Curta Type II Calculating Machine
date: label: date made
content: 1957
name: label: maker
content: Contina Ltd Mauren
notes: label: Description
content: This compact cylindrical handheld stepped drum calculating machine has gray metal sides and a black top and operating handle. Eleven slots along the side of the cylinder have plastic red and black levers that are pulled down to set numbers. The digit entered appears at the top of the slot. Multipliers are indicated by numbers read through holes around the edge of the top and may be up to 8 digits large. The result also is indicated around the edge of the top, and may be 15 digits large. The top rotates, as one one would move a carriage on an earlier stepped drum machine. Sliding markers indicate the position of decimals for entries, multipliers, and results.
label: Description
content: To zero the machine, the carriage is raised and the black disc under the operating lever is rotated through one turn using a clearing lever with a ring-like handle. The operating handle is pulled up for subtraction and division. Moving a lever on the side of the cylinder causes subtraction rather than addition in the revolution counting register. The machine fits in a black metal cylindrical case.
label: Description
content: The machine is marked on the side: CURTA. The bottom reads: Type II (/) No 515677 (/) Made in Liechtenstein (/) (Customs Union with Switzerland) (/) by Contina Ltd Mauren (/) System Curt Hertstark. The side of the case reads: CURTA (/) OPEN. It also reads: PROPERTY OF HERBERT L. WATKINS.
label: Description
content: Compare to 1983.0471.05.
label: Description
content: Herbert L. Watkins (1926-1986) was a land surveyor in Silver City, New Mexico.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Curt Hertstark, Interview with Erwin Tomash, September 10 and 11, 1987, Oral History 140, Charles Babbage Institute, Minneapolis, Minn. Hertstark dates the beginning of production of the Curta to 1949.
label: Description
content: Cliff Stoll, “The Curious History of the First Pocket Calculator,” <I>Scientific American</I>, (January 2004), pp. 82-89. The Model II reportedly was introduced in 1954, after Hertstark had left the company.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Liechtenstein
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 LaVerne Watkins
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1989.3049.01
label: catalog number
content: 1989.3049.01
label: nonaccession number
content: 1989.3049
label: maker number
content: 515677
objectType: label: Object Name
content: calculating machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 14 cm x 6.9 cm x 6.9 cm; 5 1/2 in x 2 23/32 in x 2 23/32 in