Paris Talk
On January 28th 2017, Valéry Monnier and Yves Serra, both stalwarts of the french calculating research and collectors scene, gave a talk in a library in Paris, coupled with a small exhibition of machines. Since Paris is only 1h and 20 minutes away from Brussels by high speed train, I decided to go take a look. I had already met Valéry, and it was very good seeing him again, but it was the first time for me to meet Yves. The talk they gave together was both entertaining, and very interesting, covering themes such as alternative manual algorithms for multiplication that do not require learning tables of multiplication by heart, abaci, Pascal's machine, as well as Leibniz and the stepped drum, of course the arithmometer, and finally its definitive incarnation, the Curta. The audience consisted of approximately 50 people, there were many questions, and especially the demonstrations to the interested audience proved so popular that they lasted until the library closed at 6, and the last patrons had to be chased out by the library personnel. All in all, a day very well spent!
Valéry extolling the virtues of the Comptometer, demonstrated by means of a wood box specimen ...don't drop that!
Yves showing an Egyptian multiplication ...
...as well as medieval ones.
Demo time for the Arithmometer
...and for the Pascaline
This is a Pascaline replica - so how does it work ? Immediately the screwdriver comes out.
That's what it looks like on the inside!
