Gem Adding Machine
date: label: date made
content: 1906
name: label: maker
content: Automatic Adding Machine Company
notes: label: Description
content: This small stylus-operated non-printing adding machine has seven chains in parallel columns. The links visible in each column are numbered from 1 to 9. A stylus is placed in a link of the chain and pulled down to enter a digit. Above the columns are seven windows to show results On the right is a knob which may be intended for zeroing. The device sits in a small steel stand that has four rubber feet. The stylus is missing.
label: Description
content: The machine is marked on the bottom: PATENTED MARCH 1ST 1904 - MARCH 27TH 1906. (/) UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN PATENTS PENDING. It is marked on the left side: No. 8445 (/) AUTOMATIC ADDING MACHINE CO. (/) NEW YORK U.S.A. It is marked on the stand: GEM. A paper tag has Felt & Tarrant adding machine collection number 37.
label: Description
content: According to U.S. Census records, Abraham Isaac Gancher was born in Russia of Russian parents in about 1875. He came to the United States in 1892 and initially worked as a leather salesman. He and his wife, Rebecca Gancher, mariied in 1899. Gancher became interested in adding machines a few years later. He was active in the Automatic Adding Machine Company through at least 1918. Nobyoshi A. Kodama, who took out early patents used in the GEM, had pulled out of the picture by 1908.
label: Description
content: Compare to 1981.0935.01.
label: Description
content: Gancher went on to patent and sell a printing adding machine that was also sold by Automatic Adding Machine as the Gancher. See U.S. patents 1047199 (1912) and 1178227 (1916).
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Ads in <I>Scientific American</I>, vol. 95, October, 1906, p. 314; vol. 96, March 2, 1907, p. 203; and vol. 96, Mar. 30, 1907.
label: Description
content: Nobyoshi A. Kodama, “Automatic Adding and subtracting Apparatus,” U.S. Patent 783,586, March 1, 1904. Kodama was a subject of the Emperor of Japan living in New York City, New York. He assigned half of the patent to Rebecca Gancher of New York, N.Y.
label: Description
content: Nobyoshi A. Kodama and Abraham I. Gancher, “Adding-Machine,” U.S. Patent 816,342, March 27, 1906. Kodama was a subject of the Mikado of Japan. Both he and Gancher, a U.S. citizen, were living in Manhattan, New York. The patent was assigned to Automatic Adding Machine Company of New York, N.Y.
label: Description
content: Abraham I. Gancher and Albert T. Zabriskie, “Adding-Machine,” U.S. Patent 847,759, March 19,1907. This patent describes the stand. It was assigned to Automatic Adding Machine Company of New York, N.Y.
label: Description
content: Abraham I. Gancher, “Adding-Machine,” U.S. Patent 1015307, January 31, 1912.
label: Description
content: Norman Klein, "40,000 Words on Post Card? It's Easy, Says Champion," <I> New York Evening Post, Friday</I>, December 23, 1932. The article gives information about Abraham Gancher.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
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content: Adding Machines
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content: Science & Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Victor Comptometer Corporation
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.323621
label: accession number
content: 250163
label: catalog number
content: 323621
label: maker number
content: 8445
objectType: label: Object Name
content: adding machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6.9 cm x 13 cm x 10 cm; 2 23/32 in x 5 1/8 in x 3 15/16 in