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.

Place: New York

Monroe Model LA5-160 Calculating Machine

This compact full-keyboard electric non-printing and modified stepped drum calculating machine has a steel frame with rounded corners painted mottled dark green. The steel plate under the keyboard is painted light green.
Description
This compact full-keyboard electric non-printing and modified stepped drum calculating machine has a steel frame with rounded corners painted mottled dark green. The steel plate under the keyboard is painted light green. The eight columns of white plastic keys have nine keys in each column. Between the columns of keys, and under the green plate, are metal rods visible through windows in the plate. These serve as decimal markers.
To the right of the number keys are the subtraction and addition bars, two red buttons, one of which is marked R, and a red clearance key. Left of the keyboard is a lever with a red plastic top. In back of the keyboard is the carriage, with 16 result dials and eight revolution register dials. A crank with a wooden handle for clearing the carriage is on its right side and another one for shifting the carriage at the front. The machine has four rubber feet. A gray rubber electric cord plugs into the back, and a light gray cover fits over the object.
A mark on the front of the machine and on the cord reads: MONROE. A mark on the back reads: MONROE (/) REGISTERED TRADE MARK (/) HIGH SPEED ADDING CALCULATOR. The serial number, scratched on the underside of the carriage on the left, is 250245. The cover is marked: MONROE li.
This machine was used to keep the financial records of the Friends Meeting of Washington. Date deduced from serial number.
Compare MA.335424 and MA.334385.
References:
Accession file.
National Office Machine Dealer’s Association, Blue Book, May, 1975, as compiled by Office Machine Americana, January, 2002.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1940
maker
Monroe Calculating Machine Company
ID Number
MA.335235
catalog number
335235
accession number
314611

Pocket Case of Drawing Instruments

This wooden pocket case is covered with black sharkskin and lined with yellow paper. The set of brass and steel instruments includes: two drawing pens; a small drawing compass with a pen point; and large dividers with pen point and pencil point attachments.Currently not on view
Description
This wooden pocket case is covered with black sharkskin and lined with yellow paper. The set of brass and steel instruments includes: two drawing pens; a small drawing compass with a pen point; and large dividers with pen point and pencil point attachments.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.333924
accession number
304215
catalog number
333924

Webb Adder

This is a two-wheeled steel and nickel-plated brass adding machine. It is stylus-operated and non-printing. The large wheel has 00 to 99 stamped around the edge. The smaller wheel has 0 to 49 stamped around its edge. A ring of holes is inside each ring of numbers.
Description
This is a two-wheeled steel and nickel-plated brass adding machine. It is stylus-operated and non-printing. The large wheel has 00 to 99 stamped around the edge. The smaller wheel has 0 to 49 stamped around its edge. A ring of holes is inside each ring of numbers. A metal plate covers the outer edges of the two wheels, revealing sums in a small window between them. The numbers 0 to 99 also are stamped around the window for the larger wheel. Numbers are added by rotating the wheels, up to sums of 4999. The carry mechanism is that patented by L. C. Smith (patent 414335). The frame is serrated around the edge, and smooth on the back. A metal piece is attached to the frame at the top. There is a stylus. The machine is marked: “THE ADDER.” It has serial number 549. There are no references to any patent numbers on the device, nor is Webb mentioned. The example comes from the Draper family of New York.
References:
C. H. Webb, “Adding-Machine,” U.S. Patent 414959, November 12, 1889.
Lester C. Smith, “Adding-Machine,” U.S. Patent 414335, November 5, 1889.
P. A. Kidwell, “The Webb Adder,” Rittenhouse, 1 (1986), pp.12-18.
E. Martin, The Calculating Machines (Die Rechenmaschinen), trans. P. A. Kidwell and M. R. Williams, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992, p. 63.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1890
patentee
Webb, Charles H.
ID Number
MA.335358
accession number
304826
catalog number
335358

Keuffel & Esser 4087 T Duplex Slide Rule

This 20-inch duplex mahogany slide rule is completely coated with white celluloid and held together with the L-shaped metal end pieces Keuffel & Esser adopted in 1913. The indicator is of the frameless glass type K&E first used in 1915.
Description
This 20-inch duplex mahogany slide rule is completely coated with white celluloid and held together with the L-shaped metal end pieces Keuffel & Esser adopted in 1913. The indicator is of the frameless glass type K&E first used in 1915. The edges are metal, not plastic, and one edge is marked: PAT. APPL'D FOR. On one side, the base has A and D scales, with B, S, and C scales on the slide. The left end of the slide is marked with the model number: < 4087 T >. The left edge of each piece of the rule is stamped with the number 18. The bottom of the base is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. N.Y.; PAT. JUNE 5, '00 DEC. 22, '08. For information on these patents, see MA.322761 and MA.318475.
On the other side, the base has A, D, and L scales, with BI, T, and CI scales on the slide. The trigonometric scales are divided into degress and minutes. The rule fits into a cardboard box covered with black leather and marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER Co. (/) DUPLEX (/) REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. (/) SLIDE RULE. Introduced in 1909, the 4087 T was discontinued after 1915. K&E only used this combination of scales on this model from 1913 to 1915. It sold for $18.00. The Interstate Commerce Commission transferred this example to the Smithsonian in 1962.
References: Willie L. E. Keuffel, "Slide-Rule" (U.S. Patent 651,142 issued June 5, 1900), "Slide-Rule" (U.S. Patent 907,373 issued December 22, 1908), and "Slide-Rule Runner" (U.S. Patent 1,150,771 issued August 17, 1915); Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 33th ed. (New York, 1909), 312; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 34th ed. (New York, 1913), 303; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 35th ed. (New York, 1915), 303.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1913-1915
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.321782
catalog number
321782
accession number
246883

Keuffel & Esser 4012 Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rule

The brass core of this cylindrical slide rule is covered by paper marked with forty A scales. The core fits in an open rotating frame that holds twenty metal slats; each slat is lined with cloth, covered with paper, and marked with two B and two C scales.
Description
The brass core of this cylindrical slide rule is covered by paper marked with forty A scales. The core fits in an open rotating frame that holds twenty metal slats; each slat is lined with cloth, covered with paper, and marked with two B and two C scales. Wooden knobs on each end of the core rotate the instrument. The frame is attached to a mahogany base.
The first A scale runs from 100 to 112 and the fortieth runs from 946 to 100 to 105. The first B scale runs from 100 to 112, the last from 946 to 100 to 105. The first C scale runs from 100 to 334, the last from 308 to 305. The paper covering the core is also printed in italics on the right side: Made by Keuffel & Esser Co., New York; Patented by Edwin Thatcher [sic], C.E. Nov. 1st., 1881.
The paper of instructions and rules for operating THACHER'S CALCULATING INSTRUMENT, normally glued to the top front of the base, is coming loose and is torn on this example. A large chip is also missing from the left handle. The top back of the base is stamped: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. (encircling N.Y.); 4012 (/) 4218; TRADEMARK (below the K&E logo of a lion).
Keuffel & Esser sold versions of the Thacher cylindrical slide rule from about 1883 until about 1950. There were two models, one with a magnifying glass (K&E model 1741 before 1900, K&E model 4013 after) and one without (K&E model 1740 before 1900, K&E model 4012 after). This is a model 4012; the serial number suggests it was manufactured around 1915. The marking on the core also no longer references W. F. Stanley, the English firm that originally manufactured the instrument for sale by K&E. Stanley continued to provide the engine-divided scales after K&E began making the rest of the instrument in 1887. K&E took over printing the scales in the 1910s. Model 4012 sold for $35.00 in 1916, $60.00 in 1922, and $70.00 in 1927.
Compare markings on the core to MA.322730. See also MA.312866 and MA.326628.
References: Wayne E. Feely, "Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rules," The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association 50 (1997): 125–127; Keuffel & Esser Co., Slide Rules and Calculating Instruments (New York, 1916), 22; Keuffel & Esser Co., Slide Rules and Calculating Instruments (New York, 1922), 21; Keuffel & Esser Co., Slide Rules and Calculating Instruments (New York, 1927), 20.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1915
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.323504
accession number
251559
maker number
4218
catalog number
323504

Keuffel & Esser 4083-3 Log Log Vector Duplex Slide Rule

This two-sided ten-inch mahogany slide rule is coated with white celluloid and held together with metal end pieces. On one side, the base has LL02, LL03, DF, D, LL3, and LL2 scales, with CF, CIF, CI, and C scales on the slide.
Description
This two-sided ten-inch mahogany slide rule is coated with white celluloid and held together with metal end pieces. On one side, the base has LL02, LL03, DF, D, LL3, and LL2 scales, with CF, CIF, CI, and C scales on the slide. The right end of the slide is marked in red: © (/) K + E. On the other side, the base has Sh1, Sh2, Th, A, D, DI, LL01, and LL1 scales, with B, T, SRT, and S scales on the slide. The trigonometric scales are divided into degrees and into decimals. The left end of the slide has a serial number: 344425. The left ends of both parts of the base are marked: 425. A glass indicator has plastic edges and metal screws. Compare to MA.335483.
The top edge of the rule is marked: PATS. PEND. MADE IN U.S.A. 4083-3 LOG LOG DUPLEX VECTOR ® COPYRIGHT 1947 BY KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. PATS. 2,500,460 2,168,056 2,170,144 2,285,722 2,422,649. These patents were issued between 1939 and 1950. They dealt with the arrangement of scales on a slide rule, in particular so that the user could solve multistep problems without having to write down intermediate settings, and with the placement of a legend to make placing the decimal point easier. See 2007.0181.01 for patent citations.
There is no case. Keuffel & Esser of New York used this set of scales on this model number from 1955 to 1962. The serial number is consistent with a date earlier in this time frame. The company donated this example to the Smithsonian in 1961. The rule sold for $24.50 in the 1950s.
References: Clark McCoy, "Collection of Pages from K&E Catalogs for the 4083-3 Family of Slide Rules," http://www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com/KEModels/ke4083-3family.htm; Ed Chamberlain, "Estimating K&E Slide Rule Dates," 27 December 2000, http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/ke/320-k+e_date2.jpg; K + E Catalog, 42nd ed. (New York: Keuffel & Esser Co., 1954), 280–281.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1955-1961
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.318481
catalog number
318481
accession number
235479

Box of American Lead Pencil Co. Venus Pencils and Eraser

This set of four short (less than 3-1/2") wood and graphite pencils is in a rectangular white cardboard box. The pencils are marked: VENUS AMERICAN (/) PENCIL CO. N.Y. They are also marked with the hardness of their leads: HB, B, F, 4H.
Description
This set of four short (less than 3-1/2") wood and graphite pencils is in a rectangular white cardboard box. The pencils are marked: VENUS AMERICAN (/) PENCIL CO. N.Y. They are also marked with the hardness of their leads: HB, B, F, 4H. These correspond to a chart of lead hardnesses that is on the top of the box. The chart is marked: "VENUS" PERFECT PENCILS: (/) Made in 17 Black and 2 Copying Degrees: (/) each degree guaranteed never to vary. (/) London. AMERICAN PENCIL CO., New York. Empty space in the box suggests it originally held five pencils.
The box also holds a 1" white rubber eraser marked: VENUS (/) AMERICAN PENCIL CO. (/) NEW YORK (/) No100. Next to the eraser is a 2-1/2" square wooden dowel covered in white paper marked: ←—— This Is The New VENUS ERASER Try It. The inside of the box lid has an advertisement for the eraser, which came in twelve sizes, ranging from four pieces in one box to 100 pieces in one box. The presence of the eraser suggests that this set was made after MA.330191.
The American Lead Pencil Company began operating in New York City around 1861 and started to manufacture the Venus line of drawing pencils in 1905. By 1939 the firm was advertising itself as the American Pencil Co. Various retailers in the United States, including Keuffel & Esser and the Eugene Dietzgen Co., offered the Venus line from the 1930s to the 1960s. In 1956 American Pencil Co. changed its name to Venus Pen and Pencil to reflect its popular brand. Faber-Castell USA purchased the firm in 1973.
The owner of these pencils, Mendel Lazear Peterson (1918–2003), earned degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi and Vanderbilt University. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1943 and served in the Pacific theater, where he developed an interest in underwater archaeology. He remained in the service after World War II. From 1958 to 1973, he was a Smithsonian curator in historic archaeology and armed forces history. He likely acquired the pencils during his military career.
References: D. B. Smith, "Venus Drawing Pencil," http://leadholder.com/wood-venus.html; Bart Barnes, "Smithsonian's Mendel Peterson Dies," Washington Post, August 28, 2003.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1939-1956
maker
American Lead Pencil Company
ID Number
MA.330192
accession number
288888
catalog number
330192

Keuffel & Esser 4088-3 Polyphase Duplex Slide Rule

This ten-inch mahogany duplex linear slide rule is coated with white celluloid and held together with L-shaped metal end pieces. The front of the base has DF and D scales, with CF, CIF, and C scales on the slide. The right end of the slide is marked in red: < 4088-3 >.
Description
This ten-inch mahogany duplex linear slide rule is coated with white celluloid and held together with L-shaped metal end pieces. The front of the base has DF and D scales, with CF, CIF, and C scales on the slide. The right end of the slide is marked in red: < 4088-3 >. The bottom of the base is marked in red: PAT. JUNE 5. '00 DEC.22.'08 KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. N.Y. MADE IN U.S.A. The back of the base has K, A, D, and L scales, with B, S, T, and CI scales on the slide. A serial number is at the left end of the slide: 207989. A different serial number is on the front edge: 206079. The indicator is the second generation of Keuffel & Esser's "frameless" glass style, with white plastic edges and metal screws. One edge is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. The other edge is marked: PATENT 2,086,502.
K&E sold model 4088-3 from 1913 to 1939. From 1913 to 1936, the patent dates were indicated as they are on this instrument. Beginning in 1936, the number of a 1933 patent is shown on drawings of the instrument in K&E catalogs. The B scale was added to the slide in 1922. Both serial numbers are consistent with manufacturing dates in the late 1920s. This style of indicator was introduced in 1936 and patented in 1937. The different serial numbers and the discrepancy in dating between the rule and the indicator suggest that this example consists of components mixed from three slide rules. Compare to MA.318476, MA.321778, and 1981.0933.03. For instructions, see 1981.0933.04 and 1981.0933.06.
References: Adolf W. Keuffel, "Runner for Slide Rules" (U.S. Patent 2,086,502 issued July 6, 1937); Keuffel & Esser Co., Slide Rules and Calculating Instruments (New York, 1922), 8–9; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 38th ed. (New York, 1936), 314–315; Ed Chamberlain, "Estimating K&E Slide Rule Dates," 27 December 2000, http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/ke/320-k+e_date2.jpg; Clark McCoy, ed., "Collection of Pages from K&E Catalogs for the 4088 Family of Slide Rules," http://www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com/KEModels/ke4088-3family.htm.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1920s-1930s
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.318480
accession number
235479
catalog number
318480

Eagle Pencil Company Model 569 Compass and Divider

This metal compass is noticeably corroded. The compass is held together by a screw at the top. A spring inside the mechanism below the screw allows the two legs to be squeezed together. The mechanism is marked on both sides: EAGLE PENCIL CO. (/) NEW YORK (/) PAT.
Description
This metal compass is noticeably corroded. The compass is held together by a screw at the top. A spring inside the mechanism below the screw allows the two legs to be squeezed together. The mechanism is marked on both sides: EAGLE PENCIL CO. (/) NEW YORK (/) PAT. DEC.11.1894 (/) PAT. GT.BRITAIN. The legs are embossed with a floral pattern. The two needle points slide into slots at the end of each leg. One point is made of the same metal as the compass. The other point is a metal that does not corrode, possibly German silver. The German silver point is reversible and holds a pencil lead in its other end.
German immigrant Heinrich Berolzheimer opened Eagle Pencil Company as a pencil shop in New York City in 1856, with a factory in Yonkers. By 1880, the firm made mechanical pencils as well as pens and erasers. In 1969, the company changed its name to Berol Corporation, and the Empire Pencil Corporation purchased it in 1986. Harrison Cole of Columbus, Ohio, applied on April 16, 1894, for a patent on a braking screw bolt that would help compasses or dividers stay set in position and received it on December 11 that year. The Brown University mathematics department donated this instrument to the Smithsonian in 1973. Compare to 1981.0933.17.
References: Harrison Cole, "Drawing Instrument" (U.S. Patent 530,680 issued December 11, 1894); "Eagle Divider and Compass," School Journal 56 (1898): 389.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
Eagle Pencil Company
ID Number
MA.304722.04
accession number
1973.304722
catalog number
304722.04

Grunow Spherometer

A spherometer is a device used primarily for measuring the curvature of objects such as lenses and curved mirrors. They were produced from the 18th to the early 20th centuries, for use by astronomers and opticians and are still mentioned on websites today.
Description
A spherometer is a device used primarily for measuring the curvature of objects such as lenses and curved mirrors. They were produced from the 18th to the early 20th centuries, for use by astronomers and opticians and are still mentioned on websites today. The spherometer is a micrometer comprised of three legs that define a plane. A central point can be raised or lowered to just touch the surface. The distance this central point is above or below the flat plane made by the three legs is read off the vertical scale on the device. This distance is then translated into a number that describes the radius of curvature of the surface. Spherometers can also be used to measure the thickness of a flat plate or the amount a flat surface deviates from being truly flat. (See the introduction to the spherometers for the details of the uses and mathematics of this device.)
This spherometer was produced in the mid-19th century by William Grunow, a German immigrant and instrument maker living in West Point, New York. William and his brother Julius immigrated to New York in 1849. They began making microscopes while William produced other instruments, such as the spherometer under the marking “Wm. Grunlow, New York.” This spherometer was owned by the Department of Physics and Chemistry at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York and transferred to the Smithsonian in 1958.
References:
Mills, A. “The Spherometer,” eRittenhouse 24, no. 1 (2012/2013).
Warner, D.J., “Spherometer,” Instruments of Science: An Historical Encyclopedia (1998): 569-570.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1849
maker
Grunow, William
ID Number
MA.315739
accession number
217544
catalog number
315739

Keuffel & Esser 4083-5 Log Log Vector Duplex Slide Rule

This 20-inch mahogany duplex slide rule is coated with white celluloid and held together with metal end pieces. On one side, the base has LL02, LL03, DF, D, LL3, and LL2 scales, with CF, CIF, CI, and C scales on the slide.
Description
This 20-inch mahogany duplex slide rule is coated with white celluloid and held together with metal end pieces. On one side, the base has LL02, LL03, DF, D, LL3, and LL2 scales, with CF, CIF, CI, and C scales on the slide. The right end of the slide is marked in red: © (/) K + E. On the other side, the base has Sh1, Sh2, Th, A, D, DI, LL01, and LL1 scales, with B, T, SRT, and S scales on the slide. The first three scales are hypobolic scales. The trigonometric scales are divided into degrees and into decimals. The left end of the slide has a serial number: 640023. The left ends of both parts of the base are marked: 023. A glass indicator has plastic edges and metal screws. Compare to MA.318481
The top edge of the rule is marked: PATS. PEND. MADE IN U.S.A. 4083-5 LOG LOG DUPLEX VECTOR ® COPYRIGHT 1947 BY KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. PATS. 2,500,460 2,168,056 2,170,144 2,285,722 2,422,649. See 2007.0181.01 for a description of these patents. There is a green leather case with metal inlays on the holder for the flap. One of the inlays is marked: PAT. 2,000,337. The flap is marked: K + E. Adolf W. Keuffel applied to patent his method for securing a slide rule case on November 1, 1932, and received the patent on May 7, 1935.
Keuffel & Esser of New York used this set of scales on this model number from 1955 to 1962. The serial number is consistent with a date later in this time frame. The rule sold with the leather case for $56.50 in the 1950s.
References: Adolf W. Keuffel, "Slide Rule Case" (U.S. Patent 2,000,337 issued May 7, 1935); K + E Catalog, 42nd ed. (New York: Keuffel & Esser Co., 1954), 280–281; Keuffel & Esser Co., "Price List Applying to the 42nd Edition Catalog" (New York, June 1, 1956), 43; Clark McCoy, "Collection of Pages from K&E Catalogs for the 4083-3 Family of Slide Rules," http://www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com/KEModels/ke4083-3family.htm; Ed Chamberlain, "Estimating K&E Slide Rule Dates," 27 December 2000, http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/ke/320-k+e_date2.jpg.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1955-1962
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.335483
accession number
321673
catalog number
335483

Instructions for Keuffel & Esser 4013 Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rule

Edwin Thacher, the inventor of the cylindrical slide rule bearing his name, published instructions for using the instrument as Thacher's Calculating Instrument or Cylindrical Slide-Rule (New York: Van Nostrand, 1884).
Description
Edwin Thacher, the inventor of the cylindrical slide rule bearing his name, published instructions for using the instrument as Thacher's Calculating Instrument or Cylindrical Slide-Rule (New York: Van Nostrand, 1884). Keuffel & Esser of New York, which distributed and, later, manufactured Thacher slide rules, reprinted the booklet in 1903 and 1907 as Directions for Using Thacher's Calculating Instrument. This copy was printed in 1907 and sold for one dollar.
The booklet explained the processes for calculations involving multiplication, division, proportion, powers, and square and cube roots. Thacher also provided solved examples for practice. He suggested "special applications" for his instrument, including conversion of weights and measures; currency exchange; pro-rating among accounts; calculating taxes, investment returns, and payrolls; and physical computations such as mechanical power, centrifugal force, and mensuration. K&E's Improved Reckoning Machine is advertised at the back of the booklet.
See also MA.327886.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1907
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.271855.01.03
accession number
271855
catalog number
271855.01.03

SCM Marchant Model TKM or Tenkeymatic Calculating Machine

By 1960 the Marchant Calculating Machine Company had been absorbed and was part of SCM (Smith Corona Marchant) Corporation.
Description
By 1960 the Marchant Calculating Machine Company had been absorbed and was part of SCM (Smith Corona Marchant) Corporation. When the company wished to introduce a ten-key printing electric calculating machine, it decided to import and rename a machine made by the German firm of Hamann. Dubbed the SCM Marchant TKM, or Tenkeymatic, it sold from about 1960.
This example of the machine has a blue-gray frame, ten keys for entering numbers, and three registers. The register at the top of the machine (Register I) has nine number dials that indicate the number set up most recently using the keyboard.
The two other registers are adjacent to and above the keyboard. On the left is an eight-digit register that serves as a revolution counter (Register II). Right of it are the 16 windows of the result register (Register III). In division, the result register shows the remainder. In front of the registers is the block of square white plastic digit keys, with the zero bar below. To the right are gray plastic addition and subtraction bars, carriage shift keys, a “DIV” key, and a key with an arrow pointing up. To the left of the digit keys are gray plastic keys used in multiplication and clearance.
Levers between the registers shift decimal markers. A knob on the left side of the machine controls the termination of division according to the number of orders set. A metal handle slides out from the bottom front so one can carry the machine. There are two rubber feet. The other two are missing. The machine has no cord.
The block of number keys is marked: 7 8 9 (/) 4 5 6 (/) 1 2 3 (/) 0; MARCHANT; TENKEYMATIC; SCM; WA [. . .] GTON UNIFIED (/) SCHOOL DISTRICT (/) 5357.
References:
SCM Marchant, Tenkeymatic Service Instruction Book, 1960 (1984.3084.63.3).
“1964 Marchant Calculators and Adding Machine, Price List,” 1963, p. 12. (1984.3084.90). This reference lists the capacity of the machine as 8x9x16. The Government Services Administration price for the Tenkeymatic was $475 plus tax. It is listed as foreign-made.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1960
distributor
SCM Corporation
maker
Singer Company. Friden Division
ID Number
MA.335376
catalog number
335376
accession number
318944

TASCO Adder

This stylus-operated notched band adder has eight columns. A sliding plate atop the machine allows one to adjust the columns for subtraction. A blue-black plastic case holds a metal stylus.
Description
This stylus-operated notched band adder has eight columns. A sliding plate atop the machine allows one to adjust the columns for subtraction. A blue-black plastic case holds a metal stylus. Accompanying the instrument are “Instructions for Operating the Pocket Arithmometer.”
The TASCO pocket arithmometer closely resembles an adder sold by the Gray Arithmometer Company of Ithaca, New York, in the early 20th century. It was distributed by the Morse Chain Company of Ithaca in the 1920s. In 1929, the Morse Chain Company became part of Borg-Warner Corporation. Distribution of the adder soon shifted to the Tavella Sales Company of New York City.
Compare to 1986.0663.01.
References: P. Kidwell, “Adders Made and Used in the United States,” Rittenhouse, 8, (1994), pp. 78-96.
Advertisements in Popular Mechanics 83 (March 1945), p. 178, (April 1945): 180, and (May, 1945), p. 178.
Popular Science 153 (January 1948), p. 34.
Utility Supply Company, Office Supply Catalog (Chicago, 1946), p. 285.
New York Times, October 30, 1949, p. S12.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1945
distributor
Tavella Sales Company
maker
Borg-Warner Corporation
ID Number
MA.313629
catalog number
313629
accession number
189330

Plotting Board, Army Sketching Case by W. and L.E. Gurley

This instrument has a wooden base that holds a paper scale attached to a metal disc. Around the rim is a scale of degrees from 0 to 360, divided to degrees. A grid of lines on the inner part of the disc is divided to degrees.
Description
This instrument has a wooden base that holds a paper scale attached to a metal disc. Around the rim is a scale of degrees from 0 to 360, divided to degrees. A grid of lines on the inner part of the disc is divided to degrees. Radial distances representing distances of up to two miles are indicated. Reels on either side of the base hold a roll of tracing paper over the disc. There is a compass ring divided to degrees that is enclosed in a metal container and fits to the right of the sketching board. A short belt attached to the back of the base would make it possible to wear the device on the arm. There also is a small clinometer on the back of the instrument. The instrument fits in a cloth pouch which has a leather strap.
According to the 1912 Gurley catalog, Glenn S. Smith, who patented this instrument September 1, 1908, was a topographer in the U.S. Geological Survey who initially designed this instrument for the Army Engineers. This example of the instrument came to the Smithsonian from the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Missouri.
References:
Glenn S. Smith, "Sketching Outfit," U.S. Patent 897,794, September 1, 1908.
W. and L. E. Gurley, A Manual of the Principal InstrumentsUsed in American Surveying and Engineering Manufactured by W, & L. E. Gurley, Troy, New York: W. & L. E. Gurley, 1912, pp. 256-258.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1910
maker
W. & L. E. Gurley
ID Number
MA.333649
accession number
300659
catalog number
333649

Protractor and Ruler Scale

This steel semicircular protractor is divided by half-degrees and is marked by tens from 360 to 180 and from 180 to 0, both in the counterclockwise direction. A 3/8" line is engraved at the origin point. On its left side, the protractor slides along a steel bar or straight edge.
Description
This steel semicircular protractor is divided by half-degrees and is marked by tens from 360 to 180 and from 180 to 0, both in the counterclockwise direction. A 3/8" line is engraved at the origin point. On its left side, the protractor slides along a steel bar or straight edge. Two thumbscrews at the top of the protractor hold in place a removable scale, which is divided into units of four and marked by 40s from 0 to 720. Forty units correspond to approximately one centimeter. The bottom of each screw is marked "2." The scale moves approximately 60 units to the left or right by turning a third screw against a serrated edge on the scale.
An additional scale accompanies the object. This scale is divided by fifties and marked by thousands from 0 to 12,000. Ten units correspond to approximately 1.5 centimeters. The protractor was originally stored in a mahogany case, apparently discarded by 1959. The protractor was purchased by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1879 and 1907.
See also ID number MA.247968.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1879-1907
maker
W. & L. E. Gurley
Gurley, Lewis E.
Gurley, William
ID Number
MA.247967
accession number
47736
catalog number
247967

Keuffel & Esser Set of Drawing Instruments

This wooden bar-lock case is covered with leather and lined with blue velvet. The front is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. NEW YORK.
Description
This wooden bar-lock case is covered with leather and lined with blue velvet. The front is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. NEW YORK. The set contains: two steel drawing pens with ivory handles (5-5/8" and 4-3/4"); 3-1/2" German silver and steel compass with removable pen point; 5-5/8" German silver and steel dividers missing one leg with extension bar and pen and pencil point attachments; and a divider point that does not fit either the compass or dividers. The arrangement of instruments does not match any set advertised in Keuffel & Esser catalogs between 1880 and 1936.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.335335
accession number
305958
catalog number
335335

Keuffel and Esser Trammel

This drawing device is an elliptic trammel, often referred to as the Trammel of Archimedes. An oval shape, the ellipse is one of the four conic sections, the others being the circle, the parabola, and the hyperbola.
Description
This drawing device is an elliptic trammel, often referred to as the Trammel of Archimedes. An oval shape, the ellipse is one of the four conic sections, the others being the circle, the parabola, and the hyperbola. Ellipses are important curves used in the mathematical sciences. For example, the planets follow elliptical orbits around the sun. Ellipses are required in surveying, engineering, architectural, and machine drawings for two main reasons. First, any circle viewed at an angle will appear to be an ellipse. Second, ellipses were common architectural elements, often used in ceilings, staircases, and windows, and needed to be rendered accurately in drawings. Several types of drawing devices that produce ellipses, called ellipsographs or elliptographs, were developed and patented in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This device was used by professionals who needed to draw ellipses in engineering drawings or blueprints. It is made of nickel-plated brass and moves very smoothly. Small points on the underside of the device hold it securely to the drawing surface. A reversible writing tip or pencil-lead holder screws onto the adjustable bracket at the end of the top beam. The two screws on each slider allow them to be positioned along the top beam. As the top beam is rotated, the sliders move in opposite directions along their tracks--as one moves inward, the other moves outward--and an ellipse is drawn on the writing surface. The closer the sliders are to each other on the beam, the more circular the ellipse becomes, and the eccentricity of the ellipse approaches zero. The eccentricity of an ellipse is a number between zero and one that describes how far from circular an ellipse is. A circle has eccentricity zero. As an ellipse becomes longer and thinner, the eccentricity approaches one.
This model was manufactured (or imported) in approximately 1930 by the Keuffel and Esser Company of New York. It is marked “Keuffel & Esser Co N.Y. Switzerland.” This device first appears as item 1181 in their 1921 catalogue, which states that “This instrument draws ellipses of any shape, from 6 inches to 18 inches major axis, with great accuracy.” It remains available into the 1950s. Two other ellipsographs (items 1178 and 1180) were available prior to this item being offered, but appear to have no longer been available once this item was added to the listing. The “Switzerland” mark may indicate that this device was imported for sale by K&E. The top beam is 22 cm (8 1/2 in) long and can be extended an additional 2.5 cm (1 in). The two tracks are 10 cm (3 7/8 in) long.
K&E, was a drafting instruments and supply company that was founded in New York City in 1867 by Wilhelm J. D. Keuffel (1838--1908) and Herman Esser (1845--1908), immigrants from Prussia (what is now far northeastern Germany). Over time the company grew, expanding its products to include surveying instruments and a wide variety of drafting devices, and became well known for its slide rules. In 1987 the company was bought by AZON Corporation. This device was a gift of Brown University in 1973.
References:
Immigrant Entrepreneurship: German-American Business Biographies, 1720 to Present, http://www.immigrantentrepreneurship.org
K&E, Catalogue, 1921
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.304722.14
accession number
1973304722
catalog number
304722.14

Monroe Calculating Machine (Model D?)

This is an early model of the full-keyboard, modified stepped drum, manually operated non-printing calculating machine manufactured by the Monroe Calculating Machine Company on patents of Frank S. Baldwin.The machine has a steel frame painted black.
Description
This is an early model of the full-keyboard, modified stepped drum, manually operated non-printing calculating machine manufactured by the Monroe Calculating Machine Company on patents of Frank S. Baldwin.
The machine has a steel frame painted black. The eight columns of plastic keys are colored black or white according to the place value of the digit represented. The key stems are banked, standing up further toward the back of the machine. At the front of the keyboard is a row of red keys each of which clears the column above it. On the right side, in this row, is a red key for clearing the entire keyboard. There are no strips between columns of keys. Two silver-colored knobs have arrows on them. The one on the right is used for automatic keyboard release in continuous addition. The one on the left is the register key for the item counter.
In back of the keyboard is a carriage with 16 black total register dials and eight revolution register dials behind the total dials. The dials of the revolution register are numbered around the edge from 9 to 0 white and from 9 to 1 in red. The metal operating handle with a wooden knob painted brown is on the right side. Another handle on the right side of the carriage zeros the total register or the revolution register, depending on the direction in which it is turned. There is no knob to lift the carriage. An all-metal crank at the front of the machine is rotated to move the carriage. The carriage has sliding decimal markers for both registers.
The machine is marked at the center of the back edge, underneath the carriage: 20. A mark on the front reads: MONROE (/) Calculating Machine Company (/) New York. There is no mention of a trademark. A sticker on the back reads: PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908 (/) OTHER U.S. AND FOREIGN PATENTS (/) PENDING.
Compare to MA.317389. Both machines have the same number of keys, the same number of entries in the revolution counter and result registers, and the same mark on the sticker on the back. The mark on MA.317389 mentions a trademark. The color-coding of the keys, the color of the machine handles and shift lever, and the mechanism for the carriage shift differ between the machines. Object MA.317389 has rotating rods that serve as decimal dividers on the keyboard, and a considerably larger serial number, which begins with a D. Hence that machine is given a slightly later date.
Reference:
E. Martin, The Calculating Machines (Die Rechenmaschinen), trans. P. A. Kidwell and M. R. Williams, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992, p. 265.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1914
maker
Monroe Calculating Machine Company
ID Number
MA.307385
catalog number
307385
maker number
none found
accession number
67982

Monroe Model D Calculating Machine

This is an early model of the full-keyboard, modified stepped drum, manually operated, non-printing calculating machine manufactured by the Monroe Calculating Machine company on patents of Frank S. Baldwin.The machine has a steel frame, painted black.
Description
This is an early model of the full-keyboard, modified stepped drum, manually operated, non-printing calculating machine manufactured by the Monroe Calculating Machine company on patents of Frank S. Baldwin.
The machine has a steel frame, painted black. The eight columns of plastic keys are colored black or white according to the place value of the digits represented. The key stems are banked, standing up further toward the back of the machine. At the front of the keyboard is a row of red keys, each of which clears the column above. On the right side, in this row, is a red key for clearing the entire keyboard.
Behind each column of keys is a double disc with teeth of varying length protruding from it that serves as a stepped drum. One disc has five teeth on it, and the other has four. Pushing the appropriate key causes one or both of the discs to approach one another so that they are engaged when a crank on the right side turns, entering the appropriate number into the mechanism.
Between the rows of keys are metal strips, painted black on one side and white on the other. They rotate to serve as decimal markers. Two silver-colored knobs have arrows on them. The one on the right is used for automatic keyboard release in continuous addition. The one on the left is the register key for the item counter.
In back of the keyboard is a carriage with 16 black total register dials and eight white and red revolution register dials behind the total dials. Between the windows for these registers are two thin metal rods that carry decimal markers. Another handle on the right side of the carriage zeros the total register or the revolution register, depending on the direction in which it is turned. A knob on the right side of the carriage is used to lift it. A crank at the front of the machine rotates to move the carriage.
A mark on the front of the machine reads: MONROE (/) REGISTERED TRADEMARK (/) Calculating Machine Company (/) New York, U.S.A. A sticker toward the left on the carriage reads in ink: CLEARING. A mark at the center of the back reads: D1749. A mark under the carriage on the right reads: 1749. A sticker on the back of the machine reads: PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908 (/) OTHER U.S. AND FOREIGN PATENTS (/) PENDING.
Compare MA.307385. The latter machine has a different carriage shift mechanism, a lower serial number, and a different color-coding of the keys. It has no decimal dividing rods between the keys, and no mention of a trademark. It has a different way of marking decimal divisions on the carriage and has been assigned a slightly earlier date.
Monroe first used the name Monroe to describe its products in 1913. The company applied for a trademark on April 7, 1919, and was granted it onJanuray 20, 1920.
References:
E. Martin, The Calculating Machines (Die Rechenmaschinen), trans. P. A. Kidwell and M. R. Williams, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992, p. 265.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Registration 129029, Serial #71117235.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1915
maker
Monroe Calculating Machine Company
ID Number
MA.317389
catalog number
317389
maker number
D1749
accession number
230394

Webb Adder

This two-wheeled steel stylus-operated non-printing adding machine has a large wheel with the numbers 00 to 99 stamped around the edge. A smaller wheel has numbers 0 to 49 stamped around its edge. A ring of holes is inside each set of numbers.
Description
This two-wheeled steel stylus-operated non-printing adding machine has a large wheel with the numbers 00 to 99 stamped around the edge. A smaller wheel has numbers 0 to 49 stamped around its edge. A ring of holes is inside each set of numbers. A metal plate covers the outer edges of the two wheels, revealing sums in a small window between them. The numbers 0 to 99 also are stamped around the window for the larger wheel. Numbers are added by rotation of the wheels, up to sums of 4999. The carry mechanism is that patented by L. C. Smith. The frame is smooth around the edge, and patterned on the back. The stylus is missing and there are no maker’s marks.
This instrument is from the collection of Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company.
References:
Lester C. Smith, “Adding-Machine,” U.S. Patent 414335, November 5, 1889.
P. Kidwell, “The Webb Adder,” Rittenhouse, 1 (1986), pp. 12-18.
E. Martin, The Calculating Machines (Die Rechenmaschinen), trans. P. A. Kidwell and M. R. Williams, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992, p. 63.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1890
patentee
Webb, Charles H.
ID Number
MA.323618
accession number
250163
catalog number
323618

Keuffel & Esser 4088-3 Polyphase Duplex Slide Rule

This ten-inch duplex linear slide rule is made from boxwood faced with white celluloid and held together with L-shaped metal end pieces. On one side, the base has DF and D scales, with CF, CIF, and C scales on the slide. The bottom of the base is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. N.
Description
This ten-inch duplex linear slide rule is made from boxwood faced with white celluloid and held together with L-shaped metal end pieces. On one side, the base has DF and D scales, with CF, CIF, and C scales on the slide. The bottom of the base is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. N. Y.; PAT. JUNE 5, '00 DEC. 22, '08. On the other side, there are K, A, D, and L scales on the base and S, T, and CI scales on the slide. Both pieces of the base and the slide are stamped on one end: 13. The indicator is glass in a metal frame with vertical bars on the sides.
Keuffel & Esser introduced this form of slide rule in 1913 as model 4088-3 and sold it with a leather case for $7.00. This style of indicator was used only from 1913 to 1915, when K&E switched to its "frameless" glass cursor. This example thus dates to 1913–1915. Compare to MA.321778, 1981.0933.03, and MA.318480.
References: Willie L. E. Keuffel, "Slide-Rule" (U.S. Patent 651,142 issued June 5, 1900) and "Slide-Rule" (U.S. Patent 907,373 issued December 22, 1908); Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 34th ed. (New York, 1913), 304a; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 35th ed. (New York, 1915), 307b.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1913
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.318476
catalog number
318476
accession number
235479

Counter, Stillman Counting Machine, U.S. Patent Office Model

During the second half of the 19th century, steam engines played a growing role in American life. This U.S. Patent Office model is for a counter used to count the number of revolutions of a steam engine.
Description
During the second half of the 19th century, steam engines played a growing role in American life. This U.S. Patent Office model is for a counter used to count the number of revolutions of a steam engine. Paul Stillman (about 1811-1856) was one of three brothers who ran the New York City machine shop Novelty Iron Works. He took a particular interest in steam gauges,manometers, steam indicators, and pyrometers.
In 1848 Stillman took out a patent for a device to measure the pressure of steam and the extent of the vacuum in steam boilers and engines. This invention won him recognition from the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia. The measuring device on this instrument was analog, not digital. In 1854 he patented this digital improvement in counting machines. The following year, he patented a water gauge for steam boilers. Stillman’s son, Francis H. Stillman, also became a distinguished mechanical engineer.
The patent model has a wooden base and sides, with a metal plate across the top with four windows in it. Underneath each window is a cogged metal wheel, with the digits from 0 to 9 around the rim. To the right, on the same shaft as the wheels, is a brass crank that fits through a fifth hole in the plate. Moving the crank forward advances the rightmost wheel by one and, if necessary, activates the carry mechanism.
A mark on a paper tag nailed to the frame reads: Paul Stillman (/) Appa’ for Registering Numbers (/) Dec 15th 1852. A mark on the back of the base reads: 11577 (/) L 1201-1208.
The Novelty Iron Works made and sold Stillman’s register before and after his death. An 1864 price list, included at the back of a new edition of his The Steam Engine Indicator, and the Improved Manometer Steam and Vacuum Gauges; Their Utility and Application, indicates that the registers then sold with dials in 8”, 10” and 13” sizes, and had prices of $65.00 to $75.00 apiece.
References:
P. Stillman, “Improvement in Counting-Machines,” U.S. Patent 11,577, August 22, 1854.
P. Stillman, The Steam Engine Indicator, and the Improved Manometer Steam and Vacuum Gauges; Their Utility and Application, New York: Van Nostrand, 1864, pp. 82-84, 94-95. Editions of this book appeared at least as early as 1851.
"Deceased Inventors," Scientific American, 20 #2 (Sept 20 1856), p. 11.
“Francis H. Stillman: A Biographical Sketch,” Cassier’s Magazine, 33, #6 (April 1908), p. 684.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1854
patentee
Stillman, Paul
maker
Stillman, Paul
ID Number
MA.309327
accession number
89797
catalog number
309327

Lang Sales Register

This small device has a tin case painted yellow and green on top and red around the edge. The top of the case has four wheels drawn on it, each of which has the digits from 1 to 9 drawn around the edge.
Description
This small device has a tin case painted yellow and green on top and red around the edge. The top of the case has four wheels drawn on it, each of which has the digits from 1 to 9 drawn around the edge. The digits go clockwise for the first and third circles (marked “Cents” and “Dollars” and counterclockwise for the second and fourth circles (marked “Dimes” and “Dollars”). At the top of each circle, at the zero position, is a window that reveals a rotating disc below. The discs are rotated using thumbscrews that protrude from the back of the instrument. An arm on top of each circle points to a digit on the wheel. The discs advance when they are rotated in the direction of increasing digits and remain fixed when the arrows are moved back to zero.
The machine is marked on the front: SALES REGISTER. It is also marked there: E.J. HOADLEY (/) MANUFACTURER OF SPECIALTIES IN CONFECTIONERY. HARTFORD, CONN, U.S.A..
The Brooklyn City directory for the year ending May 1, 1890 lists ten men named William Lang. It seems likely that the William Lang who took out this patent was the William Lang who founded William Lang Company of Brooklyn and who patented a wide range of goods, including a speed-indicator, a curtain-pole ring, a box fastener, a watch case, coin-controlled vending apparatus, a pocket lighter and, with his son William A. Lang, a tuning-peg.
Reference:
U.S. Patent 431365, July 1, 1890. The patent indicates that a model was submitted.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1890
patentee
Lang, William
ID Number
MA.309335
accession number
89797
catalog number
309335

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