The Burroughs Portable adding machine - the type was introduced a 100 years ago, my specimen was manufactured 97 years ago. Having now had it standing for several weeks after re-filling the dashpot to check for any signs of leakage (none!), the repairs to this machine have now (probably) been succesful - fixed :)
The direct-subtracting Class 9 was introduced a bit later than the Class 8 adding-only Portable. The range was designed from the start to be modular, enabling many variations in capacity and features. (Similar to how the 1921 Dalton Super Model range was envisioned.) My particular machine is a Portable of Style 90802: 9 for direct-subtraction, 08 for the 8-column capacity and 02 for hand-operated with 12.5" movable wide carriage.
After 97 years the anti-glare crackle lacquer is worn away in spots, but it definitely is the wide carriage style. It is massive too.
Sometime in the late 1920s the Burroughs company issued a marvellous advertising book to promote the Portable range. Today this publication is scanned and available via the Archive.
The book gives a fascinating insight in the use of the machine and its selling-points. Note that in 1928 a market survey in the USA found that about 15% of sales were repeat purchases - most adding-machine business was to sell a machine to a first-time user automating existing manual work.
The book repeatedly touts the many advantages of this new portable design; it is only slightly larger than a letterhead!
Technically, that is true. Nevertheless, it does have rather more 'presence' on a desk than the letterhead.
The portability is emphasized on several pages; how easy it is to carry from desk to desk, take it on a business trip. The girl is carrying it under her arm with a seeming nonchalance.
At 19 pounds it indeed is portable. Especially when comparing to the Burroughs Class 1 behemoths or even a Class 3 machines. Nevertheless, it is a hefty chunk of metal.
Another way to look at this adding machine, here the Portable placed next to an Underwood 5 standard typewriter.
Looking at the heavy presence of the Burroughs Portable, note that Underwood did not advertise the No. 5 as 'portable' - the Underwood Portables of 1925 were significantly smaller and lighter. Portability definitely had a different meaning for adding machines.
Introduced with a basic price of 100 dollar it was of course an expensive item, but remarkably low-priced for a quality brand adding-listing machine. It effectively forced Dalton to lower their entry price from 125 to 100 dollar in response. (Dalton needing to create the 'Special' monochrome-only machine in a different finish to justify this new price-point.) It also gave Burroughs an answer to the increasing competition from Wales, Barret and others, many marketing their machines explicitly as being portable.
A Class 8, basic Style 80801 would've been 100 dollar. A Class 9 with wide carriage would have cost significantly more - probably around 170 dollar in 1928.
And after almost a century, this particular machine again works fine - a quality product!
With movable 12.5" carriage, able to take an A4 sideways. Also with a roll-holder to optionally print on a standard adding-machine paper roll.
With direct-subtraction - figuring out its age.
And in side-profile. For its period it is a clean-looking and modern machine.
The major difference with the competing Dalton machines; it has a full keyboard like all Burroughs machines. Buttons.
Magnificent engineering! - celebrating its 100 year anniversary this year :-)
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