Summary

Alternative Name(s): Adding/Calculating Machine.

Abacus used at the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, for mathematical calculations, circa 1920s-1950s.The abacus is an important tool for teaching students with a visual impairment mathematics as it teaches problem solving skills and makes a person work through a problem step by step. It is also useful for performing everyday calculations.

Physical Description

Abacus in a long wooden frame, with metal uprights and metal counters. The frame is held off the table surface by four rubber supports, and it is re-inforced by three thin black metal supports. There are 18 uprights, and a wooden rail 4 centimetres from the base rail of the frame. A small piece of black metal is attached to the left side of the frame by two hinges.

More Information