Science & Mathematics

Chemical Balance

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.

Date: 1900s

Fosse Proportional Dividers

This oversized wooden instrument has two slotted arms, with corroded steel points at both ends of each arm. The end of the slot by the short point on the back arm is broken. A screw, anchored by two rectangular metal pieces and adjusted with a wing nut, holds the arms together.
Description
This oversized wooden instrument has two slotted arms, with corroded steel points at both ends of each arm. The end of the slot by the short point on the back arm is broken. A screw, anchored by two rectangular metal pieces and adjusted with a wing nut, holds the arms together. A proportional scale labeled 1/4, 1/3, 2, 3, 4, and 5 is on one arm. Both arms are marked: Fosse. The mark is inside an oval, and the letters E and O appear on either side of the mark on the back arm. No information was found for a maker or brand named Fosse. The object may have been used for classroom demonstrations.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 19th century
ID Number
MA.319792
accession number
239772
catalog number
319792

Kern Circular Protractor

Protractors, devices for measuring and drawing angles, were used in professional practice as well as by schoolchildren. The instruments manufactured for surveyors, draftsmen, and the like could be of quite high quality.
Description
Protractors, devices for measuring and drawing angles, were used in professional practice as well as by schoolchildren. The instruments manufactured for surveyors, draftsmen, and the like could be of quite high quality. This circular protractor is one of at least three in the Smithsonian collections that were produced by Kern & Co. of Aarau, Switzerland. Made of German silver, an alloy of 60% copper, 20% nickel, and 20% zinc, it is graduated along the outer edge to one-quarter degree and marked by tens from 0 to 350 in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.
A center cross-plate, which instrument dealers called a "horncentre," contains crosshairs to assist with placing the protractor on a drawing. A movable arm attached to the center contains a vernier scale that allows the user to read angles to one minute of arc. The arm also has a blade-like extension of 3 inches. There are indentions on the interior of the protractor at 0, 90/270, 180, and 270/90 degrees.
Across its diameter, the protractor is engraved: U.S.G.S. No. 8. Stamped on the back of the vernier arm is the number 88. The protractor was purchased by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1879 and 1907, when it was transferred to the Smithsonian. According to the accession record, it was already "badly tarnished" in 1907. Protractors of this style were manufactured by Kern at least as early as 1867. In 1878 and 1881, respectively, the Troy, N.Y., factory of W. & L. E. Gurley, and New York dealer William Y. McAllister sold Kern circular protractors of this size (10" diameter) for $20.00.
See also ID numbers 1977.0460.02 and 1978.2291.01.
References: William Y. McAllister, A Priced and Illustrated Catalogue of Mathematical Instruments . . . Particular Attention is Called to the Swiss Drawing Instruments (Philadelphia, 1867), 23; W. & L. E. Gurley, A Manual of the Principal Instruments Used in American Engineering and Surveying (Troy, N.Y., 1878), 166; William Y. McAllister, A Priced and Illustrated Catalogue of Mathematical Instruments (Philadelphia, 1881), 35.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1879-1907
maker
Kern & Co.
ID Number
MA.247966
accession number
47736
catalog number
247966

English-Style Sector

This ivory instrument has two rectangular arms with flat edges and is held together by a circular brass hinge. The scales run from top to bottom on each arm.
Description
This ivory instrument has two rectangular arms with flat edges and is held together by a circular brass hinge. The scales run from top to bottom on each arm. On one side, each arm has a sine scale, running from 10 to 80 degrees; a tangent scale, running from 50 to 75 degrees; and a second tangent scale, running from 10 to 45 degrees. Spanning both arms on the outer edge are three scales: log tangent, running from 2 to 45 degrees; log sine, running from 1 to 70 degrees; and logarithmic, running from 1 to 10 twice. The top face of the instrument has a scale of equal parts that divides one foot into 100 increments and runs from 90 to 10. There is no maker's mark.
The other side has a double scale along the fold line for regular polygons, labeled POL and running from 12 to 4 sides. Each arm has a scale of equal parts, running from 1 to 10 and labeled L; a secant scale, running from 40 to 75 and labeled s; and a scale of chords, running from 10 to 60 and labeled C. The scales for dialing typical of 18th-century English-style sectors are not present. Spanning both arms on the outer edge is a scale of inches, running from 12 to 1 and divided to tenths of an inch. The sector likely dates to the mid-19th century. Compare to 1985.0580.06, MA.335351, and MA.321755.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
MA.333937
catalog number
333937
accession number
305959

Set of Drawing Instruments

This wooden case has an inlay for a label on its top, but the inlay is not marked. The lock is broken. The case is lined with blue paper and velvet.
Description
This wooden case has an inlay for a label on its top, but the inlay is not marked. The lock is broken. The case is lined with blue paper and velvet. A compartment inside the lid has space for a transparent plastic protractor, divided to single degrees and numbered by tens from 0 to 180. (Due to the deterioration of the plastic, the protractor is stored separately.) The bottom of the case, underneath a tray of drawing instruments, contains: a 5-1/8" German silver and steel drawing pen with ivory handle; a 5-1/2" ebony triangle with corners marked 45, 45, and 90; and a 6-1/2" wooden rule.
One side of the rule has four scales, divided to roughly: 1/4", numbered by ones from 1 to 19; 3/4", numbered by ones from 6 to 1; 1/2", numbered by ones from 1 to 9; and 1", numbered by ones from 4 to 1. The ends of the scales have unusual diagonal scales for 1/4", 1/2", 3/4", and 1". The other side has a scale of chords and scales dividing the inch into 60, 50, 45, 40, 35, and 30 parts.
The tray contains: 6-1/2" brass and steel drawing pen with ebony handle; 6-1/2" brass compass with pencil point and removable leg; extension bar, divider point, and pen point for the compass; 2-3/8" steel pencil, pen, and divider points for a small compass not included in the set; 2-1/8" brass and steel drawing pen; and 3" brass and steel bow pen. None of the instruments are signed.
A pen wipe cloth, cake of ink, cylindrical wooden case holding seven pencil leads, and rubber were also received with the set. The rubber is marked: NEWMAN'S (/) PURPLE LAKE (/) SOHO SQUARE. The cloth is signed by Charles M. Higgins, an inventor and manufacturer of inks and pens from Brooklyn, N.Y.
The set was owned by the donor's grandfather, Frederick Dawson Thorns (1830–1911). He worked in an ironmonger's shop in England before moving in 1855 to Brooklyn, N.Y., where he held various jobs before operating a restaurant, opening an auction house, and selling real estate. He moved to Asheboro, N.C., to live with one of his daughters in the late 19th century.
Reference: 1910 U.S. Census records; accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
MA.334622
accession number
308964
catalog number
334622

Triumphator Calculating Machine

This lever-set pinwheel non-printing calculating machine has a steel frame painted black with eight metal pinwheels and a wooden base. Rotating the pinwheels forward using levers that extend from the wheels sets a number.
Description
This lever-set pinwheel non-printing calculating machine has a steel frame painted black with eight metal pinwheels and a wooden base. Rotating the pinwheels forward using levers that extend from the wheels sets a number. No digits are inscribed on the frame next to the rotating pinwheels to show the entry, but these digits do appear in a row of windows above the pinwheels. Rotating a wing nut on the left side zeros the entry register.
The carriage at the front of the machine has ten windows for the revolution counter on the left and 18 windows for the result register on the right. Wing nuts at opposite ends of the carriage rotate to zero these registers. To release the carriage, one pushes down a lever at the front. A crank with a wooden knob on the right side of the machine rotates clockwise for addition and multiplication and counterclockwise for subtraction and division. The revolution register and the result register have one sliding decimal marker each. The revolution register on this machine has no carry.
A mark on the top of the machine reads: No 464. A mark on the front (with quotation marks after the German style) reads: “Patent” (/) Rechenmaschine (/) Triumphator. A mark on the back reads: Sole Manufacturers (/) Leipziger Röhrenwerke G.m.b.H. (/)Leipzig-Lindenau (/) Aurellenstr. 56 (/) PATENTED.
The machine is from the collection of Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company. The Triumphator was manufactured in Leipzig, Germany, from about 1904.
Reference:
E. Martin, The Calculating Machines (Die Rechenmaschinen), trans. P. A. Kidwell and M. R. Williams, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992, pp. 144–146.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1905
ID Number
MA.323655
catalog number
323655
accession number
250163
maker number
464

Keuffel & Esser 4071 Duplex Slide Rule

This ten-inch duplex mahogany slide rule is coated with white celluloid on the front and back; the edges are bare.
Description
This ten-inch duplex mahogany slide rule is coated with white celluloid on the front and back; the edges are bare. Unlike earlier slide rules from the Keuffel & Esser Company, such as MA.318477, the end pieces are silver-colored metal (not brass) and the indented edges of the end pieces face in instead of out. The indicator is glass in a brass frame, which was called the "clam shell" style.
The scales are labeled. On both sides, the top of the base has an A scale and the bottom of the base has a D scale. The slide has B and C scales on one side and BI and CI scales on the other side. On one side, the bottom of the base is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER Co.N.Y. It is also marked there: B.S.5470. On the other side, the bottom of the base is marked in red: PAT. OCT. 6. 1891. The bottom edge of the indicator is engraved: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO (/) NEW–YORK.
The instrument fits in a cardboard box covered with black morocco leather. The large part of the box is embossed: KEUFFEL & ESSER Co. (/) DUPLEX (/) SLIDE RULE. The U.S. National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology) transferred this instrument to the Smithsonian in 1965 as excess property.
K&E sold this instrument as model 4071 from 1901 to 1917. By this time, K&E was manufacturing slide rules from start to finish at its factory in Hoboken, N.J. In 1913, the shape of the end pieces was changed to an "L," as with MA.318475. That instrument also has patent dates of 1900 and 1908 on it, suggesting that this slide rule dates from 1908 or earlier. The 1909 catalog describes the 1908 patent as "pending." Model 4071 initially sold for $8.00 and was reduced to $7.00 in 1906 and to $5.00 in 1909.
References: William Cox, "Engineer's Slide-Rule" (U.S. Patent 460,930 issued October 6, 1891); Clark McCoy, "Collection of Pages from K&E Catalogs for the Early 4071 Family of Slide Rules," http://www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com/KEModels/ke4071oldfamily.htm; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 30th ed. (New York, 1900–1901), 296; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 31st ed. (New York, 1903), 306; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 32th ed. (New York, 1906), 325; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 33rd ed. (New York, 1909), 312; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 34th ed. (New York, 1913), 303.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1901-1908
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.326613
catalog number
326613
accession number
261654

Pen Point for Drawing Compass

This leg for a drawing compass has a brass top, which is jointed, and steel pen points with a brass screw for adjusting the width of the pen line to be drawn.
Description
This leg for a drawing compass has a brass top, which is jointed, and steel pen points with a brass screw for adjusting the width of the pen line to be drawn. At the turn of the 20th century, compasses frequently came with interchangeable legs, one for drawing with pencil lead and one for drawing with ink. This part does not resemble any of the compasses advertised in Keuffel & Esser, Dietzgen, or Gurley catalogs from this time period.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335339
accession number
305958
catalog number
335339

Bow Compass

This steel-spring instrument has a metal and ivory handle, with a ridged ring around the bottom and the top shaped like a pawn chess piece. A holder with a metal adjusting screw on one leg is missing its needle point.
Description
This steel-spring instrument has a metal and ivory handle, with a ridged ring around the bottom and the top shaped like a pawn chess piece. A holder with a metal adjusting screw on one leg is missing its needle point. This leg is marked with the number 8 inside a circle and an arrow pointing left (toward the 8). The holder on the other leg has a pencil lead and is adjusted with a brass screw. The distance between the legs is adjusted with a metal screw and brass nut. This object does not resemble the ivory-handled bow-pencils sold around the turn of the 20th century by Keuffel & Esser, Dietzgen, Gurley, Kern, or Schoenner.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335342
accession number
305958
catalog number
335342

Locke Adder

The first American-made adder to enjoy modest commercial success was developed by Clarence E. Locke (1865-1945). A native of Edgerton, Wisconsin, he graduated from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, in 1892.
Description
The first American-made adder to enjoy modest commercial success was developed by Clarence E. Locke (1865-1945). A native of Edgerton, Wisconsin, he graduated from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, in 1892. Locke worked for a time as a civil engineer in Minnesota, and then joined his father operating a lumber yard in Kensett, Iowa.
This version of the device has a metal base with grooves for nine sliding metal rods that move crosswise. Each rod represents a digit of a number being added. Protruding knobs on the rods represent different numerals. The rods are held in place by bronze-colored metal covers that extend over the right and left thirds of the instrument. When the device is in zero position, all the rods are in their rightmost position.
Numbers are entered by sliding rods to the left, and the result appears in numbers immediately to the left of the cover on the right. The rods are color-coded to distinguish units of money. They lock when depressed, so that they will not slide if the instrument is tilted. The locking mechanism, the color-coded rods, and the oval shape of the knobs on the rods are all improvements featured in Locke’s second calculating machine patent, taken out in 1905. There is no carry mechanism. The base of is covered with green cloth.
The instrument is marked on the right cover: C. E. LOCKE (/) MFG. Co. It also is marked: KENSETT, IOWA. [/] U.S.A. It is marked on the left cover: THE (/) LOCKE (/) ADDER. It also is marked: PATENTED DEC. 24. 1901 (/) JAN. 3 1905. This example came to the Smithsonian from the collection of L. Leland Locke.
The instrument resembles MA.323619, but it has green rather than red cloth on the bottom and has no surrounding wooden box. Also compare to MA.321327.
References: C. E. Locke, “Calculating Machine,” U.S. Patent 689680, December 24, 1901.
C. E. Locke, “Calculating Machine,” U.S. Patent 779088, January 3, 1905.
Robert Otnes, “Sliding Bar Calculators,” ETCetera #11 (June 1990): pp. 6-8.
P. Kidwell, “Adders Made and Used in the United States,” Rittenhouse, 8, (1994): pp. 78-96.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1905
maker
C. E. Locke Manufacturing Company
ID Number
MA.155183.29
catalog number
155183.29
accession number
155183

Blackboard Railroad Curve

The edge of this flat wooden blackboard curve appears to be an arc of a circle with a radius of about eleven inches.
Description
The edge of this flat wooden blackboard curve appears to be an arc of a circle with a radius of about eleven inches. The object resembles a railroad curve but has a handle at the center and chalk marks.
A chalk mark on the back reads: 4.
Received from the Department of Mathematics at Brown University in 1973.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.304722.12
accession number
1973304722
catalog number
304722.12

Burroughs Class 1, Style 3 Adding Machine

This relatively early example of a Burroughs full-keyboard printing manually operated adding machine was collected by the rival firm of Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company.The machine has a ferrous metal frame painted black, with glass sides that reveal the metal mechanism.
Description
This relatively early example of a Burroughs full-keyboard printing manually operated adding machine was collected by the rival firm of Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company.
The machine has a ferrous metal frame painted black, with glass sides that reveal the metal mechanism. This mechanism includes a dashpot, a device for cushioning a movement to avoid shock.. There are nine columns of color-coded black and white plastic keys, with two black keys for cents, three white keys for dollars to 999 dollars, three black keys for thousands through 999,000 dollars, and a ninth, leftmost column for millions of dollars. The metal total key is left of the keyboard, and metal error and repeat keys are right of the number keys. The keyboard is covered with green felt. The machine is operated by bringing forward a metal crank with a wooden handle that is on the right side.
The printing mechanism is at the back of the machine. The carriage is 10 1/4" (26 cm.) wide, and the results printed are not visible to the operator. This carriage can be set in six different positions. It has a pinch roller release to adjust a single sheet of paper, as well as adjustable paper guides. An adjustable release is on the left side at the back. A smaller carriage for rolls of paper 3 1/2” wide. A saw-toothed edge allows one to tear off part of the roll of paper. A row of nine number dials at the front of the machine, inside the case, shows the running total. This machine lacks a paper tape, apparently has no ribbon, and is missing a portion of the glass on the right side.
The Class 1, Style 3 differs from the other Burroughs Registering Accountant received from the collections of Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company in having a wide movable carriage, separate error and repeat keys, and a register showing running totals at the bottom front of the machine. Compare MA.323592.
Reference:
J. H. McCarthy, The American Digest of Business Machines, Chicago: American Exchange Service, 1924, p. 523.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1903
maker
American Arithmometer Company
ID Number
MA.323592
accession number
250163
maker number
20167
catalog number
323592

Pamphlet, The Millionaire Calculating-Machine

These instructions for disassembling a manually operated Millionaire calculating machine were received with Millionaire calculating machine 333940. The pamphlet is undated, but was published in English in Zurich by Fretz Brothers.
Description
These instructions for disassembling a manually operated Millionaire calculating machine were received with Millionaire calculating machine 333940. The pamphlet is undated, but was published in English in Zurich by Fretz Brothers. There is no mention of an American distributor.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.319929.05
accession number
319929
catalog number
319929.05

Set of Drawing Instruments

This large wooden case is lined with yellow silk and velvet. The inside of the case is marked: R. H. HRONIK.
Description
This large wooden case is lined with yellow silk and velvet. The inside of the case is marked: R. H. HRONIK. A wooden tray lifts out and holds:
1) 8-1/8" German silver and steel proportional dividers, marked for lines from 1/10 to 11/12 and for circles from 7 to 20.
2) 5-1/4" German silver dotting pen with clear plastic handle.
3) 5-1/4" German silver and steel drawing pen with black plastic handle. The tightening screw is marked: POST'S (/) GERMANY. The Frederick Post Company of Chicago began importing and distributing drawing instruments and slide rules in 1890.
4) 4" German silver and steel dividers with removable points and needle and pencil point attachments.
5) Four pencil leads, ranging from 1-1/2" to 4-1/4". The longest is marked: L. & C. HARDTMUTH, Inc. KOH-I-NOOR 3H. Joseph Hardtmuth began making earthenware in Vienna, Austria, in 1790 and expanded into graphite leads in 1802. The firm moved to České Budějovice, now in the Czech Republic, in 1848 and concentrated exclusively on pencils from 1870. It remains in business as of 2013 as Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth.
6) 6-1/4" German silver and steel dividers with removable points and extension bar, dotting point, pencil point, needle point, and pen point attachments.
7) 7-1/4"metal trammel bar for a beam compass, with two 7" extensions, divider point, pen point, two pencil points, and screw-on needle point.
8) Key with metal tag engraved on one side: R. H. HRONIK. The other side is engraved: DRAFTING SET.
9) 3" ivory, German silver, and steel bow compass missing both needle points.
10) 5-1/4" German silver and steel tripod fixed-leg dividers.
11) 1-1/2" cylindrical metal case with five pieces of pencil leads and 1-3/8" cylindrical metal case with six pencil leads.
12) 1-3/8" loose steel needle point.
Empty spaces in the tray indicate that at least the following items are missing from the set: 5" dividers, 3-1/2" bow pencil, 3-1/2" bow pen, trammel point, 5" drawing pen, and 4" ruling pen. Additionally, the two pens in the tray are shorter than their slots and so likely are replacements. A piece of paper in the bottom tray has a handwritten note in ink that was probably prepared by Smithsonian staff: R. H. HRONIK (/) part of same (/) accession (/) late 1890's (/) not later than 1902.
The donor, Richard H. Hronik (1911–2003), was born in St. Louis to Joseph J. (1888–1972) and Gladys Hronik. He grew up in Cedar Rapids, Ia., and graduated from Iowa State College in 1934, where he belonged to the Alpha Mu chapter of Theta Chi fraternity. He was a major in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946. He held a number of patents in transportation engineering and did design work relating to railroad systems built for the Indian government. By 1962, he worked for Melpar, Inc., located in Falls Church, Va., as a materials science engineer. He gave at least 129 pieces of electronics equipment; drafting, woodworking, and machine tools; and calculating machines to the Smithsonian in at least three separate accessions.
The set may have been owned by Hronik's grandfather, Frank Hronik (1860–about 1939), who was born in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), moved to Cedar Rapids in 1884, and by 1900 was a railroad machinist for the Burlington, Cedar Rapids, and Northern Railway, which was succeeded by the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railway in 1903. In 1887 he married Mary Hronik, who was born in Bohemia in 1864 and brought to this country by her parents in 1867.
Reference: Koh-i-noor Hardtmuth, "History," http://www.koh-i-noor.cz/en/history.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.326146
accession number
257457
catalog number
326146

T-Square

This 19" wooden T-square has a curved top piece attached to the handle by two steel screws. The back of the top piece has a ridge for positioning against a table. A hole at the end of the handle is for hanging the instrument. It has no markings.
Description
This 19" wooden T-square has a curved top piece attached to the handle by two steel screws. The back of the top piece has a ridge for positioning against a table. A hole at the end of the handle is for hanging the instrument. It has no markings. The dating of other objects from this donor suggests this object was made about 1900. Compare to MA.328396 and MA.328398.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.328397
accession number
272517
catalog number
328397

Pocket Case of Drawing Instruments

This wooden pocket-sized case is covered with black sharkskin. Inside the lid is marked: Allen A. Jones.
Description
This wooden pocket-sized case is covered with black sharkskin. Inside the lid is marked: Allen A. Jones. The set includes: a 3-7/8" brass semicircular protractor; a 4-3/4" ivory sector with a brass hinge; a 4-1/2" ivory plotting scale; 5-1/4" brass and steel dividers with a removable leg and separate pen point and crayon holder (containing a lead pencil whittled down to fit the holder); a 5" brass and steel drawing pen; a 3-5/8" brass and steel drawing compass with pen point; and 4-1/2" brass and steel fixed-point dividers. All of the pieces may be original except for the pencil.
The protractor is divided to single degrees and numbered by tens in both directions from 10 to 170. The plotting scale has diagonal scales at both ends. Above the plotting scale are scales divided to 1/10" and numbered by ones from 1 to 4, and divided to 1/12" and numbered by tens from 10 to 30. The back of the plotting scale has scales dividing the inch into 55, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, and 20 parts and a line of chords.
One side of the sector has three double scales: sines, running from 10 to 80 degrees; tangents, running from 50 to 75 degrees; and a second tangent scale, running from 10 to 45 degrees. The outer edge of both legs has scales for logarithmic tangents, sines, and numbers. The top edge of the instrument has a scale divided to 1/12" and numbered by tens from 70 to 10.
The other side of the sector has a double scale along the fold line for regular polygons, from 12 to 6 sides. Both legs have scales of equal parts, running from 1 to 10 and labeled L; of secants, running from 40 to 75 and labeled S; and of chords, running from 10 to 60 and labeled C. The outer edge has a scale divided to 1/10" and numbered by ones from 9 to 1. Brass inserts protect points where users would frequently set divider points. The instrument is similar to sectors in the English style made in the mid-19th century. Compare to 1985.0580.06 and MA.333937.
Allen A. Jones, the husband of the donor, used this set in the U.S. Corps of Engineers during World War I and throughout his career as a civil engineer. He inherited the set from an uncle or great-uncle who the family believed had worked as a surveyor in the Chicago area prior to the 1833 founding of that city. The Smithsonian received the set in 1969.
Reference: accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
MA.333944
accession number
305772
catalog number
333944

Millionaire Calculating Machine Model

In 1893 the Swiss engineer Otto Steiger invented a calculating machine capable of direct multiplication. That is to say, one could enter a number, enter a digit, turn the crank, and the product would appear.
Description
In 1893 the Swiss engineer Otto Steiger invented a calculating machine capable of direct multiplication. That is to say, one could enter a number, enter a digit, turn the crank, and the product would appear. The carriage shifted automatically, and one could then enter the next digit of the multiplier. Such machines had been proposed earlier by R. Verea, George S. Grant, and Leon Bollee, but were not successfully produced in large numbers until the Swiss manufacturer Hans Egli began making a machine based pm Steoger's patents called the Millionaire.
In about 1904 William A. Morschhauser (1872–1940) of New York City became the U. S. agent for Egli. Morschhauser provided this model of a Millionaire calculating machine to L. Leland Locke for exhibition at the Museums of the Peaceful Arts in New York City.
The lever-set manually operated non-printing machine has a brass mechanism for display but no metal case or lid. It is enclosed in glass, with only a partial mechanism to show the inner workings of the machine. The carriage is entirely contained within the case. One German silver lever is pulled forward to enter a digit. To the left of it are a series of toothed racks. Left of these is a crank which may be set anywhere between 0 and 9 for direct multiplication. Below the crank, the multiplication mechanism is visible. To the right of the digit lever is a lever that may be set at addition, multiplication, division, of subtraction. Right of it is the operating crank.
In front of the levers is a row of eight windows, one of which indicates the digit set up by the lever. In front of this is the carriage, with two other rows of windows. The row closest to the levers (further from the front) indicates the multiplier or quotient, the other row the result. The second register also has thumbscrews, that may be used to set a dividend. Both these registers have zeroing knobs. Holes for decimal markers between digits in the two registers on the carriage provide space for two German silver decimal markers. Between the front two registers, at the right, is a button used to shift the carriage. A bell is visible on the left.
A mark on the inside front of the machine at the base on the right reads: 809. A mark on the plate above the carriage reads: PTD MAY 7TH 1895. SEPT. 17TH 1895 [/] THIS PLATE NEVER TO BE TAKEN OFF!. A mark beneath the lever to the right of the digit lever reads: A M D S.
Precise dating of Millionaire calculating machines is uncertain. Daniel Lewin has estimated that machines with serial number 500 date from 1900, those with serial number 1600 from 1905, and those with serial number 2800 from 1910. If this is accurate, machines with serial number in the 800s would date from 1901 to 1904. The Spectator Company, a New York publisher of books on insurance and a distributor of calculating machines advertised the Millionaire in 1903. Morschhauser is described as the distributor from at least 1905 onward, hence a rough date of 1904 for this machine.
References:
Daniel Lewin, "Die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Rechenmaschinen der Firma H.W. Egli bis 1931" Typenkorb, Nr. 48 und 49, 1992.
The Insurance Year Book 1903–1904, New York: The Spectator Company, 1903, p. 28.
E. H. Beach, ed., Tools of Business: An Encyclopaedia of Office Equipment and Labor Saving Devices, Detroit: The Book-Keeper Publishing Co, 1905, pp. 14–15.
Henry J. Kennedy, “An Ingenious Calculating Machine,” American Machinist, November 1, 1906, pp. 555–562.
“W. A. Morschhauser Ex-Official of the Calculating Business Machines Corp.” New York Times, December 5, 1940, p. 25.
E. Martin, The Calculating Machines (Die Rechenmaschinen), trans. P.A. Kidwell and M. R. Williams, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992, pp. 119–125.
H. Sossna, “Die neue Multiplicationsmaschine von Otto Steiger & Hans J. Egli in Zurich,” Zeitschrift fuer Vermessungswesen, 28 # 24, 15 December 1879, pp. 665–696, esp. pp. 674–696.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1904
maker
Egli, Hans W.
ID Number
MA.311943
catalog number
311943
maker number
00809
accession number
155183

Odhner Arithmometer

The family of W. T. Odhner continued to manufacture calculating machines in St. Petersburg from the time of Odhner’s death in 1905 until the Russian Revolution of 1917.
Description
The family of W. T. Odhner continued to manufacture calculating machines in St. Petersburg from the time of Odhner’s death in 1905 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. This is a pinwheel calculating machine made in that period.
The machine has a brass frame painted black with eight metal pinwheels and a wooden base. Numbers are set by rotating the pinwheels forward using levers that extend from the wheels. Digits inscribed on the frame next to the rotating pinwheels to show the number set. The machine has no separate set of windows to show these digits.
The carriage at the front of the machine has eight windows for the revolution counter on the left and 13 windows for the result register on the right. A thin metal rod attached above the windows of the carriage carries two decimal markers. Wing nuts at opposite ends of the carriage zero these registers. To release the carriage, one pushes down a lever at the front. A crank with a wooden knob on the right side of the machine rotates clockwise for addition and multiplication and counterclockwise for subtraction and division.
A mark on the top of the machine reads: Odhner’s [/] Arithmometer. Another mark there reads: No. 7368. A circular inscription on the left front reads: MASCHINENFABRIK (/) W.T. ODHNER (/) ST PETERSBURG
According to the donor, his father, the civil engineer Fred C. Dunham of the state of Washington, purchased the machine in October 1907 from the German agent of Brurnsviga, who had taken over two Odhner machines from a Russian agent. The older Dunham added the bar for decimal markers. The machine proved highly reliable.
References:
Accession file.
U.S. Census records.
Henry Wassen, Odhner History, Gothenburg, Aktiebolaget Original-Odhner, 1951.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1907
maker
Maschinnenfabrik W. T. Odhner
ID Number
MA.328418
accession number
272526
catalog number
328418
maker number
7368

Coradi Model 30 Rolling Sphere Planimeter

This planimeter can measure larger diagrams than planimeters with a fixed arm, and it is designed to eliminate errors introduced by irregularities in the paper. It moves on two German silver rollers.
Description
This planimeter can measure larger diagrams than planimeters with a fixed arm, and it is designed to eliminate errors introduced by irregularities in the paper. It moves on two German silver rollers. The roller on the left rotates a steel wheel that in turn rotates an axle that turns the measuring wheel and registering dial. The measuring wheel has a vernier. All three parts are made of white plastic. The ten-inch rectangular German silver tracer arm is attached to a carriage below the measuring wheel and between the rollers. It has a brass tracer with steel point and support. The length of the arm is adjustable, and it is evenly divided to 0.5mm and numbered from 10 to 54. An extension for the tracer arm adds eight inches to its length and is numbered from 55 to 88.
Above the roller on the right is marked: G. Coradi, Zürich (/) Switzerland (/) No 1550. An oblong German silver testing rule is marked for 0", 1", 2", 3", and 4". It is also marked: G. Coradi. A fitted wooden case is covered with black leather and lined with purple velvet. The brush that goes in the corner of the case is missing. A paper printed calibration chart glued inside the lid has columns in French for Scales, Position of the vernier on the tracer bar, Value of the unit of the vernier on the measuring roller, and Constant. The values are handwritten, and the Constant column is crossed out. A paragraph explains how to store the instrument. The date on the chart indicates the Coradi firm made serial number 1,550 on November 2, 1901. A separate card has the chart values translated into English. According to a 1915 catalog, Coradi sold this size of planimeter as model 30.
The top of the case is marked: MU 3412. The key for the case is tied to the handle with string. A metal circle on the bottom of the case is marked: WEBCO. The Zurich workshop of Gottlieb Coradi (1847–1929) made a variety of planimeters beginning in the early 1880s, with the rolling sphere form debuting around 1900. The Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia donated this example in 1972. Although when and where the department acquired it is not known, American firms such as Keuffel & Esser and Dietzgen distributed Coradi's precision disc planimeter. K&E sold this size before 1901 as model 1106 and from 1901 to 1936 as model 4260, charging $82.50 in 1900. Dietzgen only sold a larger version that had twelve-inch and eight-inch tracer arm pieces. Compare to 1977.0112.01. A later instruction manual is 1977.0112.02. For other objects from the Univ. of Missouri's donation, see MA.333663 and MA.333636.
References: J. W. Beardsley, "Description and Theory of Coradi's Rolling Ball Planimeter," Journal of the Association of Engineering Societies 28 (1902): 67–77; J. Y. Wheatley, The Polar Planimeter and Its Use in Engineering Calculations (New York: Keuffel & Esser, 1903), chapter 10, http://www.leinweb.com/snackbar/planimtr/wheatley/s10-6.htm; Clark McCoy, "Collection of Pages from K&E Catalogs for the 4260 Family of Precision Rolling Planimeters," http://www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com/PlanimeterModels/ke4260family.htm; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser, 30th ed. (New York, 1900), 308; Catalogue & Price List of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 7th ed. (Chicago, 1904), 363; Mathematical-Mechanical Institute of G. Coradi, Catalogue of Mathematical Precision Instruments (Zurich, 1915), 13–17.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1901
maker
Coradi, Gottlieb
ID Number
MA.333660
catalog number
333660
accession number
300659

Keuffel & Esser Linear Planimeter Invented by Frank R. Williams

This German silver instrument consists of three pieces. The first is a seven-inch tracer arm with a tracer point at one end and a measuring wheel with vernier and a peg at the other end.
Description
This German silver instrument consists of three pieces. The first is a seven-inch tracer arm with a tracer point at one end and a measuring wheel with vernier and a peg at the other end. The peg fits into a groove on the second piece, which is a rectangular plate with a removable sliding ruler that is divided on all four sides into 96, 120, 150, and 180 parts. A pivoting rectangular blade is at the right end of the second piece. This piece is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER Co N.Y. Pat. Dec. 8. 1903 No 7. The third piece is a folding L-shaped ruler. The long arm is graduated to 1/4-inch and numbered from 1 to 5. The short arm is divided to tenths of an inch and numbered from 5 to 20.
A rectangular hardwood case has green velvet lining the supports for the instrument. A small ivory plate screwed inside the lid is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. (/) NEW YORK (/) ST. LOUIS CHICAGO (/) SAN FRANCISCO.
Frederick (Frank) R. Williams of Syracuse, N.Y., patented this planimeter. He may have been a merchant who sold his grocery store in 1906. The instrument was never advertised in Keuffel & Esser catalogs. Since this example was donated by K&E in 1971 and since the serial number is so low (7), perhaps K&E manufactured it as a prototype or for use with its own steam engine indicators, but decided not to offer it for sale to the public. Compare to the linear planimeter invented by John Coffin, MA.323708, 1987.0107.03, MA.323705, and MA.323706.
References: Frank R. Williams, "Planimeter" (U.S. Patent 746,427 issued December 8, 1903); "Skaneateles," Syracuse Journal (January 10, 1906), 6, http://fultonhistory.com/newspapers%20Disk3/Syracuse%20NY%20Daily%20Journal/Syracuse%20NY%20Daily%20Journal%201906.pdf/Syracuse%20NY%20Daily%20Journal%201906%20-%200104.PDF; Clark McCoy, ed., "Planimeters and Integrators in K&E Catalogs by Model Number," http://www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com/PlanimeterModels/PlanimeterModels.htm; Bob Otnes, "American Planimeters," Journal of the Oughtred Society 11, no. 2 (2002): 59–64; accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1903
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.335262
catalog number
335262
accession number
306012

Instruction Card for Robertson-Amsler Polar Planimeter

These salmon-colored card fragments were received with MA.333766.
Description
These salmon-colored card fragments were received with MA.333766. They give partial instructions for taking measurements with an "averaging planimeter." The reverse side of the card has a drawing of a connector for a steam engine indicator and several user testimonials.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
James L. Robertson & Sons
ID Number
MA.302380.02
accession number
302380
catalog number
302380.01

Mechanical Accountant

This key-driven adding machine has a brown metal case and eight columns of nine plastic or ceramic keys. The rightmost three columns of keys are black with white numbers, and the other five columns are white with black numbers. Complementary digits are indicated on the keys.
Description
This key-driven adding machine has a brown metal case and eight columns of nine plastic or ceramic keys. The rightmost three columns of keys are black with white numbers, and the other five columns are white with black numbers. Complementary digits are indicated on the keys. Results appear in a row of nine windows in back of the keyboard. The latest number entered appears in a row of eight windows behind this. A metal lever in front of the keys cancels an entry, but not the total. A crank on the side zeros both sets of windows. The windows are covered with translucent greenish plastic, which is cracking. There are four rubber feet. The machine is marked at the front: Mechanical (/) Accountant.
This is the earlier “simplex”model of the machine, which was designed to have numbers entered one digit at a time. The simultaneous operation of two columns where a carry is involved results in loss of the carry.
Compare 323599.
Joseph Abram Turck of Providence, Rhode Island, assigned three patents to the Mechanical Accountant Company. Turck then went on to work for Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company of Chicago.
References:
J. A. V. Turck, “Adding Machine,” U.S. Patent 631345, granted August 22, 1899.
J. A. V. Turck, “Calculating Machine,” U.S. Patent 679,348, granted July 30, 1901.
J. A. V. Turck, “Calculating-Machine,” U.S. Patent 720,086, granted February 10, 1903.
J. H. McCarthy, The American Digest of Business Machines, Chicago: American Exchange Service, 1924, p. 550.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1900
maker
Mechanical Accountant Company
ID Number
MA.317386
accession number
230394
catalog number
317386

Plain Dividers

These metal dividers are noticeably corroded. They are called "plain" because, although there is a screw at the top for adjusting the width to which the dividers are set, there is no second screw or hairspring on one of the legs for refining the setting.
Description
These metal dividers are noticeably corroded. They are called "plain" because, although there is a screw at the top for adjusting the width to which the dividers are set, there is no second screw or hairspring on one of the legs for refining the setting. The short needle points are not removable. The upper part of the legs is indented, so that an oval is seen when the dividers are closed. The Brown University mathematics department donated these dividers to the Smithsonian in 1973.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.304722.03
accession number
1973.304722
catalog number
304722.03

Paper Models of Ellipsoids, M.Schilling No. 6 & No. 7, Carton Ser. No. 1 & No. 2

In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, students studying technical subjects often learned about the representation of surfaces by equations in courses in solid analytic geometry.
Description
In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, students studying technical subjects often learned about the representation of surfaces by equations in courses in solid analytic geometry. Schools in Europe, the United States, and Japan sometimes purchased models to illustrate such surfaces. The firm of Martin Schilling in Leipzig published these two as part of a series of paper models (the “Carton” series) designed by Alexander Brill and first issued in 1874.
The larger, greenish-white paper model of an ellipsoid (#1 in the Carton series) has the dimensions given. It has nineteen intersecting circles (three of the smallest circles are missing in this example). The lines of intersection are numbered, but there is no label. The smaller, tan model (#2 in the carton series) measures unfolded: 11.5 cm. w. x 7 cm. d. x 7 cm. h. It has twenty-nine circles (one other circle is missing). The lines of intersection and circles are numbered, but there is no label. The two models measure flat in their light green envelope: 17 cm. w. x 11.5 cm. d. x 1 cm. h. The envelope is stored in a black paper box with the other Carton models. A mark on it reads: Karton-Modelle (/) von Flachen zweiter Ordnung. (/) Nr. 1 u. 2 (/) Ellipsoide (/) Verlag von Martin Schilling in Halle a. S. Another mark on it reads: Leipzig.
The stand shown in the photographs is part of MA304722.24.
Compare 1985.0112.002 and 1985.0112.003.
References:
Ludwig Brill, Catalog mathematischer Modelle. . ., Darmstadt: L. Brill, 1892, p. 1, 57.
M. Schilling, Catalog, 1911, p. 1-2, 111.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.304722.15
catalog number
304722.15
accession number
304722

Keuffel & Esser 1744 Duplex Slide Rule

This ten-inch mahogany rule is coated with white celluloid on the front and back and is held together with straight brass end pieces. Two screws are in one of the end pieces. The indicator is brass in the double chisel style.
Description
This ten-inch mahogany rule is coated with white celluloid on the front and back and is held together with straight brass end pieces. Two screws are in one of the end pieces. The indicator is brass in the double chisel style. On one side, the bottom of the base is marked: WM COX. PAT. OCT. 6. 1891. The right side of the top of the base and the slide are both marked: *. On the other side, the bottom of the base is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER Co. NEW-YORK.
The scales are not labeled. On both sides, the top of the base has an A scale (divided logarithmically from 1 to 10 twice) and the bottom of the base has a D scale (divided logarithmically from 1 to 10 once). One side of the slide has B and C scales. (A B scale is equivalent to an A scale, and a C scale is equivalent to a D scale.) The other side of the slide has BI and CI scales (i.e., B-inverse and C-inverse).
British citizen William Cox received U.S. patent number 460,930 for a duplex "Engineer's Slide-Rule" with these scales on October 6, 1891, and immediately assigned the patent to the Keuffel & Esser Company of New York. This slide rule sold as K&E model 1744 from 1895 to 1900 and as model 4070 from 1901 to 1906. In the 1895 K&E Catalog, which includes the patent drawings in the illustration, the K&E mark is shown near the top of the base instead of near the bottom of the base. The mark is shown near the bottom of the base in the 1897 and 1899 catalogs. The shape of the end pieces was altered in 1901, and a second style of indicator, the glass clam shell, was added as model 4071. By 1909, K&E discontinued model 4070. Thus, this example likely dates to 1896–1900. It would have been partially made by Dennert & Pape in Germany and finished in the United States by K&E, which sold it in a case for $6.50.
K&E donated this slide rule to the Smithsonian in 1961. Compare to model 4071: MA.318475, MA.326613, and 1993.0482.01.
References: Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 26th ed. (New York, 1895), 186; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 28th ed. (New York, 1897), 192; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 29th ed. (New York, 1899), 193; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 30th ed. (New York, 1900–1901), 296; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 32th ed. (New York, 1906), 324; Clark McCoy, "Collection of Pages from K&E Catalogs for the Early 4071 Family of Slide Rules," http://www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com/KEModels/ke4071oldfamily.htm; Wayne E. Feely, "K & E Slide Rules," The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association 49, no. 5 (June 1996): 50–52; Dieter von Jezierski, Slide Rules: A Journey Through Three Centuries, trans. Rodger Shepherd (Mendham, N.J.: Astragal Press, 2000), 71.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1896-1900
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.318477
catalog number
318477
accession number
235479

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