Computers & Business Machines
Imagine the loss, 100 years from now, if museums hadn't begun preserving the artifacts of the computer age. The last few decades offer proof positive of why museums must collect continuously—to document technological and social transformations already underway.
The museum's collections contain mainframes, minicomputers, microcomputers, and handheld devices. Computers range from the pioneering ENIAC to microcomputers like the Altair and the Apple I. A Cray2 supercomputer is part of the collections, along with one of the towers of IBM's Deep Blue, the computer that defeated reigning champion Garry Kasparov in a chess match in 1997. Computer components and peripherals, games, software, manuals, and other documents are part of the collections. Some of the instruments of business include adding machines, calculators, typewriters, dictating machines, fax machines, cash registers, and photocopiers
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New Math Addition Flash Cards
- Description
- From the 1950s, particularly after the launch of the Soviet Sputnik satellite in 1958, American mathematicians and mathematics educators introduced a variety of reforms in mathematics teaching that went under the name “The New Math.” This set of flash cards reflects the way of presenting addition problems that emerged.
- The set includes 50 cards showing sums of one digit numbers. A sum is written out horizontally on each side of each card. The sides are numbered from 1 to 50 on one side and from 50 to 100 on the other. A "sliding number cover" fits over a card to cover one term in the "number sentence." The child is to figure out the answer. A window in the back of the cover reveals the correct answer written on the back of the card. In addition to these cards, there is a card listing "Basic Addition Facts" (written vertically, with answers) and "Basic Addition Combinations" (written vertically, without answers). Four cards give tips and instructions for teachers and parents.
- A mark on the top of the box reads: NEW MATH (/) ADDITION (/) FLASH CARDS. A second mark reads: ED-U-CARDS. Another mark reads: [copyright]1966 ED-U-CARDS MFG. CORP., L.I.C., N.Y.
- Compare 2005.0055.06, 2005.0055.07, 2005.0055.08, and 2005.0055.09.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1966
- maker
- Ed-U-Cards Manufacturing Corporation
- ID Number
- 2005.0055.08
- catalog number
- 2005.0055.08
- accession number
- 2005.0055
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Grandma's Arithmetical Game
- Description
- In the mid-19th century, Americans began to manufacture special playing cards for teaching. The New York City firm of McLoughlin Brothers made playing cards for geography instruction from 1860, and was selling cards for arithmetic instruction by 1875. This product of the company, Grandma's Arithmetical Game, is somewhat later.
- This example includes 118 cards, numbered from 1 to 119 (one card is missing). Each card has a word problem written out on it. The other side is plain blue. One player served as teacher and the others as scholars. The teacher mixed all the cards and dealt out a stack of at least six cards to each scholar. The scholar to the left of the teacher then turned over the top card and read the question on it. If the scholar couldn’t answer the question, he or she passed it to the scholar on his left. The card continued around the table until someone answered the question. If a scholar did this, he or she claimed it. If not, the card went around to the teacher, who read the answer from the book. The teacher then asked the second scholar to the left to read the question on his or her top card, and play proceeded as before. Once all the questions had been answered, the scholar with the largest number of cards was the winner.
- This was one of six “Grandma’s Games.” The others had questions relating to general knowledge, geography, riddles, the Old Testament of the Bible, and the New Testament. According to the manufacturer: “Each game is complete in itself. The Series affords a means of conveying to children in the form of play, a vast amount of desirable information. All six games should be in every household.” The games cost 30 cents apiece.
- The cards and instruction booklet fit into a cardboard box. A drawing glued to the top of the box shows a schoolboy in a ruffled shirt and cap with slate and textbook, in front of a blackboard with several arithmetic problems written on it. A mark on the lid of the box reads: GRANDMA’S (/) ARITHMETICAL (/) GAME; 4610; BOOKS AND GAMES (/) EDUCATE AMUSE (/) McLOUGLIN (/) EST. 1828.
- According to Alexander and Williams, the game portion of McLoughlin Brothers was sold to Milton Bradley in 1920.
- Reference:
- Bill Alexander and Anne D. Williams, The Game Catalogs: U.S. Games Through 1950, Dresher, PA: American Game Collectors Association, 1997, pp. 64 to 68.
- date made
- ca 1915
- maker
- McLoughlin Brothers
- ID Number
- 2003.0048.01
- catalog number
- 2003.0048.01
- accession number
- 2003.0048
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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24 Game, Single Digits, a Card Game for Teaching Arithmetic
- Description
- For decades, teachers drilled American school children using flash cards that gave simple arithmetic problems. The advent of inexpensive electronic calculators in the 1970s made it possible to do much routine arithmetic automatically. To teach school children the meaning of basic operations, new devices were introduced, including this form of flash card. In the 24 Game, the answer to the problem is always 24. A player’s task is to find out how numbers can be combined in simple arithmetic operations to reach this result.
- According to the instructions, players select 12 to 24 cards to place in a pile at the center of a table. A player who sees a solution to the top card touches it. If his or her solution is correct, the player wins the card. Once it is taken, the next card is in play. The combinations on the cards are classed as easy (one white dot), medium (two red dots) or difficult (three gold dots). Once all the cards have been played, players add up the point value of their cards, with one point for each easy card, two for medium cards, etc. The original set reportedly had 24, 48, and 24 of these kinds of cards. This example has only 14 easy cards, 34 medium ones, and 23 difficult ones remaining.
- There are also two flat paper sleeves, each of which holds a card. The sleeve covers one quadrant. When cards in sleeves are used, the goal of the game becomes finding one number that can make 24 on all of the cards (ignoring the numbers covered by the sleeve). A complete set includes four sleeves. This set also includes an instruction leaflet.
- A mark on the top of the box reads: 24 (/) GAME (/) SINGLE DIGITS (/) EDITION (/) Builds Fast Minds TM. A mark on the side of the box and on the instructions reads: Suntex International, Inc., 118 North Third St., Easton, PA 18042, [copyright symbol] 1989, 1993, 1996. Another mark on the side of the box reads: MADE IN THE USA. A mark on the bottom of the box reads: #3397.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1996
- maker
- Suntex International Inc.
- ID Number
- 2008.0038.01
- accession number
- 2008.0038
- catalog number
- 2008.0038.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Texas Instruments Little Professor Teaching Calculator
- Description
- Introduced in mid-1976, the Little Professor is a non-printing electronic calculator modified to present simple arithmetic problems. A correct answer prompts another problem on the eight-digit display. An error delivers the message, "EEE." The colorful keyboard shows a professor with whiskers and glasses. The red light-emitting diode screen, in combination with the top of the instrument, looks like a mortar board.
- This example has buttons that allow one to set the level of problems, as well as an on/off button on the front rather than the side of the machine. These features were introduced in a version of the machine made from 1978 onward.
- Reference:
- P. A. Kidwell, A. Ackerberg-Hastings, and D. L. Roberts, Tools of American Mathematics Teaching, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008, pp. 261–262.
- date made
- ca 1978
- maker
- Texas Instruments
- ID Number
- 1986.0988.197
- accession number
- 1986.0988
- catalog number
- 1986.0988.197
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
