December 3, 2008
Typewriters became popular as a labor saving device in the late 1800's, and today, familiar names like Royal, Olympia, Underwood, Smith Corona, and Remington conjure images of 20th Century detective novels and smoky newsrooms.
Antique and vintage typewriters can also be very collectible, especially pre-WW2 models. But values vary widely, so do your homework before buying.
Many experimental typewriters were built and used during the first 75 years of the nineteenth century. But none were produced in quantity until Christopher Sholes, an American printer living in Milwaukee, came up with a successful design incorporating the “Qwerty” keyboard in 1874. He contracted with Remington to produce 1,000 of them that year, under the name Sholes & Glidden.
But that was not the end of experimentation in typewriter design, as hundreds of companies and individuals subsequently got into the business.
I started to get interested in typewriters around age 12. My dad and I stopped at a garage sale and he bought… [more]
Collecting antique typewriters circa 1900 has been a wonderful experience for me over the years. My collectio… [more]
Richard Polt's celebration of the typewriter. Clean as a white sheet of bond paper, with stunning images, the site … [more]
Martin Howard's crisp, visually stunning collection of early vintage typewriters and related accessories like ribbo… [more]
Will Davis' impressive collection of microsites on antique typewriters includes in-depth information on portables, … [more]
This comprehensive site, a group effort, features a huge and beautiful collection browsable by brand and era, plus … [more]
For a whimsical and highly visual take on antique typewriters, check out this site. Wim Van Rompuy and Guy Pérard … [more]
This site showcases pre-1920 office antiques, including paperweights, writing ink, paper fasteners, seal pressers, … [more]
Got a site to suggest? Let us know.
Are we missing one? Tell us.
Blast, MA -
By Vivian Lee While other music groups may opt for little-known folk instruments or vintage Baroque violins, the Boston Typewriter Orchestra (BTO) adds a ...
Sunday Herald, UK -
At his typewriter, in a room 28 floors above Fifth Avenue in New York, he imagined going out onto the terrace, leaping "200 yards out into the air", ...
Pueblo Chieftain, CO -
It's who I am - not a "typist" but a writer who was inspired early by her mother's example and aided all these years by typing machines of various vintage. ...
Brentwood Press, CA -
The trio has taken the love of vintage and antique items to the next level by fulfilling the dream of opening their own shop, The Vintage House, ...
Chicago Tribune, United States -
"When I was out with the typewriter, I was always dressed in vintage women's business attire from the 1950s and 1960s. "It was an intimate format. ...
Freedom Museum Expands Opportunities for Civic Engagement by ...
Fort Dodge Messenger, IA -
By IAN SCHMIT, Messenger staff writer One of the earliest contributors to the modern typewriter and inventor of the air brush once lived right here in Fort ...
DM News, NY -
This got me to thinking about how the most accepted tech tools might go the way of the typewriter. Will the next generation's vintage shops have a quaint ...
The Week, India -
Featuring intricate dragonflies set in glass and gemstones, frog torsos, antique typewriter and flaccid human figures, the show is an amalgamation of ...
Philippine Star, Philippines -
Soon, he was typing on his antique typewriter and writing his columns as if nothing happened. Sara narrated, “Getting a new kidney was like getting another ...
Post-Bulletin, MN -
"Young people are intrigued by vintage pieces, never having seen an old typewriter or lantern." When simplifying your household, remember there may be cash ...
