Beauty & efficiency

The cash register was invented in 1879 by James Ritty, a bar owner in Dayton, USA. It demonstrated a significant evolution in accounting, commerce and buisness. It had two main functions, the quick and reliable processing of transactions and, through the receipt it printed, product and transaction confirmation. This selection, under the care of the museum’s Science and Methodology Conservation Unit, showcases beautifully intrecate art nouveaux embelishments. An example of the National Cash Register Company’s model 600, it was only sold in Europe.John Henry Patterson, who founded it in 1884, bought the patent. It was sold in 1976 to the Museum of Angra do Heroísmo by the wholesaler Joaquim A. Bogas, from Lisbon.