It’s no secret that as we move deeper into digital experiences with our phones, tablets, watches and the like, the human need to connect with more mechanical and manual activities or objects becomes suddenly more apparent.
While we don’t expect anybody to be churning butter at their desk or making candles during lunch hour, these new remarkable images from photographer Kevin Twomey have made us really want to put one of these bad boy mechanical calculators on our desk to remind us of the brilliance that came before us in the realm of mechanical engineering and design.
Admittedly, taking an iPhone out of our pockets and thumbing a quick calculation is still a preferred method, but mechanical calculators, just like typewriters, force you to sit and think about what it is you are doing more thoroughly in ways that glass rectangles just can’t.
In the series, Twomey glamorizes the mechanical details that were, once upon a time, just as sought after as any of today’s futuristic product design concepts. The lucky owner of the collection, mechanical engineer Mark Glusker, has been collecting the machines for several years and has accumulated dozens of pieces.
Whoever manages to get one of these functionally modeled and 3D printed will get a solid pat on the back from me.
