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MoTET is an Open-Archive Site Devoted to Research Into The Origins of Personal Computing
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. . . and Preserving Yesterday's Technology, for Tomorrow.
October 1953
Immediately below (Parts 1 & 2)
Here is an exceedingly rare documentary on the Friden Calculator Company, brought to you by The Museum of Trailing-Edge Technology (MoTET). It was filmed off a live "Success Story" broadcast in October 1953. "Success Story" was a series of "on-the-spot live telecasts" from selected locations in the greater San Francisco Bay area, which aired once a week on KGO-TV and was sponsored by the Richfield Corporation. The filming from a live video monitor explains the low quality of the copy. The film was then digitized from the original 16mm B&W optical/sound Kinescope film and made available here. It came in four parts, but the museum only has the middle two, totaling about 12 minutes. The first and third parts totaled about 17 minutes. The technical director was Stan Younger and its narrator Hartley Sader. The series was written and produced by Caryl Coleman and directed by Willard Davis. Enjoy!
MoTET GUEST COMMENTS ON THIS
FRIDEN DOCUMENTARY GALLERY
CosworthUSA
This is so interesting. Thank you for preserving this American history!
CosworthUSA
Wow! It is sooooo cool this video has survived. My parents worked at and met while working that the Friden plant in San Leandro. I have been there many, many times. It is a shame this company did not survive. Due to the untimely death of Carl Friden and Miss-managed by Singer. Friden should be the Microsoft, Apple of today... I have many Friden products, including 7 STW10's and even a few of their WWII tachometers and generators. And many other Friden products. Thank You!
Rick Alexander
Carl Friden was my grandfather. My mother (Barbro Friden) wrote a paperback book about him back in the 1970's and I also have some of the original blueprints of his machines. He died in 1945 so I never knew him; I was born in the 1950's. He is interred next to my grandmother (Hildur) in Oakland California and my mother is buried in the same cemetery. Someone once told me that at one time he had more U.S. patents than any other American at that time; many dealt with military applications for the WW2 effort. Bomb guidance, etc. I always get a kick watching "The Apartment" with Jack Lemmon, Fred McMurray and Shirley McClain. There are a couple of scenes where the office pool of many dozens of employees are working at their desks using Friden calculators. Quite a legacy.
AMStationEngineer
"Success Story"?? Sadly, we've forgotten how to succeed at anything - with the exception of tearing society to shreds. This was a very interesting documentary. Thank you, Dr. Kavanau, for sharing this with the world.
July 1963
(ten years later)
Friden 130 Pre-Production Prototype
Source: The Robert Ragen Archive
September 25, 1963
Democrat and Chronicle
(Rochester, New York)
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October 14, 1963
Oakland Tribune
(Oakland, California)
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May 21, 1964
Fort Lauderdale News
(Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
May 21, 1964
Mr. S.P. Simmons, Friden's Vice President of Domestic Sales, Demonstrating the Friden 130 at the Waldorf Austoria Hotel (New York) (See above press release)
Source: Old Calculator Museum
May 22, 1964
The Post-Standard
(Syracuse, New York)
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May 24, 1964
Independent Press Telegram
(Long Beach, California)
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June 1964
Nation's Business
Volume 52 Number 6
Published by The Chamber of Commerce of the United States, Washington D.C.
Because this is a Government publication, the cover date is likely also the release date.
Discovered by, and kindly provided to MoTET, by Mr. Nigel Tout of VintageCalculators.com
June 1, 1964
U.S. News and World Report
In 1964 U.S. News and World Report had a standard 1 week lead between release and "cover date." Hence, with a cover date of June 8, 1964, the actual release date was June 1, 1964
Volume LVI - No. 23
(Pg. 31)
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July 5, 1964
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
(Fort, Worth, Texas)
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August 1964
(September cover date)
Data and Control
Discovered by, and kindly provided to MoTET, by Mr. Nigel Tout of VintageCalculators.com
August 1964
Nation's Business
Volume 52 Number 8
Published by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, Washington D.C.
Because this is a Government publication, the cover date is likely also the release date.
Discovered by, and kindly provided to MoTET, by Mr. Nigel Tout of VintageCalculators.com
August 31, 1964
St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg, Florida
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September 12, 1964
The Financial Post
(Canada)
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September 1964
(August cover date)
Office Methods and Machines
Discovered by, and kindly provided to MoTET, by Mr. Nigel Tout of VintageCalculators.com
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October 24, 1964
The Burlington Free Press
Berlington, Vermont
November 2, 1964
Newsweek Magazine
(Special high-profile Lyndon Johnson /
Election Edition)
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Serial Numbers vs. Models
Friden sells/makes ~0 Model EC-130's in 1964
Friden sells/makes ~2,211 Model EC-130's in 1965
Friden sells/makes ~10,525 EC-130's in 1966
Thanks to Bob Mast of Friden
for making this internal Friden docuement available.
April 7 1965
(date not confirmed)
The Friden 132 being introduced to Friden's sales team.
Source: Old Calculator Web Museum
October or November 1965
Presently unknown U.S. magazine
Source: Old Calculator Web Museum
December 1965 or January 1966
Presently unknown U.S. magazine
Source: Old Calculator Web Museum
March or April 1967
Presently unknown U.S. magazine
Source: Old Calculator Web Museum
May 1967
Presently unknown week in 1967
Newsweek magazine (a weekly)
Source: Old Calculator Web Museum
May or June 1967
Presently unknown magazine
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