Keystone SC 656 Handheld Electronic Calculator
date: label: date made
content: ca 1975
name: label: maker
content: Berkey Photo, Inc. Keystone Division
notes: label: Description
content: After achieving some success selling four-function calculators, the Keystone Division of Berkey Photo, Inc., began to manufacture calculators with more extensive capabilities. This handheld electronic calculator has a plastic case and trim, a metal keyboard painted black, and thirty plastic keys with a square base and circular tops. The four lower rows of keys include ten digit keys, a decimal point key, a key for the number pi, four arithmetic function keys, a total key, a cancel key, a change sign key, and a memory key. Two rows of function keys above this are for trigonometric and inverse trigonometric functions, exchange, exponents, natural logarithms, powers, logarithms to the base 10, and square roots. Above this is a charging indicator light, a radian/degree switch, and an on/off switch. The socket for a power jack is on the right side near the top.
label: Description
content: A mark above the keyboard reads: Keystone SC 656. Behind this is a nine-digit vacuum fluorescent display. Behind this, attached to the back edge, is a holder for a loop that makes it possible to suspend the calculator. The loop itself is missing. A mark on the front edge reads: Made in U S A.
label: Description
content: A sticker on the back gives instructions. Text at the bottom reads: Berkey (/) 2 Keystone Place (/) Paramus, New Jersey 07652 Serial # C251556.
label: Description
content: Compare 1986.0988.365.
label: Description
content: Berkey Keystone began selling calculators in 1972, and was out of the business by 1977. This calculator appears to be a relatively late example, hence the rough date.
label: Description
content: Reference:
label: Description
content: Victor K. McElheny, “Berkey – A Photo Finish in a Race with Giants,” <I>New York Times</I>, April 17, 1977, p. F1.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New Jersey, Paramus
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Computers
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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: 1986.0988.159
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0988.159
label: accession number
content: 1986.0988
objectType: label: Object Name
content: electronic calculator
label: Other Terms
content: electronic calculator; Handheld
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (case; keys; trim material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (keyboard; circuitry material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (display material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in x 6 3/4 in; 3.81 cm x 8.89 cm x 17.145 cm