Exhibition Collecting Memories: Treasures from the Library of Congress

Text-only cover of arithmetic textbook that has browned with age. — Anna B. Badlam. *Aids to Number for Primary School*. Boston: D. C. Heath, 1887–1888. General Collections (087.00.00)

Left page of open book contains 22 questions about page on right. Right page is divided in half with horizontal line. Nine dots are above the line, one dot is below. — Anna B. Badlam. *Aids to Number for Primary School*. Boston: D. C. Heath, 1887–1888. General Collections (087.00.01)

Math textbook with grey cover and small black image of torch with laurel leaves. — Frank J. Browne. *Graded Mental Arithmetic*. San Francisco: The Whitaker & Ray Co., 1902. General Collections (089.00.00)

In open textbook, left page has 28 questions. Right page has multiplication table. — Frank J. Browne. *Graded Mental Arithmetic*. San Francisco: The Whitaker & Ray Co., 1902. General Collections (089.00.01)

Mental Arithmetic

Arithmetic books illustrate the importance placed on basic computation around the turn of the twentieth century. Williams & Rogers Mental Arithmetic contains exercises to ensure students’ quick facility with calculation. The author includes a diagram for classroom use and instruction for the teacher. A teacher would use the cards in Anna B. Badlam’s Aids to Number for Primary School with students to practice mental addition. The back of each card contains a series of questions corresponding to the diagram on the front, emphasizing the different ways to state the relationship.