Xref: utzoo misc.wanted:3519 comp.misc:4373
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ncar!noao!asuvax!nud!sunburn!gtx!al
From: al@gtx.com (Alan Filipski)
Newsgroups: misc.wanted,comp.misc
Subject: Re: Wanted Curta calculator  (pepper mill)
Message-ID: <835@gtx.com>
Date: 12 Dec 88 20:52:20 GMT
References: <327@tropix.UUCP>
Reply-To: al@gtx.UUCP (Alan Filipski)
Distribution: na
Organization: GTX Corporation, Phoenix
Lines: 50

In article <327@tropix.UUCP> fad@tropix.UUCP (Frank A. DeWitt) writes:
>
>WANTED CURTA CALCULATOR
>
>also known as the "pepper mill".
>
>For the curios it is a pocket mechanical calculator built in the 60s before
>the electronic calc. It was about 2 inches in dia. and had a small crank
>on top. it had lots of knobs and levers and could multiply and divide 
>13 place numbers! Now it is only of intrest as a collectors item.
>

Yes, I remember the ads for these little things in either
Popular Science or Scientific American in the 50's and early 60's.

There is one advertised for sale in the Spring 1988 catalog from

Historical Technology, Inc
6 Mugford st
Marblehead, MA 01945

(617)631-2275
 

(the cost of the catalog is $6)

they say it's the "large capacity" model (type II) with 11 input and 16
output digits.

Some additional info from the catalog:  "this calculator is a very
clever and compact version of the Thomas de Colmar Arithmometer
invented in 1820 based upon the step-gears of Leibniz' calculating
machine of 1694.  Although there were cicrular Leibniz machines which
predated the de Colmar Arithmometer...it is most likely that the Curta
itself is derived from later machines, Joseph Edmondson's crescent
shaped, and somewhat larger calculator patented in 1883, followed by C
Haemann's fully cylindrical version patented in 1902...  descriptions
of the Curta are to be found in Mathematical Machines v. 1, Digital
Computers, by F. J. Murray (Columbia 1961) and Digital Calculating
Machines, by G.A. Montgomerie, Van Nostrand, 1956"

Here's the bad news: they want $375.  I would have bought it myself if
the price were closer to $100.  Does anyone remember what the thing
originally retailed for? Since I was a student at the time, all I remember
is that it was more money than I had.


  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 ( Alan Filipski, GTX Corp, 8836 N. 23rd Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85021, USA )
 ( {allegra,decvax,hplabs,amdahl,nsc}!sun!sunburn!gtx!al       (602)870-1696 )
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