The Calculator Museum Web Page

Welcome to The Calculator Museum Web Page The purpose of this site is to preserve the history of electronic calculators by using the Internet to display information relating to the machines developed during the 1960s and mid-1970s.

From the sale of the first all-electronic desktop calculator in the early 1960s through the transition of calculators to commodity status in the mid-1970s, design of electronic calculators served as an important driver for engineering efforts that resulted in the acceleration of technology during a critical time in the electronics industry. Calculators were the first item that could be sold in large quantities that required development of Large-Scale Integrated Circuits for their success. The R&D efforts put into LSI chip development helped develop new processes & technology that found applications in many aspects of everyday life. The first microprocessor was developed originally as a calculator chip, which served as a springboard for an entire industry.

Unfortunately, because calculators became so commonplace 20 years ago, much of the information and many of the early machines themselves have been thrown away. It is our hope that by using the Internet to create The Calculator Museum Web Page, information about the development of and technology behind early calculators, as well as the machines themselves, can be preserved for the future.

The Museum is grouped into the three galleries listed in the menu below. Inside each gallery are photographs and informational articles about early calculators. Please select from the following menu:

The Desktop Calculator Gallery - Features electronic desktop calculators from 1963-1975, plus some interesting later models.

The HP Gallery - Features calculators manufactured by the Hewlett-Packard company, both pocket and desktop category machines.

The Pocket Calculator Gallery - Features pocket calculators from the early-mid 1970s of all types (basic, scientific, financial, etc.)


Feature article on the Mathatron calculator - The Mathatron is the first all-electronic, desktop programmable calculator, first introduced in 1963.
Article on Basic Troubleshooting for battery- operated calculators
The Calculator Museum is looking for early-model electronic calculators and related items from the 1960s and early 1970s to add to the display. Please click here to see the Items Wanted Page if you have any old calculators or related items that may be of interest to the Museum.

The Trading Post - listing of items available from the Museum.


Acknowledgements - A listing of contributors to the museum.
This page is maintained in the interest of preserving calculator history. All original material is © Copyright 1997-2004 by The Calculator Museum, all rights reserved. Please send comments to calc05@calcmuseum.com.