Abandoned AmericaDec 9, 2022

A Burroughs F5100 Adding Machine left behind in an abandoned auto parts manufacturer and distributor
EDIT: According to @MrNick it's a posting machine, not an adding machine. I believe I saw it refered to as an adding machine on ebay. Sorry for the mix up

Gallery/history: https://www.abandonedamerica.us/r-j-loock-auto-parts

#art #photography #history #abandoned #auto

The Abandoned R.J. Loock & Co. Auto Parts in Baltimore, Maryland | Abandoned America

From 1913 to 2001, R.J. Loock & Co. not only distributed parts they patented and created them and also operated a retail storefront in Baltimore. Then they closed, leaving behind a time capsule of decades of vintage auto paraphernalia.

Show threadMrNick 🇨🇦

@AbandonedAmerica

I worked for Burroughs for a few years; this is a posting machine, not an adding machine. The operator would select an accounts ledger-card, insert it and enter debits and credits. Bookkeeping.

Dec 9, 2022 at 2:21pmWeb
Show threadBill RickerDec 9, 2022
@MrNick @AbandonedAmerica yes, bookkeeping / posting / accounting machine. This is a much later model than the ones listed at Smithsonian, but still Series F. (chrome edge, teal skin are such a point in time!) The paper-handling guides on the platen tell you this was for ledger cards or savings-account pass-book.
Show threadMrNick 🇨🇦Dec 9, 2022

@BRicker @AbandonedAmerica

A trivia point for the curious: there are two sets of ledger card guides because the machine updated two copies at once. In a business setting this would be a working copy and a backup; in banking it would be a bank copy and the customers passbook.

At back left you can see a paper roll holder; a record of all transactions was kept in case the operator needed to double check an entry. These machines were notorious for printing over top of previous data.

Show threadBill RickerDec 9, 2022
@MrNick @AbandonedAmerica
YES. Ledger card for the credit and another for the debit.
This was early semi-automation of double entry bookkeeping.
Show threadMrNick 🇨🇦Dec 9, 2022

@BRicker @AbandonedAmerica

The F series were just about totally replaced by the time I worked for Burroughs, the mid-70s. I believe this one is full manual entry, where the operator had to punch in the balance from the ledger card to begin the entry.

The F models I remember were in service with a few county offices; municipalities were a big market. The ledger cards had a mag stripe down the back to read/write relevant fields.

And yes, this is a fancy mechanical adding machine, just fancier.

Show threadBill RickerDec 9, 2022

@MrNick

Ahh! I did not know about the magstripes.

(Last time I saw one of these was mid-70s in a branch bank in the countryside.)

Do I remember correctly that some models had a way to send a summary batch to the central MainFrame at close of day?

Show threadMrNick 🇨🇦Dec 9, 2022

@BRicker

Not these. Think you have to get to the B series before they had networking. The L series didn’t, I know them. Bootstrap paper tape reader.

Show threadAbandoned AmericaDec 10, 2022
@MrNick @BRicker thanks for all the info, I love learning more about the things and places I photographed. I updated the original post to reflect your feedback
Show threadBill RickerDec 12, 2022
@AbandonedAmerica @MrNick someone recently posted ( on the other site ) a 1952 ledger card as might have been posted to by such a machine