Friden Model D 8 Calculating Machine
date: label: date made
content: 1945
name: label: maker
content: Friden Calculating Machine Company
notes: label: Description
content: Although the United States government had made use of computing devices at least from the 1850s, World War II brought unprecedented demands for calculations. These were met, in part, by large groups of people called computers, who used desk calculators like this one. This particular machine was used at the Applied Physics Laboratory operated by Johns Hopkins University. When human computers were overwhelmed by the quantity of work that needed doing, new kinds of machines were invented .
label: Description
content: This stepped drum machine has a metal frame painted gray, and eight columns of light green and blue-green plastic number keys, with a blank key of green plastic at the bottom of each column. These keys allow one to enter numbers of up to eight digits. Metal rods between the columns of keys turn to indicate decimal places.
label: Description
content: On the right are two columns of function keys. The machine has no separate keys for multiplication. It has a key for cross tabulation.
label: Description
content: Behind the number keys is a movable carriage with an nine-digit revolution register and a 17-digit result register. An arrow above the first column of keys assists in setting the carriage. Plastic buttons above the result register can be used to set up numbers. The carriage has sliding decimal markers for the two registers, as well as zeroing knobs on the right.
label: Description
content: Marks on the sides and back of the machine read: FRIDEN. A mark visible through windows at the bottom front reads: D8-215775. A paper tag glued to the bottom reads: MODEL-D (/) FRIDEN CALCULATING MACHINE CO. INC. (/) MADE IN SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A. (/) MANUFACTURED UNDER ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING U.S. PAT’S (/) DES. 103,425 2,229,889 2,229,890 2,229,895 2,229,901. A mark painted on the back reads: APL (/) 9601 (/) USN
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Ernie Jorgenson, <I>Friden Age List</I>, Office Machine Americana, Lewiston, Idaho p. 2.
label: Description
content: "Carl Maurice Frederick Friden," <I>National Cyclopaedia of American Biography</I>, Clifton, N.J.: James T. White & Co., 54, 1973, pp. 7–8.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: California, San Leandro
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 William L. Jackson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.335427
label: catalog number
content: 335427
label: accession number
content: 319049
label: maker number
content: D8 215775
objectType: label: Object Name
content: calculating machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: rubber (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 20.5 cm x 39 cm x 33 cm; 8 1/16 in x 15 11/32 in x 13 in