Keystone Atlas-Rand 240 Handheld Electronic Calculator
date: label: date made
content: 1973-1975
name: label: maker
content: Keystone
notes: label: Description
content: Some early manufacturers of electronic calculators had their beginnings as makers of photographic equipment. One of these was the Keystone Division of Berkey Photo, Inc. Keystone Camera Company traced its origins to a company founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in1910. Early products included movie cameras and projectors. In 1966, Berkey Photo, Inc. acquired Keystone. By 1973, the Keystone Camera Division of Berkey, with its factory in Clifton, New Jersey, had expanded to making instant-load cameras with electronic flash. It also, from late 1972 until at least 1975, made handheld electronic calculators.
label: Description
content: The Atlas-Rand 240 calculator resembles one of the first handheld calculators mentioned as a product of Berkey-Keystone. It has a black plastic case, a metal keyboard and trim, and eighteen plastic keys. The keys are square with circular tops. In addition to ten digit keys, a decimal point key, a total key, four arithmetic function keys, and a cancel key, the calculator has a percentage key. Buttons left of the percentage key can be used to set a constant and to set the display for numbers or dollars and cents. The on/off switch is above the keys. Behind it is an eight-digit display. A mark above the keyboard reads: Atlas-Rand. Text along the front edge reads: Made in U S A 240. The socket for a power adapter as at the back edge.
label: Description
content: A sticker on the back of the calculator gives operating instructions. It is marked at the bottom: Keystone (/) PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY 07652 SERIAL # C058728. A compartment in the back holds four batteries.
label: Description
content: The calculator has a black plastic zippered carrying case.
label: Description
content: Prices for this calculator range from $119.95 in 1973 down to $29.95 in 1975.
label: Description
content: Compare 1986.0988.366.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: “New Products,” <I>Chicago Tribune</I>, July 7, 1973, p. W A13. Here the Berkey-Keystone calculator shown, which features four arithmetic functions and a percentage key, is said to cost $119.95.
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Los Angeles Times</I>, August 24, 1974, p. C4. Ad describes calculator, gives price of $49.95. Mentions credit card promotion mentioned again in 1975.
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Los Angeles Times</I>, March 1, 1975, p. D12 . Ad describes calculator. Part of text reads “Thousands of these calculators were sold in 1974 by a major oil company in a credit card promotion for $99.95.” Device on sale for $29.95.
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
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: 1986.0988.368
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0988.368
label: accession number
content: 1986.0988
objectType: label: Object Name
content: electronic calculator
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (keyboard; trim; circuitry material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (display cover material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (case; keys; carrying case material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 3/8 in x 3 in x 5 1/4 in; 3.4925 cm x 7.62 cm x 13.335 cm