Arithstyle Adding Machine

This small metal instrument has nine columns of chains. The two rightmost are silver-colored, the next three copper-colored, the next three silver-colored, and the leftmost copper-colored. In back of the chains are nine numeral wheels with the digits from 0 to 9 on them. Digits are marked in red and in black on plastic strips to the right and to the left of the chains. A zeroing wheel is on the right side. A movable metal decimal marker is attached to the machine between the chains and the numeral wheels. The metal stand has a rubber covering along the two edges of its base. The black wooden case is covered with leather and lined with fabric-covered paper.

The machine is marked on a plastic inset in front of the chains: GOLDMAN’S (/) ARITHSTYLE (/) TRADE-MARK (/) Copyright. 1911. by Arithstyle Company. It is marked on the back: 11790. It is marked on the lid: Arithstyle Company (/) NEW YORK CITY.

The Arithstyle was the invention of Henry Goldman, who was born in Vienna in 1859, came to the United States in 1881, and published on improved bookkeeping and office machines. By 1898, he had invented his own adding machine, dubbed the arithmachine, which he manufactured in Chicago. In 1905, Goldman left the Unted States for Berlin, where he arranged to have his adding machine manufactured as the Contostyle. The Arithstyle was a similar machine, manufactured in New York on Goldman's design. Goldman died in New York in 1912.

For instructions, see 1983.0170.02.

Reference:

P.A. Kidwell, "'Yours for Improvement' - The Adding Machines of Chicago, 1884-1930," IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, 23 #1, 2001, pp. 3-21.

"Henry Goldman," Buero-Industrie, 1914, #13.

Currently not on view