Remembering typewriters

[me203]

I watched California Typewriter, a documentary about typewriters, typewriter collectors, an artist who creates sculptures from typewriter parts, people who use them in the 21st century, and a CA shop that fixed them. (It's important to have your typewriter fixed. You don't want your typewrirer to have baby typewriters. )

I have lots of memories of typewriters. The strongest is a blue electric that my parents had. I think I might have a vague memory of them buying it. It was probably bought as my father completed a degree. He continued using it for work he brought home, plus personal letters. My mother used it to type PTA newsletters and papers for classes she took here and there. (I bet if she were still alive that she might still have and use that typewriter--she hated computers.)

I used the family electric in 9th grade for homework, but the summer after, I got my own typewriter at a yard sale. A Jessica Fletcher-style Royal. Manual, but I liked it better--the electric was too sensitive, I think, and it made typos too easy to make. You needed force on the Royal to type, but -a slight brush of a key on the electric could accidentally create a typo.

Computers caused me to move past the typewriter. Once I had my own computer, my once heavily used Royal collected dust. I love the way a good typewriter could last forever, the feeling of history, and--sometimes--the style (like colors that look pure 19-whatever). But once I started using a word processor, there was no looking back...

 

[smokeshadow]

I still have my late, Mother's old, manual Royal typewriter that I learned to type on when I was in high school Think she acquired it when she was enrolled in Draughon's Business School in the late 1940's. However, for all my college typing, I used an IBM selectric

 

[me203]

I still have my late, Mother's old, manual Royal typewriter

That looks like my old Royal, although the color of mine was a flat black. I wonder how common those were new--I've seen so many between real life, the Internet, etc.

I used an IBM selectric

l remember using those in typing class.

 

[PalacePaul]

My parents bought me a basic Olivetti in 1992. A few years later they bought a bigger one similar to this:


I still remember the shop
Both typewriters must be still in the house.

 

[Vannie]

I remember buying a woman friend a $99.00 typewriter in the 90's to do her own divorce.

I like the old ones from the 50's just as decor.

 

[Araucaria]

I'm sure you've never seen a typewriter like this...

 

[4.25inches]

I remember the days when there were secretarys to type stuff for the bosses, often pretty young ladies for the boss to ogle and typing pools in big offices with a mixture of fierce middle aged and older ladies and young pretty ones.If a guy worked in these places it were considered very gay.

 

[rareboy]

I had 1/2 of a typist/secretary in an early consulting firm job...I had taken typing in HS but was a failure at being a proper keyboard artist. Lorraine could easily do 100 words per minute.

It is only in the last few years that I can float my hands over the keyboard and type without watching the board all the time and type maybe about 50 words per minute if I am composing in my head.

 

[Maklaar13]

I have a very old Royal. It was my mother in law’s and I inherited when she passed. I am a really good typist as I am a writer. My guy gave me a computer keyboard a couple of years ago that looks and sounds like a manual typewriter, I love it.

 

[TickTockMan]

My mother's ex gave me an electric one before we had a PC. I had it until a few years ago.

 

[unloadonme]

I remember the days when there were secretarys to type stuff for the bosses, often pretty young ladies for the boss to ogle and typing pools in big offices with a mixture of fierce middle aged and older ladies and young pretty ones.If a guy worked in these places it were considered very gay.

I remember typing pools. The typing managers were, without exception, old dragons.

 

[jjonn3]

My Dad had an old manual Royal in his office - but I stuck with an electric.

 

[me203]

I stuck with an electric.

Some things probably might be better when electric: lights, typewriters, and--oh, yes--vibrators.

 

[me203]

Truth be told, a major reason I had a manual typewriter when I was a teen was because it was $5 at a yard sale. And it was probably $5 because few wanted a manual typewriter in the 80s.

Although I did probably find a certain "cool vintage" factor with it. It went well with the equally vintage desk pen fountain pen (also a cheap find).

 

[me203]

Another memory from high school: language teachers who had a typewriter imported from a country that spoke the language that they taught (e.g., a French teacher might have a typewriter from France). The reason was to get a machine that had the needed accents. I'd bet the need was gone by the 80s, since daisy wheel machines were readily available, so the only special need item would be a wheel. (Or, if cheap, teachers could probably get the school to get an appropriate type ball to use in the workroom Selectric). The teachers in my school, though, had probably been teaching since before daisy wheel machines existed.

 

[Kahaih]

The keys on those old manual typewriters are so hard to push and travel so far they remind me of having to stand up on single speed bicycle pedals to climb up hills.

Much pity for all those 9 to 5 typists. Typing up hill All day 5 days a week....

 

[jjonn3]

The teachers in my school, though, had probably been teaching since before daisy wheel machines existed.

I think some of the teachers in my school had been teaching since before the wheel existed!

 

[rareboy]

I did love the Selectric I had for a few years in Uni.

It probably helped my grading since it churned out gorgeous papers.

 

[me203]

Much pity for all those 9 to 5 typists. Typing up hill All day 5 days a week....

Well, there might be bresks to go take dictation. Which might include a chance to exercise her legs, as the boss chases her around his office.

 

[jjonn3]

Well, there might be bresks to go take dictation. Which might include a chance to exercise her legs, as the boss chases her around his office.

- he said "dick-tation"