Burroughs Adding Machine Company, 6071 Second Av., Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
In 1886 the American Arithmometer Company was founded in St. Louis to manufacture the mechanical add-listing machine invented by William Seward Burroughs. These precision machines were very successful, and in 1904 the company moved to larger premises in Detroit. The following year the name was changed to Burroughs Adding Machine Company.
Other manufacturing plants included those at Nottingham, England (1898); Strathleven, Scotland (1953); and Villiers-Ecalles, Normandy, France (1959).
The early Burroughs mechanical calculators were large machines characterised by having glass panels in the sides so the mechanism could be seen. This became fashionable in other company's machines of the time. There was constant development in the mechanical calculators through to the 1960s, when Burroughs converted to electronic desk calculators. They had an agreement to sell in Europe electronic calculators made by Sharp in Japan, but also decided to make their own electronic desk calculators at their factory in France.
The company was heavily involved in accounting machines, had early involvement in computing equipment, and the calculators appear to have been dropped from its product lines in the mid to late 1970s. It only manufactured desktop electronic machines, and no hand-held calculators.
In 1986 Burroughs Corporation and Sperry Corporation merged to form Unisys Corporation.
Examples of Burroughs calculators
1) Full-keyboard Mechanical 'Add-listers'
Burroughs specialised in 'Add-listers'—mechanical adding machines that printed the calculations on a roll of listing paper.
4) Electronic Calculators
The first Burroughs electronic calculators were manufactured by Sharp in Japan. Later models were manufactured at Burroughs own plant in France.
5) Burroughs displays
Burroughs were notable for developing the 'Nixie' display tube, widely used in early electronic calculators, and the later 'Panaplex' flat display.
For further photographs of Burroughs calculators see the Calculator Photo Library on this site.
Michael Hancock has produced an interesting early history of the Burroughs Adding Machine Company and its calculators at http://www.xnumber.com/xnumber/hancock7.htm.
See also "Burroughs Adding Machine History": A film on YouTube which shows Burroughs adding and accounting machines, and computers being manufactured and used at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBkZI0jYi3I.
Information about the development of the Burroughs mechanical calculators, with an emphasis on the British operations, can be found in the book:
"Total to Date: The Evolution of the Adding Machine: The Story of Burroughs", by Bryan Morgan, published in 1953 by Burroughs Adding Machine Limited London.
Text & photographs copyright, except where stated otherwise, © Nigel Tout 2000-2025.
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