Calculators

About Vintage Calculators

The first calculators were abacuses, followed by the slide rule (invented by William Oughtred in 1622), and then mechanical calculators like the Comptometer in the early 1900s. Electronic calculators emerged in the 1960s, but were large and heavy because they required many transistors. It wasn't until the 1970s that integrated circuits made small portable electronic calculators possible.


Articles

An Interview With Vintage Slide Rule Collector Mike Konshak

An Interview With Vintage Slide Rule Collector Mike Konshak

I’m 61 now, and I’m an engineer. I was thinking if I ever wanted to collect something, I would probably c…  [more]



Top Websites (“Hall of Fame”)

Nerd Watch Museum

Nerd Watch Museum

This gallery of hundreds of LCD and calculator watches from the 1980s includes nerd-friendly brands like Casio, Sei…  [more]

Museum of Soviet Calculators

Museum of Soviet Calculators

Andrew Davie's showcase of information about vintage Soviet calculators. Browse sections including mechanical monst…  [more]

Vintage Technology: Calculators

Vintage Technology: Calculators

Emil Dudek's guide to 1970s desktop and pocket calculators. Includes over 550 calculators and 120 brands. Beautiful…  [more]

Comptometer: Biography of a Machine

Comptometer: Biography of a Machine

Brooke W. Boering's definitive reference on the Comptometer, a turn of the (20th) century 'shoebox' business calcul…  [more]

Museum of HP Calculators

Museum of HP Calculators

David Hicks' celebration of Hewlett Packard calculators from 1968-1986. Photos and detailed descriptions of each mo…  [more]

Early Office Museum

Early Office Museum

This site showcases pre-1920 office antiques, including paperweights, writing ink, paper fasteners, seal pressers, …  [more]


Got a site to suggest? Let us know.




Other Great Reference Sites

Are we missing one? Tell us.

Top eBay Auctions    (get weekly Calculators email)

Status       Display       How this works