Decorative Marchant XLA Calculating Machine, 1922. Good working condition.

Decorative Marchant XLA Brand Calculating Machine, 1922. This is a splendid calculating machine with original black lacquered casing with different numbering registers neatly distributed on the front. It sits on a flat black lacquered base. It has some rust marks and some scratches, which testify to the passage of time, but do not detract one iota of beauty to this original machine. Crank or windlass mechanism with several cranks on the right side and one on the front. The white enamel numerals are visible, although some are somewhat covered by rust. On the upper front part it has an original triangular golden plate with the name of the brand: MARCHANT, accompanied by a decorative greyhound. In the lower part it attaches another golden plate with the data of the seller of the piece. Aesthetically it is in good condition, and can be operated from the first day. This type of machines are objects for science lovers. They have their origin in the XVII century, when the first adding machines were built, characterized by using a gear-based operation, which arise to alleviate the work activity of those people engaged in accounting work. This type of machines were already much admired at the time, based on a system devised by Willigodt Odhner, the variant of the one developed by Leibniz in the 18th century. The Marchant factory was founded by Radney and Alfred Marchant in Oakland (California). This machine would be in its time the fastest and strongest calculator of all those on the world market at that time. The first machines were a copy of the well-known Original Odhner, but from 1922 the models were progressively renewed. In 1929, thanks to the engineer Carl M. Friden, the brand would carry out new machines with the Odhner system, but with the complete keyboard, providing some models with an electric motor and a printing system. The engineer Harold T. Avery would get the Marchant calculating machine to rotate at 900 revolutions per minute, in clear superiority to the 400 revolutions achieved by the rest of the models. In 1958 Marchant would join the Smith Corona brand to form the SCM corporation. In the early 1970's the brand would start selling electronic calculators built in Japan by Toshiba, but the company would end up having to close in 1973, as it could not compete in the electronic market with much stronger companies technologically. Original calculating machine - a true revolution in its time!