1910 Cash Register

Cash Register
Manufactured by the National Cash Register Company, 1910
Oak, brass and marble; 66" H
76.7.1
The National Cash Register Company, based in Dayton, Ohio manufactured this Model 500 cash register in 1910. This particular model was first produced in 1905 and was the first to be equipped with an electric motor. This ten-drawer machine is brass on an oak base, separated by a marble slab. Multiple-drawer cash registers were first used in 1899 as a result of requests from merchants who wanted to provide individual responsibility to the employees by providing a separate cash drawer for each clerk. At the end of a day's business, each clerk made a report of the cash in his drawer and the total was checked against the register total . There were also three counters for recording separate totals of all charge sales, all money received on account, and money paid out.
This register was purchased at the turn of the century for use in Santa Ana's first gentleman's clothing store, Hugh J. Lowe and Sons Clothing Store, located at 109 W. Fourth St. A closer look at the register's buttons show the types of clothing regularly sold. A photograph from 1958 shows the register in the store's front display among other objects used by the business; the photo was taken on the 70th anniversary of the store.

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