Mickey Mouse's School Book Handheld Electronic Calculator and Electronic Game
date: label: date made
content: ca 1980
notes: label: Description
content: Walt Disney’s cartoon character Mickey Mouse has appeared on American consumer goods ranging from yo-yos to lunch boxes to watches to handheld electronic calculators. This device can be used either to do calculations or, in quiz mode, as an educational game.
label: Description
content: It has a bright yellow plastic case with a black and white plastic cutout of Mickey Mouse on the cover. Mickey Mouse holds a sheet that reads: MICKEY (/) MOUSE’S (/) SCHOOL (/) BOOK. Opening the latch reveals a calculator with eighteen rectangular plastic keys. These include ten digit keys, a decimal point key, a clear key, four arithmetic function keys, a longer bar marked “?”, and a total key. Below these keys is a switch that may be set either at “Calc” or “Quiz.” Next to this switch is the on/off switch.
label: Description
content: Behind the keyboard is a green fluorescent display. Above this is a green light marked “Right” and a red one marked “Wrong;” above this is a plastic cutout of the face of Mickey Mouse. A space at the top of the calculator would hold two batteries. It presently has no batteries and the cover is missing. A jack for a power adapter is on the top edge.
label: Description
content: Next to the calculator is a space that could hold a ruler. This example has no ruler. The inside of the lid of the case – right of the calculator when it is open – hold a pad of paper with odd numbers jotted on it. A sticker below the paper on the inside of the lid reads: IN ORDER TO REFILL PAD, PLEASE NOTE, (/) PAD SIZE TO FIT INTO YOUR MICKEY MOUSE (/) NOTE BOOK WOULD BE (89x149x6m/m SIZE) (/) 007577.
label: Description
content: The back of the case has another image of Mickey Mouse. A mark in the molded plastic near the bottom reads: MADE IN TAIWAN.
label: Description
content: The calculator dates from between 1974, when inexpensive electronic calculators became common, and 1986, when it was given to the Smithsonian. Hence a rough date of 1980. No specific printed references to this calculator found. It resembles some Unisonic calculators.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Ted Hake, <I>Hake’s Price Guide to Character Toys</I>, New York: Avon Books,1998, pp. 444–455.
label: Description
content: Michael Stern, <I>Stern’s Guide to Disney Collectibles</I>, Paducah, N.Y.: Collector Books, 1989, pp. 10–55. This includes only materials from 1928-1938.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Taiwan
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Computers
label: See more items in
content: Computers & Business Machines
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content: Handheld Electronic Calculators
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of John B. Priser
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1986.0988.340
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0988.340
label: accession number
content: 1986.0988
objectType: label: Object Name
content: electronic calculator
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (carrying case; front of calculator; cutouts; keys; buttons material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (circuitry material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 1/2 in x 4 in x 6 5/8 in; 3.81 cm x 10.16 cm x 16.8275 cm