National Bookkeeping Machine
date: label: date made
content: 1957
name: label: maker
content: National Cash Register Company. Manufacturing Division
notes: label: Description
content: The machine combines the capabilities of a printing adding machine with the ability to print a few letters. It is a modification of the Allen Wales adding machine produced after the National Cash Register Company had acquired that company.
label: Description
content: The device has a gray-brown metal case and nine columns of green and white color-coded plastic number keys. Odd-numbered keys are concave, even numbered keys, flat. Immediately to the right of these keys is a column of red keys marked with letters designating the significance of the number entered (e.g. one key reads “TX”, perhaps for designating taxes). To the right of the keyboard is a lever, and, to its right, a column of four function bars and keys. To the left of the keyboard are four other function keys. Above the keyboard is a row of nine openings under a glass cover.The openings show digits in the total. Behind this result window are two metal levers, one for tabs and the other for non-printing.
label: Description
content: Behind the openings is the printing mechanism, with a red and black ribbon. The spools of the ribbon are under metal covers that are screwed in place. The mechanism includes a set of five wheels that can be set to a date. Behind these is a sheet of clear plastic, the carriage, and the narrow paper tape. The carriage is 39 cm. (15 1/4”) across, and divided into two parts. The narrow section on the left side takes a narrow paper tape, which is 6 cm. (2 1/2”) wide and is turned by a wheel on the left. The wider section on the right side takes pieces of paper and apparently was used to enter both figures and the date. The machine has a rubber cord and four rubber feet.
label: Description
content: A tag on the front of the machine reads: 158 552366. A mark on the back of the machine reads: MANUFACTURED BY (/) THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY (/) OF DAYTON, OHIO, U.S.A.. AT ITS (/) MANUFACTURING DIVISION (/) AT ITHACA, N.Y., U.S.A.
label: Description
content: Compare to Allen Wales adding machines. NCR acquired Allen Wales Adding Machine Company in 1943.
label: Description
content: This bookkeeping machine was used in the Washington, D. C., studio of African American photographers Addison Scurlock and his sons George and Robert S. Scurlock.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: "NCR Buys Allen Wales," <I>The Washington Post</I>, December 26, 1943, p. B8.
label: Description
content: <I>Annual Report of the National Cash Register Company - 1953</I>, p. 11. According to this brochure, the model 158 was introduced in 1954.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, Ithaca
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Business
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
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content: Bookkeeping Machines
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content: Science & Mathematics
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1997.0368.01
label: maker number
content: 552366
label: catalog number
content: 1997.0368.01
label: accession number
content: 1997.0368
objectType: label: Object Name
content: bookkeeping machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: rubber (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 30 cm x 58 cm x 45 cm; 11 13/16 in x 22 27/32 in x 17 23/32 in