How to Collect Antique Typewriters

by Richard Polt

A Little History The earliest known attempts to design a typewriter date back to the early eighteenth century, and the first machines known to have worked date from the early nineteenth century. However, it was not until 1870 that a machine was commercially produced and sold: Danish pastor Malling Hansen's "writing ball," a hemispherical device bristling with keys on plungers (technically, a radial plunger arrangement). A much more influential machine was the Sholes and Glidden, which appeared on the American market in 1874. Its primary inventor was Christopher Latham Sholes. The Sholes and Glidden established the QWERTY keyboard and served as the basis for the very successful Remington. The golden age of typewriters was the 1890s in the United States. By this time, everyone wanted a writing machine, and everyone wanted to invent one. The intense competition among inventors led to hundreds of wildly varied designs, most of which were failures in the marketplace, and are consequently rare and desirable antiques today. All aspects of typewriters were subject to variation. It was only with the Underwood of 1896 that a truly enduring stereotype of a typewriter was established, a design that would predominate until the introduction of the IBM Selectric in 1961. Terminology In order to describe early typewriters, one must be familiar with the wide variety of mechanisms they use. Most typewriters had keyboards, but others were index machines. These devices have no keyboards: the operator first indicates a character printed on some kind of index, then performs another action in order to type that character. (Today's cheap labelmakers are index devices.) These were designed as affordable writing machines for light use. There are many subclasses of index typewriters, including the square index, such as the Hall, and the curved index, such as the American index machine. Index typewriters survived well into the twentieth century as toys; notable toy brands include Simplex and Marx. Keyboard machines faced the question of how many keys and how many shifts to use. The Remington used four banks (rows) of keys and a single shift, which could be activated by either of two shift keys; this eventually became standard. But other machines used a full keyboard, with a separate key for each character, and no shift at all. Still other typewriters used only three banks of keys, with a double shift (one for capital letters, another for numerals and symbols). Some very rare machines have even used three shifts. The banks of keys on a keyboard could be arranged either in straight rows, or in a gentle curve, or even, in rare cases, in a complete circle. The arrangement of characters on a keyboard was also subject to variation. QWERTY was popular by force of habit, and became known as the Universal keyboard. Other arrangements include Hammond's Ideal keyboard, which used two curved banks of keys and a double shift, and Blickensderfer's Scientific keyboard, a three-bank, double- shift design on which the bottom row of keys includes the most commonly used letters in English: DHIATENSOR. Inking could be achieved by ribbon, by ink roller, or by ink pad. The type on the Sholes and Glidden is carried on typebars: metal bars with type on their end. This mechanism was also used on the Remington, Underwood, and almost all twentieth-century typewriters before the IBM Selectric. Many early typewriters, however, were not typebar machines, but carried the type on a single element, like the Selectric "golf ball." This single element could be a typewheel, a type cylinder (which is just an elongated typewheel), or a type shuttle (a C-shaped piece carried on a swinging sector). The user of a single-element typewriter had the advantage of being able to change type styles by changing type elements, which was usually very easy. Typebar typewriters are classified according to the place where the typebars strike the platen (the printing surface, which is usually a cylinder covered in rubber). The Sholes and Glidden, and most early typebar machines, are understrokes or "blind writers": they type on the bottom of the platen. This means, of course, that the typist cannot see what she has just typed, unless she lifts the carriage up. The disadvantages of this arrangement are obvious, but it took a surprising amount of ingenuity to solve the problem. On downstrike machines, the typebars are above the carriage, and strike down onto the top of the platen. This creates new problems: on downstrike-from-the-front machines, the typebars tend to block the typist's view of the paper; on downstrike-from-the-back machines, the paper must be collected in a basket once it has been typed upon. Frontstroke typewriters, which type on the front of the platen, offer the best visibility, and this was the solution adopted by almost all makes after the introduction of the frontstroke Underwood. The thrust and "grasshopper" mechanisms also deserve to be mentioned. On thrust-action machines, the typebars slide forward horizontally to the front of the platen, instead of swinging through an arc. The "grasshopper" arrangement, used on the American Williams and the British Maskelyne, uses horizontal typebars which "hop" up, forward, and down onto the top of the platen. Desirability and Price Knowledgeable typewriter collecting requires extensive research, because there are hundreds of makes of typewriters, and many thousands of models. The most important single factor in price is rarity. Other factors include condition, type of mechanism, beauty of the design, location of the buyer and seller, and personal predilections. Prices on early typewriters are not fixed, because collectors are relatively few. I will indicate rough values by speaking of two-figure, three-figure, and four-figure machines--worth respectively under 100 pounds, 100-1000 pounds, and over 1000 pounds (or dollars, since we are speaking roughly). The Underwood is a good example of what we can call a conventional typewriter: a frontstroke typebar machine with a four- bank QWERTY keyboard and single shift, inked by a ribbon. Other conventional American typewriters include Remington (most twentieth- century models), L.C. Smith, Royal, and Woodstock. As a rule, such typewriters have no collectible value: they may very well be a pleasure to own and use, but they should not be considered investments. However, some obscure makes of conventional typewriters do reach the three-figure range. The Daugherty, also called the Pittsburg, is a "conventional" typewriter which predated the Underwood and has a curvilinear, footprint-like base; its value is around the high three figures. (Later Pittsburgs are boxy, and are worth much less: one example of how much knowledge is required for informed collecting.) Starting in the 1920s, most typewriter manufacturers produced frontstroke portables. As a rule, pre-war portables are modestly priced (low to mid-two figures). They can make a delightful, though not particularly valuable, collection, and also still serve as practical writing machines. They tend to be found in good condition, because they have been kept in their cases. Remington was particularly prolific with its portables, producing dozens of different models during the 1920s and 1930s, many of which use an interesting "folding typebar" design: the typebars lie flat until they are raised into the printing position by a lever on the side of the machine. The first non-conventional typewriter a collector finds is often a folding Corona. This is a three-bank, double-shift portable, very popular between the wars, whose carriage folds down over its keyboard. Over 700,000 were made, and the cost should be in the low two figures. (Corona merged with L.C. Smith in the 1920s to create Smith-Corona.) Another likely beginning for a collection is an Oliver, a unique three-bank, downstroke-from-the-side typewriter with typebars shaped like inverted U's. The Oliver was introduced in the 1890s and was very popular for several decades. Old-fashioned Olivers were made in Britain as late as World War II, although eventually conventional typewriters were also made with the Oliver name. Classic Olivers can be found for prices in the mid-two- figure range. Several other unconventional typewriters have prices in the low three figures and can be found with a little patience. The Hammond (1880s- 1920s) is a type-shuttle machine that was available with both QWERTY and Ideal keyboards. The Blickensderfer (1893-1919) is an ingenious portable typewheel machine. The Smith Premier is one of the most popular full-keyboard understrokes of the 1890s; Smith Premier also produced the only full-keyboard frontstroke typewriter, the #10, which can be found for two figures. Early Imperials are curved-keyboard, downstroke-from-the-front typewriters. The Wellington, Empire, and Adler are common thrust-action machines, all based on the same patents. As one might expect, historically important machines from the dawn of typewriters, such as the Sholes and Glidden and the Hansen writing ball, are four-figure items. Other typewriters in this range include the Crandall, a type- cylinder machine which is often ornately inlaid with mother-of-pearl; the Sholes Visible, Christopher L. Sholes' only other design to go into production, which uses a unique mechanism; the Gardner, a very rare English machine with 13 keys and a battery of shifts; and countless other machines which the beginner is unlikely to see. Many are index typewriters, dirt-cheap in their day but coveted rarities today. Books Good literature is essential to the collector. A fair number of books on typewriters have been published, but they are often hard to find. Notable titles include: Adler, Michael H. Antique Typewriters, from Creed to QWERTY. Schiffer Publishing, 1997. A new exploration of early typewriters by a world expert. Adler, Michael H. The Writing Machine. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1973. A scrupulously researched book that features a very thorough investigation of the early history of typewriter invention, and a long list of "unconventional" typewriters. Beeching, Wilfred A. Century of the Typewriter. London: Heinemann, 1974. Information in this book is plentiful but unreliable. Includes useful lists of serial numbers and an excellent selection of photographs. Collector's Guide to Antique Typewriters. The text of The Typewriter Topics Encyclopedia of Typewriters (1923), reprinted by Post- Era Books, 1981. Lists all major and most minor typewriters made up to 1923. This reprint includes many reproductions of advertisements. Available from BTA (see below). James, Duncan. Old Typewriters. London: Shire Publications, 1993. Shire Album #293. A pamphlet that attractively presents the essentials of typewriter mechanisms and has some nice black-and-white photographs. Contact Shire Publications, Ltd., Cromwell House, Church Street, Princes Risbourough, Buckinghamshire HP27 9AJ. Fax: 44 1844 347080. Lippman, Paul. American Typewriters: A Collector's Encyclopedia. Hoboken, N.J.: Original & Copy, 1992. A self-published hardback book by a longtime collector that includes many illustrations and personal observations about virtually all American-made typewriters, plus all kinds of useful information and advice for the collector. $55 plus shipping. Available from Barbara Lippman, 1216 Garden St., Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA, phone 201-656-5278. Mares, G.C. History of the Typewriter, Successor to the Pen. London: Guilbert Pitman, 1909. Reprinted by Post-Era Books. An excellent early "buyer's guide" to writing machines. Available from BTA (see below). Martin, Ernst (pseudonym of Johannes Meyer). Die Schreibmaschine und ihre Entwicklungsgeschichte. 4th ed: Pappenheim, Bavaria, 1949. An outstanding, encyclopedic work. Plentiful illustrations make it worth looking at even if you don't know a word of German. G.Tilghman Richards. The history and development of Typewriters. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1964. This book was edited and published by the Science Museum in London and might still be available from them (-editor). Rehr, Darryl. Antique Typewriters & Office Collectibles. Collector Books, 1997. $19.95. This book by the editor of the journal of the Early Typewriter Collectors Association is an invaluable guide, including detailed descriptions of hundreds of typewriters, illustrated with color photos, a price guide, and other useful features. You can order the book directly from the author at home.earthlink.net/~dcrehr/book/book.html and get a free bonus: the new, expanded edition of "The Early History of the Typewriter" by Charles Weller. The Business Technology Association offers the Collector's Guide and Mares for a very reasonable price. They also offer reproductions of 15 manuals for antique typewriters, and a reprint of a book on the invention of the Sholes and Glidden. These items may be ordered either by phone (816-942- 1999: ask for Susie Schanot, pronounced "sha-NO") or by mail (c/o Susie Schanot, 12411 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64145, USA). Organizations and Newsletters The Early Typewriter Collectors Association includes over 200 members around the world, but mostly in the United States. Membership costs $20 a year and includes a subscription to a beautiful quarterly newsletter, ETCetera. The editor is Darryl Rehr, dcrehr@earthlink.net. The German collector's club is the I.F.H.B. (Internationales Forum Historische Bürowelt), which publishes HBW-Aktuell (20 pages, 10-12 issues a year). 3 to 4 times a year every member also gets the SBZ (Schreibmaschinen und Bürozeitung), a 20-page color publication produced and edited by Leonhard Dingwerth. Membership dues are DM 150/year. Contact Wolfgang Mock, Gemarkenstr. 61, D-45147 Essen, Germany. The Italian typewriter collectors' association is the Associazione Italiana Collezionisti Macchine per Ufficio d'Epoca, founded in 1994. It includes about 80 members in Italy and other countries. Membership includes four issues a year of the association's newsletter. Members also receive a silver pin with the symbol of the association, Ravizza's "Cembalo Scrivano." Dues: 60,000 lire/year for "normal" members, 100,000 lire for "supporters," 200,000 lire for "benefactors." President: Glauco Pegorini, via Manzoni 10, 26100 Cremona, Italy. Telephone 0372 22533, fax 0372 454882. You may also e-mail Massimo Martelancz, max@it.ibmmail.com, for further information. An electronic mailing list devoted to typewriters, TW-LIST, includes well over 100 members, on five continents, who discuss all things related to old writing machines. Join by e-mailing the curators and asking to join TW-LIST. Please provide your first and last name. Where to Find Them The collector's motto is "you never know." Old typewriters may turn up just about anywhere. However, interesting models are hard to find, and you must brace yourself for the fact that 99% of what you see will be of little interest. Antique shows and shops are natural hunting grounds. Typewriters are not carried at elegant antique shops that specialize in porcelain and furniture; instead, they turn up in large, run-down shops full of miscellaneous "junk." Flea markets and thrift stores sometimes carry attractive portables, but hardly ever have valuable antiques. The collector newsletters carry advertisements of typewriters for sale. Antique typewriters and other office items are regularly sold at auction in Cologne by Auktion Team Koeln. The Classic Typewriter Classifieds at The Classic Typewriter Page are an online marketplace for buying and selling antique typewriters and related items. Copyright @1997 Richard Polt