- Jan 2024
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Kells, Lyman M., Willis F. Kern, and James R. Bland. K+E Slide Rules: A Self Instruction Manual. New York: Keuffel & Esser Co., 1955.
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- Mar 2023
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TheSateliteCombinationCard IndexCabinetandTelephoneStand
A fascinating combination of office furniture types in 1906!
The Adjustable Table Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan manufactured a combination table for both telephones and index cards. It was designed as an accessory to be stood next to one's desk to accommodate a telephone at the beginning of the telephone era and also served as storage for one's card index.
Given the broad business-based use of the card index at the time and the newness of the telephone, this piece of furniture likely was not designed as an early proto-rolodex, though it certainly could have been (and very well may have likely been) used as such in practice.
I totally want one of these as a side table for my couch/reading chair for both storing index cards and as a temporary writing surface while reading!
This could also be an early precursor to Twitter!
Folks have certainly mentioned other incarnations: - annotations in books (person to self), - postcards (person to person), - the telegraph (person to person and possibly to others by personal communication or newspaper distribution)
but this is the first version of short note user interface for both creation, storage, and distribution by means of electrical transmission (via telephone) with a bigger network (still person to person, but with potential for easy/cheap distribution to more than a single person)
Tags
- telegraph
- card index filing cabinets
- intellectual history
- card index for business
- postcards
- satelite stands
- technology
- office furniture
- Adjustable Table Company
- telephones
- audience
- user interface
- evolution of technology
- zettelkasten boxes
- rolodexes
- annotations
- Grand Rapids Michigan
Annotators
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- Dec 2021
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www.wtf.tw www.wtf.tw
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Edgerton (2008) - The shock of the old
- https://is.gd/cfQ0Yt
- urn:x-pdf:ba1c8b150da6a972816a7ef5b0945482
Tags
Annotators
URL
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- Aug 2021
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en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
- Jul 2017
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www.slate.com www.slate.com
- Aug 2015