A short history of the Comptometer

I gave a 10 minute talk at the Gathering for Gardner 12 conference in 2016:
"Before electronic computers and calculators, there were mechanical calculating machines. The Comptometer was one of the most widely used calculating machines, used all around the world for almost 80 years. It quietly changed the world, yet is almost forgotten today."
This video was a practice run I made to see if I got the timing about right. The actual talk was filmed, and can be found here:
• The Comptometer - Jaap...
The powerpoint presentation can be found here:
www.jaapsch.net/g4g/index.htm
For more information about the Comptometer and the other mechanical calculators in my collection, visit my site:
www.jaapsch.net/mechcalc/

[@melaniehenry7716]

Thank you . I;ve just been a trip down memory lane. I left school in 1971 and went to the Comptometer School in Leicester. where I got a diploma in the operation of the COMPTOMETER . I was one of the first that was taught in Decimal currency . My first Job was calculating the cost of making shoes, then calculating wages, then moved to London and worked as a temp, at head office;s, like Fortnum and Masons, Debenhams, Trust Houses Fort, us Comptometer operators could always find work.

[@DJStotty]

Thank you Jaap for this wonderful overview of the history of the Comptometer. My partner’s Auntie was a Comptometer Operator in 1939 in South Shields in the North-East of England

[@paulerhard1252]

Mooi verhaal, Jaap. Echt een excellente presentatie!

[@ChrisGads]

This was very interesting - thank you. Especially pointing out the fact that it was often women that operated these machines. My mother trained in a London Comptometer School sometime in the mid to late 1930s after which she worked as a comptometer operator for the insurance underwriters, Hartley Cooper Ltd in London. I recently discovered her aunt (born in 1899) was also a comptometer operator - working for the cigarette manufacturer Godfrey Phillips and this would have been quite a well paid job for a woman in those days I imagine.

[@Roscoe.P.Coldchain]

Growing up in the 70s I remember my mother had one at home and we were always playing with it as kids, just came into my head and wasn’t really sure what it was used for so hear I am..

[@jean-louismathieu6466]

interesting summary of mechanical calculators in the history, thanks Jaap.

[@CaribouDataScience]

I can't imagine doing that 8 hours a day!

[@666sub]

Such an interesting topic of history, and the information is delivered excellently. Thank you, I really enjoy all of your videos but this one especially so

[@brianking2179]

Thanks. Fascinating history, especially about the role of women. Cf. the book "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly - about the black women "computers" at NASA. (Also a film of the same name).