Thursday, August 23, 2012

Offices in long ago times

Today I thought we could talk about offices of an earlier day.  Now all we seem to need
is our computer but think for a minute how it was say 80 or 90 yrs ago.  Of course we
used typewriters but in addition to that there were other machines to make the job
easier, at least in our parents and grandparents time.

Above you will see an old adding machine from the Bell's Store in Trinity TX which went out of business before I was born.  My mother told me they shopped there when she was young.
Next to it a cute little book from 1911 dated Dick the Bank Boy by Frank Webster.
And above we have a check writing machine.  They would put in a blank check and type in the amount and it would come out printed ready to send out to pay your bills.
And next a book that taught book-keeping. " Mayhew's Practical Book-keeping"  by Ira Mayhew
which taught the single and double entry bookkeeping methods used at the time circa 1872.
Each desk would possess the items shown to assist you in your organization.
This brass set is very old and from a local estate.  There is the ash tray which
was common then I guess with a pencil holder and a tiny bell as well as the ink well.
 
Speaking of ink wells,  that was another item of much use. 
 
I especially like the art deco one in front of this picture.  As you can see they came in different sizes
and styles.
The one above is Victorian.  It is very heavy.
 
Several more with an ink bottle thrown in.
This glass desk item had two holes for ink.
Behind are ink masters which is the larger ink bottle that they filled their individual ink bottles from.
Also shown are some in the following picture:
 
 
Next were the ledgers that each store had to record charges and payments made:
 

And the inside:
 
I don't have a typewriter in the store currently.  We do have one at home that my husband's mother owned and used when she worked as a secretary for the Boy Scouts of America in Los Angeles while attending Bible College.  We would not part with it, of course.
Aren't we glad we have computers?
Lois

No comments: