Single-element typewriters on display

In 2013 and 2014, I had opportunities to show some of my collection at the Xavier University Library and a public library. That brought good conversations (and an offer of a teletype). Now I've mounted another little show at the XU Library, focused on some machines in my collection that use interchangeable type elements. There are some bits of original and reproduction ephemera on display with the typewriters—including some material kindly given to me by Peter Weil back in the '90s. 

Here's the general introduction that I wrote up for the exhibit:

This selection from Dr. Polt’s extensive collection features writing machines with interchangeable type elements. By swapping one element for another, the typist could write in a different type style (font) or even a different alphabet. Type elements were available in a wide variety. They were typically made of vulcanite (hardened rubber) or aluminum. While most of these elements took the form of wheels, others were elongated cylinders, arcs, or other shapes. By around 1915, almost all type-element typewriters had been pushed out of the market by faster typewriters that used a separate typebar (or “hammer”) for each character, but could type in only one style. The IBM Selectric (1961) revived the concept of an interchangeable type element, using a golf-ball-like unit that traveled across the page. Electronic typewriters (introduced in the late 1970s and still manufactured today) generally use interchangeable daisywheels. The early typewriters you see here were mostly manufactured in the United States. They testify to the mechanical ingenuity of their creators, the interests and needs of their users, and the beauty that is possible in industrial design.

And now for the dozen typewriters:

Crandall New Model (ca. 1889)

 

The Crandall uses a vertical type cylinder whose motion is controlled by an ingeniously formed vulcanite “twirler” at the back of the machine. The curved two-row keyboard activates levers that run in grooves in the twirler to turn the type cylinder to the appropriate position. When new, this machine was a dazzling object, painted with gold pinstripes and adorned with inlaid mother-of-pearl. Inventor: Lucien S. Crandall.

 

 

Hammond no. 1 (ca. 1890)

 

The mechanism of this early typewriter is encased in wood. A two-row curved keyboard activates two wedge-shaped type elements that swing to the right or left. A hammer in the back of the machine hits the paper against the ribbon and the element. The Hammond is one of the longest-lasting typewriter designs. It was renamed Varityper in 1927. With many improvements, including electrification, proportional type (where, for instance, a W is wider than an i), and a mechanical method of justifying right margins, Varitypers were used to create camera-ready layout until the 1970s. Inventor: James B. Hammond.

 

 

Blickensderfer no. 5 (1902)

 

The most successful typewheel machine and the first truly portable typewriter, the “Blick” was invented in the mid-1890s and made until 1915. A three-bank keyboard with double shift controls an interchangeable vulcanite typewheel that is inked by a roller. Blickensderfer promoted “Scientific” alternatives to QWERTY, such as this keyboard designed to type Polish. The most common letters are at the center of the bottom row and require the least motion of the hands and the typewheel. Inventor: George C. Blickensderfer.

 

 

Lambert (ca. 1900)

 

A unique design, the Lambert arranges its keys in a circle. When the user depresses a key, the entire keyboard and the apparatus below it tilt and descend to print a character. The type is located on an interchangeable convex disc. Inventor: Frank Lambert.

 

 

Commercial Visible no. 6 (ca. 1900)

 

Made from 1898 to 1907, the Commercial Visible is an uncommonly elegant typewheel machine. Like the Hammond, it uses a hammer to hit the paper from behind against the ribbon and the type. The name “Visible” alludes to the fact that at the turn of the century, most large typewriters were “blind”: they typed on the bottom of the carriage, which had to be lifted up to see one’s work. With the Commercial Visible, the typing is immediately in sight. Inventor: Richard W. Uhlig. 

 

Postal no. 5 (1904)

 

A rival to the Blickensderfer, the Postal is a similar invention that uses a different system to translate key motion into the rotation of a typewheel. Inking is by ribbon. Inventor: William P. Quentell.

 

 

Blickensderfer no. 6 (1912)

 

Although Blickensderfer promoted its Scientific layout, it also offered typewriters with a QWERTY keyboard, such as this no. 6 made of lightweight aluminum. Also on display are two Blick typewheels that were 3D printed in 2022. Digital technology makes it possible to create new type elements for antique typewriters, with fonts that were never originally available for these machines.

 

 

Helios-Klimax (ca. 1919)

 

The Helios, later known as Helios-Klimax, is one of the few twentieth-century typewriters with a two-row keyboard. With a triple shift and a four-row aluminum typewheel, it can write as many characters as a machine with a normal keyboard, and its action is fast. The machine was manufactured in Berlin. This specimen has a Spanish keyboard. Inventor: Justin W. Bamberger.

 

 

Chicago (ca. 1915)

 

Originally known as the Munson, the Chicago was made from the 1890s to the 1910s. Its three-bank keyboard controls a horizontal type cylinder that is enveloped in a wide ribbon. Like the Hammond and the Commercial Visible, it hammers the paper from behind. Note the unusual position of the Q key. Inventor: Samuel J. Seifried.

 

 

Bennett (ca. 1910)

 

The Bennett is the smallest keyboard typewriter ever made. A cam system translates the downward movement of a key into the rotation and forward movement of a typewheel. This device was widely advertised as a pocket typewriter, and it does fit in a large coat pocket. Its original price was $18.00. Inventor: Charles A. Bennett.

 

 

Hammond Folding Multiplex (1923)

 

This descendant of the Hammond no. 1 is a portable typewriter with a keyboard that folds upwards. It can hold two arc-shaped type shuttles; the typist can switch from one style to another in seconds. The character spacing can be changed with a lever on the right side of the machine.

 

 

Tip Tip (1936)

 

Index typewriters are a low-cost category of writing machines that have no keyboard, and require two steps for printing: the user must indicate the desired character on an index, then perform a separate action to type it. The Tip Tip, made in Czechoslovakia, arranges its type on a cylinder. The user points at the character on the chart at right, and depresses the two keys at left for printing and spacing. A similar invention, the Mignon, sold well in Germany between the wars. Inventor: Franz Hübl.

Other single-element typewriters in my collection include a Moya 1 and 2, a Crandall 4, a Chicago 3, and of course, the IBM Selectric I. The antique single-element machines hold great charm for me as a collector, even though they're not the most practical typewriters to use.

A library show

On Friday I got my second chance ever to put on a public display of some of my typewriter collection. I got a nice postal letter last month from a librarian in Milford, Ohio inviting me to exhibit some typewriters. Today I brought them over and found that I'd been assigned two very nice display cases right in the main entrance of a large library. 

I put the heaviest machines on the bottom, and set up an assortment of portables on the glass shelves. The selection only hints at the wide range of typewriter designs, but I think it will generate some curiosity and enjoyment.

This is my text for the labels:

Case 1

Blickensderfer no. 7 (USA, 1910): The Blickensderfer was a successful portable typewriter with interchangeable typewheels, three banks (rows) of keys in a unique configuration, a double shift, and an ink roller.

Hammond Folding Multiplex (USA, ca. 1923): The Hammond was introduced in the 1880s and survived, with a name change to Varityper, into the 1970s. It uses interchangeable “type shuttles” and makes an impression by hitting the paper from the back against the ribbon. On this portable model, the keyboard folds up for storage.

Imperial D (England, ca. 1920): This portable typewriter uses a “downstroke” configuration in which the typebars stand straight up in front of the carriage. The entire keyboard and typebar assembly can be removed and exchanged for a different one.

Underwood portable (USA, 1929): Underwood joined the portable typewriter trend with this compact three-bank machine available in black or marbled green.

Corona no. 3 (USA, 1922): This lightweight portable becomes very compact when its carriage is folded down onto its keyboard. It was quite popular in its day.

Corona 4 (USA, 1928): The successor to the Corona 3 features a four-bank keyboard and was available in a variety of attractive color schemes.

Smith Premier no. 2 (USA, 1902): Like many early typewriters, the Smith Premier is an understroke or “blind writer.” The typist has to raise the carriage to see her work. This machine also has a “full keyboard,” with separate keys for upper- and lowercase letters, and no shift key.

Williams no. 4 (USA, 1900): The many methods devised to produce instantly visible writing include the Williams’ “grasshopper” mechanism. The type rests on inked pads and “hops” onto the page. Only a few lines of writing are clearly visible at a time; the upper and lower sections of the paper are rolled up in baskets.

Case 2

Remington Noiseless Portable (USA, 1933): “Noiseless” typewriters quiet the sound of typing by slowing the typebar down as it approaches the printing point. Noiseless portables were popular in the 1930s and 1940s.

Voss (West Germany, 1957): A very solid typewriter, the Voss features a striking streamlined profile and gull-wing ribbon covers.

Underwood DeLuxe Quiet Tab (USA, 1956): This portable reflects the influence of ’50s industrial design. Unlike prewar Underwood portables, it shifts for capital letters not by raising the carriage but by lowering the type.

Hermes 3000 (Switzerland, 1961): The 3000 is known for its precise alignment and sophisticated features. This example has been stripped down to bare metal—one of the ways some typewriter fans today are customizing and modifying their machines.

Olympia SM5 (West Germany, 1964): Olympias are widely recognized as setting a high standard for quality construction. This machine has an Arabic keyboard; it types from right to left and assigns more horizontal space to some characters than to others. Typewriters have been made for most alphabets and writing systems.

Moskva (USSR, ca. 1960): The Moskva was the primary type of portable typewriter manufactured in the Soviet Union. It is similar to some Underwood portables. This machine uses the Cyrillic alphabet.

Oliver no. 9 (USA, ca. 1920): Olivers are immediately recognizable by their inverted U-shaped typebars that strike down onto the paper from both sides. They were made in the US from the 1890s to the 1920s, and in the UK through World War II.

Royal Scrittore II (China, 2012): This machine is an example of the portable manual typewriters that are still made today. Electric typewriters are also still manufactured and are in demand for a variety of uses; in 2013, the Kremlin ordered 20 of them because they are hacker-proof.

Later in the month I'll be bringing over a couple of loaners for a letter-writing event the library is hosting. My display will run through January.

Going public (Part 4)

The final installment in my display at the Xavier University library is intended to introduce viewers to modern portables, unusual keyboards and typefaces, and last but not least, pretty colors.





Corona Four (USA, 1928): The successor to the Corona 3, which had a folding carriage, this model has a four-row keyboard and non-folding carriage but is still quite compact. Corona merged with L.C. Smith, a maker of office typewriters, to form Smith-Corona in 1926. The company manufactured typewriters into the twenty-first century, but today produces only thermal labels and tape.

Remington Noiseless Portable (USA, 1933): “Noiseless” typewriters, which soften the impact of the typebars against the platen, were popular in the 1930s and 1940s. This two-tone green model was a deluxe version that sold in small numbers during the Depression.

Groma Kolibri (East Germany, ca. 1960): The Kolibri (“Hummingbird”) is a well-made East German ultraportable. This one has a Greek keyboard and is also capable of typing in capital Roman letters. A Groma Kolibri plays a prominent role in the 2006 film “The Lives of Others.”

Merz no. 2 (Germany, ca. 1927): This portable from a smaller German manufacturer features a Bulgarian keyboard.

Olivetti MP1 (Italy, 1938): The leading Italian typewriter manufacturer, Olivetti was known for its innovative styling. Its first portable model is a good example of Art Deco design.

Adler Favorit no. 2 (Germany, 1939): This large portable uses a thrust-action system in which typebars slide horizontally to the platen. [When I installed this typewriter I realized it was a poor choice. It is hard to appreciate on a top shelf with poor lighting. No going back, though -- my selections had to be listed in advance so they could be insured specifically by make, model, and serial number. If I could pick a new one it might be the little Junior 58 from Spain.]

Rooy portable (France, 1953): This ingenious, ultrathin “laptop” typewriter is permanently attached to a case that serves as a base when the machine is in use.

Continental (East Germany, ca. 1955): Usually labeled Erika 10, this socialist product was named Continental when it was sold with an Arabic keyboard. In order to write Arabic, the machine types from right to left and uses proportional spacing.

Olivetti Graphika (Italy, 1958): This machine employs proportional spacing, assigning different widths to different characters (an M takes up more width than an i, for example). A special typeface was created for it by designer A. M. Cassandre. Relatively slow and difficult to use, the Graphika was not a market success.

Going public (Part 3)

Installment no. 3 of my public display at the Xavier University library:










Hammond no. 1 (USA, ca. 1889): This typewriter invented by James B. Hammond uses an interchangeable swinging sector and a hammer that hits the paper from behind. This model 1 is largely encased in wood. The machine was available either with a two-row, curved “Ideal” keyboard or with a three-row QWERTY keyboard.

Hammond Folding Multiplex (USA, 1923): While Hammond was never the leader among typewriter manufacturers, the company had a solid customer base. This portable Hammond can hold two type shuttles at once. Its keyboard folds up for compactness when it is put in its carrying case.

Varityper (USA, ca. 1937): This successor to the Hammond is an electric typewriter that uses a carbon-paper ribbon. More elaborate Varityper models were capable of justifying the right margin and typing proportionally (assigning different widths to different characters). Varitypers built on the Hammond system were made into the 1970s, and were often used by small publishers to lay out text for photo offset printing. One Arizona printer is still using Varitypers today.

Emerson (USA, ca. 1910): The Emerson uses a unique system, with typebars swinging in toward the center from the sides. Made in Woodstock, Illinois, it was modestly successful.

Underwood no. 5 (USA, 1925): The Underwood is the most influential design in typewriter history; many manufacturers imitated this system, which uses typebars that strike the front of the platen, a four-row QWERTY keyboard with single shift, and an ink ribbon. The no. 5, with over three million machines made from 1900 to 1933, is the most famous Underwood model.

Underwood Portable (USA, 1929): In 1919 Underwood introduced a three-row portable typewriter that embodied the company’s high standards of quality. This example with green marble paint is among the last made before this model was replaced by a larger, four-row design.

Woodstock Electrite (USA, ca. 1925): The Woodstock, successor to the Emerson, used an Underwood-style design and was quite successful. The Electrite model used a spinning metal shaft to propel typebars to the platen; shift and carriage return were still manually controlled. This model sold in small numbers, and electric typewriters were not adopted widely until the 1950s.

Going public (Part 2)

The second installment in my public display has gone live. (Here's the first installment if you missed it.) The idea behind this selection is to illustrate various compact single-element mechanisms and the development of early portables, as well as some classic standards.

Blickensderfer no. 5 (USA, 1902): The “Blick” is a compact and ingenious machine that uses interchangeable typewheels and an ink roller. This one has a Polish keyboard, with the most commonly-used letters located on the bottom row. One shift key is for capital letters, the other for numerals and punctuation. In 1902 the company introduced a sophisticated electric typewriter that was not a market success.

Blickensderfer no. 8 (USA, 1908): A somewhat more elaborate version of the basic Blick design. This particular machine has an aluminum body for lightness. It uses a DHIATENSOR keyboard (Blickensderfer’s favored English-language arrangement).

Postal (USA, 1904): This competitor to the Blickensderfer uses an ink ribbon and an interchangeable typewheel.

Commercial Visible no. 6 (USA, 1901): On this elegant, “wasp-waisted” typewriter, a hammer hits the paper from behind against the ribbon and typewheel.

Helios-Klimax (Germany, ca. 1919): This small typewheel machine uses a very unusual two-row keyboard with triple shift. This example has a Spanish keyboard.

Chicago (USA, 1915): Introduced in the 1890s, the Chicago uses an interchangeable metal type cylinder that rotates and shifts on a horizontal axis; a hammer strikes the paper from behind. The unusual keyboard places the Q on the bottom row.

Erika no. 1 (Germany, ca. 1910): This little typewriter achieves compactness by folding its carriage down onto the keyboard for storage (a system introduced in the US by the Standard Folding typewriter, which later became the Corona). A succession of Erika portables was made in Dresden until the 1990s.

Kancléř no. 3 (Germany, ca. 1910): Due to the complex system of typebars on this large machine, a whole column of keys goes down when any key in that column is depressed. The typewriter is usually called Kanzler, but this example with a Czech keyboard uses a Czech version of the name.

Fox no. 23 (USA, ca. 1906): Foxes were made in Grand Rapids, Michigan; they are known for their Art Nouveau styling and high quality.

Fox portable no. 2 (USA, ca. 1918): The carriage of this “Baby Fox” folds down behind the typewriter when not in use. A lawsuit from Corona over this design contributed to the demise of the Fox company.

Oliver no. 5 (USA, ca. 1912): The unique Oliver design was introduced in the mid-1890s and made until 1928 in the US; in the UK it was produced into the 1940s. Typebars shaped like inverted U’s swing down from left and right onto the platen. Some Olivers sold in Latin America, like this one, were nickel plated.

Going public

In 19 years as a typewriter collector, I've never had the chance to put on a public display of my machines before. But the Xavier University library has agreed to a rotating exhibit of selections from my collection over the next couple of months. There will be four groups, more or less in chronological order. This first group is meant to illustrate some of the interesting possibilities in 19th-century typewriter design. A few postcards, ribbon tins, and a book are included. When the next groups go on display, I'll show them on the blog too.



Here's the text I wrote to accompany the display:

Crandall New Model (USA, ca. 1889): Invented by Lucien S. Crandall, this early typewriter uses an interchangeable type cylinder and a curved two-row keyboard with double shift. It is hand-painted and inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Smith Premier no. 1 (USA, ca. 1895): One of the most successful 19th-century typewriters, the Smith Premier has no shift key and instead uses a double keyboard, with separate keys for upper- and lowercase characters. Like many early typewriters, it is an understroke or “blind writer”: it types on the underside of the platen (the rubber-covered cylinder), which the typist must raise to see her work.

Odell no. 2 (USA, ca. 1895): The Odell is one of many “index” typewriters, which require the user to point at a character on an index and then perform a separate action to print the character. These typewriters were slower and cheaper than the large office machines. When the standard price for an office typewriter was $100 (comparable to about $3000 today), the Odell cost $5 ($150 today).

Williams no. 2 (USA, 1896): Williams typewriters are known for their so-called grasshopper mechanism, in which the type “hops” from an ink pad onto the paper and back. Only a few lines of typing are immediately visible.

New Franklin (USA, 1896): This model employs a downstroke mechanism and has a distinctive curved keyboard.

Fay-Sho No. 4 (USA, 1901): a copper-plated blind writer known for its elegant neoclassical design. Like many but not all early typewriters, it uses the QWERTY keyboard first introduced on the Sholes & Glidden Type Writer of 1874.

Columbia Bar-Lock no. 14 (USA, 1910): a downstroke typewriter with a double keyboard, named after its system of locking the typebars to ensure good alignment.

-- Now we'll see if I get 12,000 visitors, like Robert Messenger! (A man can dream...)