Science & Mathematics - Overview
The Museum's collections hold thousands of objects related to chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, and other sciences. Instruments range from early American telescopes to lasers. Rare glassware and other artifacts from the laboratory of Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen, are among the scientific treasures here. A Gilbert chemistry set of about 1937 and other objects testify to the pleasures of amateur science. Artifacts also help illuminate the social and political history of biology and the roles of women and minorities in science.
The mathematics collection holds artifacts from slide rules and flash cards to code-breaking equipment. More than 1,000 models demonstrate some of the problems and principles of mathematics, and 80 abstract paintings by illustrator and cartoonist Crockett Johnson show his visual interpretations of mathematical theorems.
"Science & Mathematics - Overview" showing 38 items.
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Wooden Box Model Comptometer
- Description
- This key-driven non-printing adding machine has a wooden case and eight columns of color-coded plastic keys. It is a relatively late example of a Comptometer with a wooden (rather than a metal) case.
- The key tops are flat and made of plastic. They are colored black and white, with complementary digits indicated in red. There is a spring around each key stem, and the stems become progressively longer as the digits increase. Eight subtraction levers are in front of the keys and eight decimal markers are attached to a metal plate painted black, which is in front of these. A row of nine windows in the plate reveals number wheels which represent totals and differences. The zeroing mechanism is a knob with a release lever on the right side.
- The serial number, stamped on the front of the machine under the decimal markers, is 5021. A metal tag screwed to the top of the machine behind the keyboard is marked: TRADE COMPTOMETER MARK (/) PAT’D (/) JUL.19.87 JUN. 11. 89.(/) OCT.11.87 NOV.25.90 (/) JAN.8.89 DEC.15.91. (/) SEP.22.96 (/) Felt & Tarrant Mfg. Co. (/) CHICAGO
- According to other records, this machine was sold in 1906 to H. Messersmith Company of Buffalo, New York, and traded in in 1910 for a Model C. The machine became part of the collections of Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company and was exhibited at the Century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago in 1933.
- Compare to 1987.0107.04.
- Reference:
- Felt & Tarrant, Accession Journal 1991.3107.06.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1906
- maker
- Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- MA*323650
- maker number
- 5021
- catalog number
- 323650
- accession number
- 250163
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Duo Comptometer
- Description
- This full-keyboard non-printing adding machine has a black metal case with six columns of black and white, octagonal keys, colored according to the place value of the digits entered. Complementary digits are indicated on the keys. Keys representing even digits are flat, those for odd digits are indented. In back of the keyboard is a movable carriage that contains a counter register and a result register above it. Numbers in the counter register can have up to seven digits. Those in the result register 13 digits.
- To the left of the number keys are two white keys, one for the key drive and one for the crank drive. To the right of the number keys is a white key that, when pushed, releases the keys. On the right side of the machine is a crank that may be rotated to enter numbers into the register when the “crank drive” key is pushed down. The machine is designed to combine key-driven addition and crank-driven multiplication. It is the first model of a “Duo” Comptometer, and comes from the collection of models at Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company. There is no provision for subtraction.
- A patent for the invention was filed July 31, 1923 and granted just over nine years later on August 2, 1932. It is patent 1,869,872. A metal tag stored with the object is marked: 134.
- Reference: Felt & Tarrant, Accession Journal 1991.3107.06.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1922
- maker
- Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- MA*323651
- catalog number
- 323651
- accession number
- 250163
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Comptometer Model C, British Currency
- Description
- This model of an adding machine section has a single black key “1” key, with a complementary 0 digit, in the rightmost column. Left of this is a column of nine white keys. Keys for odd digit keys are concave, and those for even digits are flat. Three numeral wheels are at the front. The rightmost has alternate zeros and ones, and the two to the left both have the digits from 0 to 9. There is a handle on the right side. There is no case. The keys apparently could be used to add shillings (there being 20 to a pound).
- This object came to the Smithsonian from Victor Comptometer Corporation, the successor firm to Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company.
- References:
- Accession Journal 1991.3107.06.
- British Patent No. 5387 to Dorr E. Felt, applied for March 5, 1909, and granted June 6, 1910.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1909
- maker
- Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- MA*323652
- accession number
- 250163
- catalog number
- 323652
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Comptometer Model B, 1/20 Fraction
- Description
- This full-keyboard non-printing adding machine has a metal top and mechanism, eight columns of color-coded octagonal plastic keys with complementary digits indicated, and a zeroing crank on the right side. The second column of keys from the right has only one key in it. The keys are alternately concave (odd digits) and flat (even digits). Nine rows of number wheels in front of the keyboard indicate the result. The second number wheel from the right has only zeros and ones on it. The sides and base of the machine are missing. It is marked on a metal tag screwed to the top at the back: TRADE COMPTOMETER MARK. The last patent date on the tag is: AUG.9.04.
- This is a forerunner of the Model C Comptometer for British currency (MA*323652).
- Reference:
- Felt & Tarrant, Accession Journal 1991.3107.06.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1908
- maker
- Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- MA*323653
- catalog number
- 323653
- accession number
- 250163
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Comptometer Model C, British Currency Indexer
- Description
- This full-keyboard non-printing adding machine has a steel frame painted black, a steel mechanism, and eight columns of black and white plastic keys, with complementary digits indicated. The rightmost column has three black keys and indications of quarters from 1/4 to 3/4. The second column has eleven white keys. The third column has nine black keys. The fourth column from the right has one black key. The four left columns have nine keys each. The keys are alternately concave (odd digits) and flat (even digits). The machine is designed for calculations involving pounds, shillings, and pence.
- Thesubtraction levers are at the front of the columns of keys, decimal indicators in front of these, and nine windows covered with clear plastic that show the result. The wheel in the first position is divided to read eighths. A zeroing lever is on the right side. At the back of the machine is a metal attachment painted black that holds five paper-covered dials. Four of these dials are covered with metal shutters. The shutters are opened manually by pressing down on the key directly below the shutter. The shutter is then locked in position. A release lever on the left side closes the shutter. A knob on the left side manually rotates the dials. The entire instrument is designed to make it easier to multiply units of British currency. The machine has serial number 33077.
- A label received with the object indicates that the British Currency Indexer was made approximately in 1914.
- Reference:
- Felt & Tarrant, Accession Journal, 1991.3107.06.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1909
- maker
- Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- MA*323654
- maker number
- 33077
- catalog number
- 323654
- accession number
- 250163
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Comptometer Model J
- Description
- This key-driven adding machine had ten columns of color-coded green and white plastic keys. Complementary digits were indicated on the keys, and they were alternately concave (for odd digits) and flat (for even digits). Another key stem is at the back to the right of the number keys. In front of the keys is a row of ten subtraction levers. In front of these is a row of ten numbered decimal markers. In front of these are windows in the metal case that reveal 11 number dials, that indicate the result of addition.
- The machine is marked on the front top at the left: J329139. It is marked on the front: Comptometer. It is marked on a sticker on the left side: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (/) 89699-BAE.
- This instrument came to the Smithsonian from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Reference:
- Felt & Tarrant, Accession Journal 1991.3107.06
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1935
- maker
- Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- MA*328128
- maker number
- J329139
- catalog number
- 328128
- accession number
- 270163
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Comptometer Model F
- Description
- This full-keyboard non-printing adding machine has a copper-colored steel case. The keys are in ten columns, colored according to the place value of the digit entered. Complementary digits are indicated on them. The keys are alternately concave (odd digits) and flat (even digits). At the front are subtraction levers and numbered decimal markers. In front of these are eleven windows, covered with clear plastic, which reveal the result on the number wheels. A zeroing lever is on the right side. This is the last of the Comptometers to be designed by Dorr E. Felt. After this, the firm of Felt & Tarrant relied on the work of other inventors.
- The machine has serial number 130780, which is indicated to the left of the keyboard. A metal plate screwed to the top of the machine in back of the keyboard is marked: TRADE COMPTOMETER MARK (/) PAT’D [. . .] (/) Felt & Tarrant Mfg. Co. (/) CHICAGO. The last patent date listed on the plate is: SEP.15.14
- A Model F Comptometer with serial number 100,346 was produced in May, 1915, hence this machine is somewhat later. The model H succeeded the model F in 1920.
- This machine was a gift of John T. Cheney of Washington, D.C.
- Reference:
- Felt & Tarrant, Accession Journal 1991.3107.06
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1917
- maker
- Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- MA*333576
- maker number
- 130780
- catalog number
- 333576
- accession number
- 299951
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Comptometer Model F
- Description
- This full-keyboard non-printing adding machine represents the successful adoption of mechanical aids to computation by American scientists. It was one of several computing devices owned by the meteorologist Daniel Draper. Draper used Comptometers in his work at the New York Meteorological Observatory from about 1886. He acquired this machine in 1914 or later.
- The machine has a metal case painted brown and a metal mechanism, with eight columns of octagonal, color-coded plastic keys. Complementary digits are indicated on the keys. Keys for odd digits are concave, and those for even digits are flat. The length of the key stems increases going from front to back. There are subtraction levers, numbered decimal markers in front of the keys, and nine windows to show the result in front of the decimal markers. A zeroing handle is on the right side. The machine fits on a wooden stand and has a metal cover painted black.
- The machine has serial number F58074. It is marked on a metal plaque screwed to the back of the machine: TRADE COMPTOMETER MARK (/) PAT'D [. . .] (/) Felt & Tarrant Mfg. Co. (/) CHICAGO. It is also marked there with several patent dates, the last of which is; SEP.15.14. It is marked on the front of the metal cover: COMPTOMETER (Pronounced like Thermometer) (/) FELT & TARRANT MFG. CO. (/) CHICAGO. U.S.A. (/) Adds - Divides (/) Multiplies - Subtracts
- Reference:
- P. A. Kidwell, “American Scientists and Calculating Machines: From Novelty to Commonplace,” Annals of the History of Computing, 12, 1990, pp. 31-40.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1915
- maker
- Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- MA*335357
- maker number
- F58074
- catalog number
- 335357
- accession number
- 304826
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center