Cash register c. 1935

This cash register, attributed to Walter Dorwin Teague, encapsulates the design aesthetics and socio-economic shifts of its time. Teague, a prominent figure in the rise of industrial design, imbued everyday objects with a sense of modernity and efficiency. During the early to mid-20th century, America saw the expansion of consumer culture, with the rise of department stores and retail chains. This cash register, with its streamlined form and emphasis on functionality, reflects the era’s optimism and the growing importance of commercial transactions. In many ways it speaks to the identities of the working-class people who operated them. The design of this cash register also speaks to issues of labor and class. While it projected an image of streamlined efficiency, it also represented the mechanization of work and the changing nature of employment in an increasingly industrialized society. There is a certain dignity in the simplicity of the design that feels almost classical. It’s reflective of societal issues, while also touching on the personal dimension of human labor.