907." 1908-10 ads claimed "55,000 satisfied users." 1910 ads also claimed "60,000 in use." 1911 ads claimed 70,000 sold. 1913 ad claimed 100,000 users. At some point, a reset dial was added, and the machine was sold as the Standard Desk Calcumeter. |
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| Betts Adder Marketed 1905 The Betts Adder& Manufacturing Co. Detroit, MI Dial adding machine operated with a stylus. |
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| Bonham Adding and
Calculating Machine Patented 1905 ~ Marketed 1905 Bonham & Schram Chicago, IL Stylus operated machine |
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| Excelsior Marketed 1905 McCarthy Mfg. Co. Parkersburg, IA |
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| Platt Keyless Marketed 1905 Platt Keyless Adding Machine Co. Cleveland, OH |
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| Automatic Adding Machine (a.k.a. Gem Adding Machine, Golden Gem Portable Adding Machine) Patented 1904-07 ~ Marketed 1905 ~ Advertised 1906-41 Automatic Adding Machine Co., NY, NY The Automatic and the Gem were sold at the same time. The $15 Gem had a resetting device while the $10 Automatic did not. 1906-18 Price $10-$15. 1909 Price with wood case $25, 1910 Price with wood case $20. 1924 Price $15-$25. Slide-chain adder. 1907-08 ads stated, "Over 15,000 in use." 1913-14 ads stated, "Over 80,000 in use." 1917-18 ads stated, "Over 100,000 in use." |
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| Eagle Adding Machine Patented 190x ~ Advertised 1906 Eagle Adding Machine Co. New York, NY 1906 Price $5 The 1906 ad shows a patent date of 190_ (last digit illegible) |
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| Century Pocket Register Advertised 1905-06 The Century Register Co., Port Huron, MI 1905 Price $0.25 |
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| Dilworth Adder Advertised 1906 Dilworth Adder Co., Pittsburg, PA 1906 Price $1 |
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| Thatcher's Calculating
Instrument Advertised 1908 Keuffel & Esser Co. Chicago, IL 1908 Price $35 Advertised for multiplication and division. |
Image coming |
| Calculus Testimonials dated 1908-09 ~ Advertised 1910 The James J. Hinde Co. Cleveland, OH The calculus was a form of slide rule, which used logarithms to carry out multiplication and division. It was advertised in business publications and was used by at least some companies. |
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| Bassett Adder
(a.k.a. Clark's New Adder, $1.00 Adder, Speed Adder) Advertised 1909-14, 1926, 1938 Glenn C. Clark Manufacturing Co., Chicago, IL (1909) (Clark's New Adder) Commercial Specialty Agency, Chicago, IL (1910) ($1.00 Adder) J. H. Bassett & Co., Chicago, IL (Bassett, 1910-14) Timesaver Co., Chicago, IL (Speed, 1911) Johnson Smith & Co., Racine, WI (Bassett, 1926, 1938) 1910 Price $1 (Bassett, $1.00 Adder), 1911 Price $1-$3.75 (Bassett), $1 (Speed) 1914 Price $2-$3.50 (Bassett), 1938 Price $3.75 Continuous band adder. |
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| Graber Adder Advertised 1911 Graber Calculating Machine Co. New York, NY 1911 Price $15 |
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| Benton's Tally Register Advertised 1913 U.S. |
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| Bri-Cal Calculator Exhibited 1914 in Scotland British Calculator, Ltd. U.K. |
  Model C |
| Calculator Sold 1915 The Calculator Corp. Grand Rapids, MI |
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| Ray Subtractor-Adder (a.k.a.
Ray Adding Machine, Figuraytor)
Advertised 1916-24 Ray Subtractor-Adder Co., Richmond, VA (1916-17) Ray Adding Machine Co., NY, NY (1920-24) 1916 Price $15. 1917-24 Price $25. Stylus-driven cogged wheel adder |
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| Desktop Non-Listing Adding Machines (Machines that did not print) | . |
| The Adder Patented 1902 ~ Marketed 1908 The Adder Cash Register Syndicate Ltd. London, England |
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| Beach Calculating Machine Advertised 1904. Still on market in 1906. The Book-Keeper Publishing Co., Ltd Detroit, MI 1904 Price $50 "This machine is built up with a series of wheels and segments, the latter fitted with teeth on their outer edge, the machine being operated by placing the finger on the desired tooth and carrying it downward." |
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| Triumph Adding Machine Patented 1907-09 ~ Advertised 1914 Triumph Precision Machine Co. New York, NY |
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| Mercantile Adding Machine Advertised 1909 Mercantile Adding Machine Co. Norwalk, CT 1909 Price $85 (Model 3) |
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| Barrett Figuring Machine
(a.k.a. Barrett Adding Machine) Advertised 1910-14 Barrett Adding Machine Co. (1910-14) Grand Rapids, MI (1910-11), Philadelphia, PA (later) Lanston Monotype Machine Co., Philadelphia, PA 1911 Price $100 (Model No. 6) & $150 (No. 10) 1914 Price $110 (Model No. 6), $160 (No. 10), $185 (No. 10X) The company also made adding-listing machines that printed. |
 Model No. 10X and No. 10, 1914 ad  |
| Austin Visible Adding
Machine 1912 ~ Advertised 1914 Austin Adding Machine Corp. Baltimore, MD 1914 Price reduced from $125 to $45 Photo courtesy of Darryl Rehr |
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| American Adder (a.k.a.
American Adding Machine No. 5)
Patented 1912-18 ~ Introduced 1913 ~ Advertised 1913-27 1913-14 Price $35. 1924-27 Price $39. American Can Co., Chicago, IL. (1913-18) American Adding Machine Co., Chicago, IL (1924-27) "The index finger is placed in the corrugation on the number to be set up and the lever for that column raised by the thumb until it is stopped by the finger." The company also made an adding-listing machine (Model No. 4). |
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| Commonwealth Adding Machine 1915 Commonwealth Adding Machine Co. Muskegon, MI |
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