Hough's Security Cash Recorder
date: label: date made
content: 1895
name: label: maker
content: Hough Cash Recorder Company
notes: label: Description
content: In the late 19th century, as American shopkeepers hired strangers to work in their stores, they showed a new concern for keeping track of retail transactions. Azel Clarence Hough (1859-1946), the son of a creamery owner in South Butler, New York, took out a range of patents for the design and improvement of cash drawers between 1892 and 1899 (U.S. patents 484501, 486107, D22024, 534795 and 618034). His ideas served as the basis of the products of the Hough Cash Recorder Company of Indian Orchard, Massachusetts.
label: Description
content: This example of Hough’s Security Cash Recorder is a large oak box with an oak lid. At the front on the right is a lock for the cash drawer; the drawer is on the lower left front. On top is an opening that shows a roll of paper. Salesclerks were required to enter a total on this paper roll and advance it in order to open the cash drawer.
label: Description
content: This model is quite similar to the Hough Security Cash Register No. 70 shown in an advertisement reproduced in Crandall and Robins, p. 318. This machine sold for $15. Hough Cash Recorder Company advertised in <I>Hardware Dealer’s</I> magazine as late as June, 1906. However, its products were soon outpaced by the autographic registers sold by NCR.
label: Description
content: In the early 20th century, Hough became interested in the manufacture of wooden blinds, and took out several related patents. He first manufactured shades in South Butler, then in Worcester, Massachusetts, and then in Janesville, Wisconsin. The Hough Shade Corporation he formed survives under the name of Hufcor.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Dorothy Wiggins, “Town of Butler Agricultural & Comprehensive Plan," <I>South Butler Public Forum – September 15, 2008</I>, pp. 1–2.
label: Description
content: <I>American Lumberman</I>, vol. 1, 1940, p. 58.
label: Description
content: Richard R. Crandall and Sam Robins, <I>The Incorruptible Cashier</I>, vol. 2, Vestal, N.Y.: Vestal Press, 1990, pp. 316–318.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Springfield, Indian Orchard
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Business
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Computers & Business Machines
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content: Cash and Credit Registers
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Sturgis A. Sobin
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1983.0881.01
label: accession number
content: 1983.0881
label: catalog number
content: 1983.0881.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: credit register
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 23 cm x 58.6 cm x 50 cm; 9 1/16 in x 23 1/16 in x 19 11/16 in