Burkhardt A
This one is probably also among the rarer machines in the collection. From what it looks like, it is an old restoration of a Burkhardt A machine. A very knowledgeable and handy collector cherished the machine for decades, and painstakingly restored the wooden box. He swears he found the machine inside just the way it looks now. From the replacement twiddlers on the numeral wheels and the impeccable condition of the paint, I would guess it has been restored at some earlier point in time.Arthur Burkhardt was the first of the Glashütter clockmakers to switch to calculating machines, in 1880. Inspired by Thomas de Colmar, he essentially built a sturdier clone of the french machine, with some improvements incorporated. By 1885, the machine was in serial production, and by 1892, 500 machines had been built. This is a very early Burkhardt, serial N° 321. From when it dates is a bit of guesswork, but probably around the very end of the 1880s.
The cabinet is beautifully made, with so-called oyster veneer, which is a cross-cut slice of tree that is then opened along the cut, with the mirror line straight across the middle of the case.
It has a medallion in darker wood inlaid with brass letters spelling "RECHENMASCHINE". This kind of Boulle-work would be useful for two machines - another one would get the brass plaque with the cutouts, which would then be filled in with wooden letters.
The machine is just as primitive, but a lot sturdier than the Thomas arithmometer.
Some salient points - the zeroing knobs are huge in comparison with those in the Thomas machine, and thus they are a bit easier on the fingers, but it still takes three re-grippings to turn them all the way round for clearing the registers fully. The left one has a registration number inscribed in it, D.R.G.M. 78251.
Unfortunately the database of these German "Reichs-Gebrauchsmüster" numbers up to 1934 was lost in the second world war, so we have no idea what exactly was registered.
The tens' carry system is exactly identical to that in the Thomas machine.
The carriage needs to be lifted to be set with the twiddler knobs, or cleared. The crank folds down for storage.
In this machine also the counter register has twiddler knobs, whereas the Thomas machine does not. It is also quite a bit larger than a Thomas, and the capacity of the machine is 8 x 9 x 16. There is also a little stand for an oil bottle under the lid on the right (which currently contains the key, which is not original to the machine and has some trouble opening the lock - so it's there so that noone accidentally locks the box!):
The bottom of the case slides out, to reveal the mechanism from below:
All in all, a very pretty machine, in perfect condition, and an example of the very first German-built calculating machine. As such it is a special highlight in the collection. The story itself is not as exciting of course, because I didn't have to do anything to it, and it works perfectly!
Now for some (more) pictures:
