Bowmar MX55 Handheld Electronic Calculator
date: label: date made
content: ca 1974
name: label: maker
content: Bowmar/Ali
notes: label: Description
content: This handheld electronic calculator is one of a series of such calculators introduced by Bowmar in the early 1970s. A LED (light-emitting diode) display manufacturer and defense contractor, Bowmar/Ali, Inc. (USA), found they could not sell their displays to Japanese electronic calculator makers. In 1970–71, Bowmar decided to design and manufacture portable calculators. Some were marketed by other companies, others, like this one, by Bowmar/Ali.
label: Description
content: The handheld calculator has a black plastic case with ten digit keys, a decimal key, keys for the four arithmetic functions, a total key, a percentage key, and a clear/clear entry key. The on/off switch is on the keyboard, the eight-digit display behind this. The plug for the power supply is on the right side. A mark at the top reads: Bowmar. It uses the Bowmar trademark registered in 1974.
label: Description
content: A sticker on the back of the calculator reads in part: Bowmar MX55 PERSONAL CALCULATOR (/) WITH OMNI-CONSTANT® REGISTER. It also reads in part: BOWMAR MODEL MX55 SERIAL NO. 170509 (/) BOWMAR/ALI, 531 MAIN ST., ACTON, MA. Pat. Pend. (/) ASSEMBLED IN MEXICO.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Mexico
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: 1986.0988.058
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0988.058
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; display screen material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (circuitry material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (instructions; box material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 1/4 in x 3 in x 5 3/4 in; 3.175 cm x 7.62 cm x 14.605 cm