Monroe Model E Calculating Machine
date: label: date made
content: 1916
name: label: maker
content: Monroe Calculating Machine Company
notes: label: Description
content: This full-keyboard manually operated non-printing modified stepped drum calculating machine has a steel frame painted black. The eight columns of round 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. A row of red clearance keys is at the front of the keyboard; a red key for clearing the entire keyboard is on the right side. Between rows of keys are metal strips, painted black on one side and white on the other, that turn to serve as decimal markers. Ther two silver-colored knobs have arrows on them. One on the right is used for automatic keyboard release in continuous addition. One on the left is the register key for the item counter.
label: Description
content: A carriage behind the keyboard has 16 black total register dials and eight white revolution register dials. The revolution register has black digits for addition and red ones for subtraction. A metal operating handle with a wooden knob 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. 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. The machine has four rubber feet.
label: Description
content: A partly obliterated mark on the front reads: MONROE (/) REGISTERED TRADEMARK (/) Calculating Machine Company (/) New York, U.S.A. A mark in the middle of the back of machine reads: E5681.
label: Description
content: This particular machine came to the Smithsonian from Feldman’s Department Store in Baltimore, Maryland, when the then fifty-year old family business was liquidated in 1974.
label: Description
content: According to McCarthy, Monroe began manufacturing the Model E in 1916, using serial numbers beginning at 4,000. Monroe received a registered trademark for its machines in 1920, and began marking objects to that effect. In 1921 it replaced its earlier models with the model K. Hence the date assigned.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: E. Martin, <I>The Calculating Machines (Die Rechenmaschinen)</I>, trans. P.A. Kidwell and M.R. Williams, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992, p. 265.
label: Description
content: J. H. McCarthy, <I>The American Digest of Business Machines</I>, Chicago: American Exchange Service, 1924, pp. pp, 80–81, 551.
label: Description
content: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Registration 129029, Serial #71117235.
label: Description
content: Accession file.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Calculating Machines
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content: Science & Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Feldman’s Inc.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.334403
label: catalog number
content: 334403
label: maker number
content: E5681
label: accession number
content: 316382
objectType: label: Object Name
content: calculating machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: aluminum (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: rubber (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 16 cm x 43.5 cm x 32 cm; 6 5/16 in x 17 1/8 in x 12 19/32 in