The history of the cash register begins in a saloon in Dayton, Ohio. Based on an idea from a tool that counted the revolutions of a steamship’s propeller, James Ritty invented the first cash register in 1879 as a way of stopping his employees from pilfering his profits. With the help of his brother, John Ritty, the cash register was patented in 1882 as Ritty’s Incorruptible Cashier.
In 1884, the National Cash Register Company (NCR) was formed to produce an item that many people in the retail industry considered unnecessary. By 1893, NCR had grown from 13 employees to more than 400 working in two shifts. Total sales increased from 359 cash registers to over 15,000 machines. NCR also secured a contract with the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition to provide cash registers for all of the fair’s concessionaires.
The Carillon Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio has some cash register displays.
More museum exhibits
Museums 101: A collection of beer steins (photo diary)
Carillon Historical Park: Model railroad (photo diary)
Museums 101: Neighborhood grocery store (museum tour)
Museums 101: The Weekly Newspaper (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Antique Dolls (photo diary)
Museums 101: Ranch and Sawmill (Photo Diary)
Lake Chelan Historical Society: A collection of Cameras (photo diary)
Museums 101: The Blacksmith Shop at Fort Vancouver (Photo Diary)