Typewriters

[Tango Yankee]

Royal Senior Companion portable

Thought I'd share my old Royal Senior Companion portable with ya'll. My mother bought it used before I was born (which was in Nov '59) so I know it dates back to the '50s at least. It works well; I just ordered a new ribbon for it. I used it for composition papers back in the early '80s. Used lots of white-out!

Once I get the new ribbon I plan on writing a letter to my mother on it.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Feraud]

I just came across this article from 2006 today.

February 21, 2006
Ink
Helping the Words Sing, With a Clickety-Clack
By LILY KOPPEL
Correction Appended

BLACK, gray, olive and red typewriters fill Room 807, the Gramercy Typewriter Company in the Flatiron Building, like miniature trains in a railyard. "The heart of Manhattan," said its owner, Paul Schweitzer, 67, in the middle of tending to an old adding machine.

"Dinosaurs," is how Mr. Schweitzer endearingly refers to his surrounding forest of manual typewriters. (He also repairs laser printers.)

There is a younger literary set that likes the sound of hearing their words hit the page. "I'm in demand," Mr. Schweitzer said.

He pointed out one 20-something writer's iron Underwood dozing on a low shelf like an anchor at the bottom of a lake. "They like to feel that they are writing," he said. "Not being a writer, it's hard for me to put it into words."

A customer, Elizabeth Merrick, came in through the stenciled glass door. "Finally I'm here," she said. "After a year of calling."

Ms. Merrick asked about her 11-year-old daughter's Christmas present, a Remington portable typewriter that she had dropped. "Can you straighten it out?" she asked. "She likes to write old-fashioned newspaper articles."

At Gramercy Typewriter, a blackened hammer, screwdriver, pliers and wrenches hang on the wall. Could it be the control room for word production in New York? There is an ancient Webster's dictionary, an Andy Warhol-quality Brillo box for scrubbing keys, an inky bar of green soap resting at the sink in the corner, and a miniature Smith & Corona with gold coloring that looks like an accordion.

Mr. Schweitzer's desk is littered with type elements and green computer chips. Scattered on his blotter are toothpicks, rubber bands, receipts and ribbons. "I can find anything in this place," said Mr. Schweitzer, who makes house calls with a black leather kit that looks like a medical bag. Customers call and plead, "Letter K is not working."

Most of the building is occupied by St. Martin's Press. During the Dan Rather memo scandal, people brought him samples of the contested letter. "It definitely wasn't a typewriter," he said.

Opened in 1932, Gramercy was the business of his father, Abraham Schweitzer. Unable to go to college in the Depression, Mr. Schweitzer, then 18, went to work learning how to fix typewriter carriages and change ribbons.

Paul Schweitzer's son, a stockbroker, thinks it is time for his father to raise the prices.

For 40 years, Mr. Schweitzer has eaten at Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop across Fifth Avenue from his place.

"I would shake your hand," he said, smiling with ink on his fingers.

Correction: Feb. 28, 2006, Tuesday:

The Ink column last Tuesday, about Paul Schweitzer, owner of the Gramercy Typewriter Company in Manhattan, referred incorrectly to the type of printers he repairs. They are laser printers; there is no such thing as an inkjet laser printer. The column also misstated the brand name of a typewriter that a customer took in for repairs. It was a Remington, not a Pennington.

I have two tyepwriters that need attention. If Schweitzer is still in business at the Flatiron Bldg. I plan to pay him a visit.

 

[Tango Yankee]

I just came across this article from 2006 today.

I have two tyepwriters that need attention. If Schweitzer is still in business at the Flatiron Bldg. I plan to pay him a visit.

Take pictures!

Thanks for posting the article, Feraud. After posting my photos I got to thinking about the sounds of typing as opposed to "keyboarding" as it's called these days.

That clackety-clack sound, the effort it takes on a manual to typewriter, the satisfying "Tingggg!" of the bell as you approach the end of the line, the "Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz" sound of the carriage being returned to start...

I'd go get it out now and type a couple of pages if I wasn't supposed to be housecleaning for a family dinner tonight! Which, I suppose, means I shouldn't be keyboarding either. :eusa_doh:

Cheers,
Tom

 

[DerMann]

My grandfather had (and now by proxy, I have) a Smith-Corona manual, portable typewriter, which I've been told is from the 30s. Still clacks away perfectly.

My only complaints are the lack of a 1 key and the margins are gigantic (about 2inches or more on the left and right). I don't know that much about typewriters, but I've been told that most were made without 1 keys, and I'm pretty sure margins are adjustable some how.

 

[Dr Doran]

Found this beauty a month or three ago in the storage room of my apartment. If anyone can date it for me, I'd be obliged.

 

[Tango Yankee]

My only complaints are the lack of a 1 key and the margins are gigantic (about 2inches or more on the left and right). I don't know that much about typewriters, but I've been told that most were made without 1 keys, and I'm pretty sure margins are adjustable some how.

You use the lower case "l" for the 1 key. And yes, the margins are adjustable. You'll need to fiddle around a bit to figure out how on your machine.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Dr Doran]

You use the lower case "l" for the 1 key.

Yes. The lower case L.

 

[Story]

Typewriters making a comeback
By Laurence Witherington

COLUMBIA NEWS SERVICE


Saturday, March 15, 2008

Last year Jim Bouchard, then 18, found himself temporarily living in the basement of a friend's house after his parents had been forced to move away from town. His possessions were all stored in his car. But life as a high-school senior had to go on, making for unusual challenges: How, for instance, could he type up a history paper without access to a computer or printer?

Bouchard did not panic; after a nap, he recalls, he snapped open a Moxie cream soda, popped his old trunk and pulled out a plastic typewriter, treasured hitherto as a quirky artifact. After clickety-clacking away at it until dawn, Bouchard, of West Suffield, Conn., set off for class. "A-, very historic," his teacher wrote on the margins.

The technology might be antiquated, but the typewriter is enjoying a renaissance among young people like Bouchard. Some are turning to the machine to avoid the time-wasting temptations of the Internet. Others, mainly older enthusiasts, are drawn by a sense of nostalgia. Whatever the reason, the continuing popularity of the technology has created a cottage industry for repair shops and has spawned dozens of typewriter Web sites and clubs.

Despite the clunky limitations of the medium — keys get stuck and you can't rewrite without starting over — many users insist they get more done on a typewriter than on a PC. "The only time wasted is thinking of what to type next," said Michael McGeary, 20, an English student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, who grew up with the PC. "With computers, you could be typing a paper but then decide to see if you have any e-mails."

That doesn't surprise Timothy Pychyl, a psychology professor who has done research on procrastination at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. Pychyl said social networking sites, in particular, have proved addicting to many young people — and a typewriter offers the chance to go "cold turkey."

Ironically, typewriter fans are turning to new technology — the Internet — to spread their passion for the old. A Yahoo forum simply named "Typewriters," hosting discussions among typewriting enthusiasts, has close to 1,000 members, a number growing by 10 a week, according to the site. Facebook also hosts several similar groups.

http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/other/03/15/0315typewriters.html

 

[Dr Doran]

"Some are turning to the machine to avoid the time-wasting temptations of the Internet"

Speaking of which -- I have papers to grade. Signing off.

 

[David Conwill]

My other favorite is probably from the '60s. It's cursive! It's very light-weight, it was probably meant for children or pre-teen girls. I love writing with it, it makes everything look so cute and kitsch.

Found this comment while searching for another topic (handwriting). This typewriter sounds like my grandmother's typewriter. I vividly remember as a young boy, before she moved to town, receiving a weekly cursive-typewritten letter - usually on some kind of pastel-colored stationary. She's 92, but this wouldn't be the first time she's been compared to a pre-teen girl. She's so adorable, I wouldn't trade her for anybody else's!

-Dave

 

[Tango Yankee]

Yes. The lower case L.

Yup... that's a bit clearer, isn't it? lol

I did get the new ribbon, and wrote a long letter to my mother. I'd forgotten several things about using that typewriter, though. They were:

1. How much effort it takes! The last time I used it regularly was in the early '80s.

2. That the apostrophe is the shift-8 combination, not two keys to the right of the "L".

3. The exclamation point is a combination of the apostrophe and the period.

4. How much white-out I use when typing on that typewriter, mostly due to item 2! I use a lot of contractions and I kept hitting the keys to the right of the "L". lol

Regards,
Tom

 

[John in Covina]

In school I used a typewriter my brother had gotten from my parents. It was a low bodied Smith Corona with a plastic body in an greenish color. Worked ok until abused in frustration.

 

[Two Gun Bob]

This is my 1939 Oliver portable as used in Winston Churchill's office...

... in the cabinet war rooms.

The other stuff is part of my collection of 1930's camera gear I use for re-enacting.

I am currently looking for a pre-war Underwood No. 5 desktop typewriter, as used by Robert E. Howard to write his Conan the Barbarian stories

 

[retrogirl1941]

Does anyone have a source for a 1940's era typing chart? I have been collecting buisness text books from that period and have two typwriters also but, no chart. Maybe if I could even find a repro chart or something.Thanks!

Samantha

 

[Tango Yankee]

Does anyone have a source for a 1940's era typing chart? I have been collecting buisness text books from that period and have two typwriters also but, no chart. Maybe if I could even find a repro chart or something.Thanks!

Samantha

Hi, Samantha,

I have a booklet titled "Touch Typing in 5 Easy Lessons" with "Teach Yourself Touch Typing at Home with Amazing Speed Chart" by Royal. I was thinking it might be from the '50s as it was inside the case of my mother's portable Royal but the copyright is from 1969. The depicted keyboard layout is the same as the typewriter's. A bit later than what you're looking for but I wouldn't be surprised if it was simply to show electric typewriters instead of manuals. If you're interested I would scan it for you. Not right away, I'm afraid, as I'm currently trying to recover the operating system hard drive from my primary computer, but once it's operational again and hooked back up to the scanner.

Regards,
Tom

P.S. You can see it tucked inside the lid of the carrying case up above.

 

[David Conwill]

I just discovered one of these listed on eBay locally:

If the seller says a pickup is okay, I'm going to bid. I can't imagine trying to ship such a thing. Mytypewriter.com says they're common but good machines - that's exactly what I want.

-Dave

 

[LizzieMaine]

I just discovered one of these listed on eBay locally:

If the seller says a pickup is okay, I'm going to bid. I can't imagine trying to ship such a thing. Mytypewriter.com says they're common but good machines - that's exactly what I want.

-Dave

That is an *excellent* machine -- I learned to type on exactly that model, and my mother still uses it to this day. She's owned it for over fifty years, and it's been banged on by three kids without the slightest bit of problem.

 

[Bogie]

Underwood No. 5

I bought a semi-working Underwood no. 5 several months ago. Partly because the seller had offered to cut the keys and use them as ornaments or a bracelet, and I hate to see that happen to Typewriters, and partly because it always defined what the word 'Typewriter' meant for me (aside from an IBM Selectric).

Not knowing much of anything about the item in question other than it was definately old and elegant looking, I put down thirty bucks where after I found that it wouldn't feed paper properly, I just stored it for later.

Eventually I found a person who had the know-how to clean it up, and I just had it fixed up a few weeks ago. It turns out that the roller wheel on the right hand side had been worn flat. It was a small miracle that the Typewriter repairman just happened to have one of the same model rusting in his garage. He took it out for me and put it right back in, other than an adjustment on the type-set so that each time a key was pressed the letters advanced rather than staying still and a thourough oiling, she was almost as good as new.

It is anoutstanding machine and performs just as I would want it too, save that I type a bit slower because some of the keys stick with age. Despite all of this, I'm amazed that so little was wrong with it, especially since I looked up the patton date and found it to be a model of 1923.

Imagine that, I hope to be in such great shape when I'm pushing 85.

 

[David Conwill]

That is an *excellent* machine -- I learned to type on exactly that model, and my mother still uses it to this day. She's owned it for over fifty years, and it's been banged on by three kids without the slightest bit of problem.

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to hear that. I put in a bid on it immediately. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that nobody bids against me.

Thankfully, this model doesn't have the "sexy" keys that crafters seek like the Underwood No. 5 mentioned above. Kudos to the gentleman for saving it. My next attempt at getting a typewriter was going to be an advertisement on Craigslist pleading for someone to send me grandma's old typewriter for free, safe in the knowledge that it was going to be used and not cannibalised.

-Dave

 

[David Conwill]

I picked up my new typewriter on Friday after class. It's in absolutely perfect condition and included not only its original manual but also a shipping invoice and a receipt. It appears the previous owner purchased it from the American Association for the Blind in 1955. It was serviced by a Grand Rapids business machines dealer in 1990 (there were receipts for that too) and put away. It's like a brand-new 53-year-old typewriter. The ribbon is a bit dried out, but Office Max's website says they carry new ribbons, so as soon as I get a few minutes, I'll be purchasing a new one.

What does everyone use for paper? Just regular printer paper?

-Dave