Monroe Calculating Machine

From: Brian Chase <vaxzilla_at_jarai.org>
Date: Sat Aug 30 17:03:00 2003

Does anyone know where I can find out more about this old mechanical
calculator?

  http://www.jarai.org/temp/monroe/0830_001-sm.jpg
  http://www.jarai.org/temp/monroe/0830_002-sm.jpg
  http://www.jarai.org/temp/monroe/0830_003-sm.jpg

The unit is fully operational. With some inspiration from the Curta
instruction manual, I've been able to figure out addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division on this device. I picked it up at a local
yard sale today for a reasonable $30.

So far, I've not been able to find much about this particular model.
Most everything I can find talks about Monroe's later electromechanical
calculators. The closest match I found is this one from the Computer
Museum in San Diego, but the image is very blurry and there isn't much
information about the calculator.

  http://www.computer-museum.org/collections/monroe_addc.html

The next example is this one but it is a bit more streamlined than mine,
so I'd guess it's a slightly later model.

  http://www.officemuseum.com/Monroe_Calculating_Machine_Co._NY_OM.jpg
  http://www.officemuseum.com/calculating_machines_pinwheel_other.htm

The identifying marks on the calculator itself are the "Monroe
Calculating Machine Company, New York, U.S.A." on the front and a number
stamped in the metal underneath the carriage--41516--which I'm guessing
is the serial number. The keyboard keys seem to be made from Bakelite.

-brian.
Received on Sat Aug 30 2003 - 17:03:00 BST