Filed under: Uncategorized
For the collector of objects related to the mechanical and electronic arts, The IntarWebs is a fantastic tool; it can provide in a few minutes information that used to take hours, or even weeks and years, to find. Others have done the work, and they willingly share it with the world on The IntarWebs.
Take, for example, this Alan Seaver guy from Rochester, MN. Seaver has taken the time to organize his typewriter collection on The IntarWebs, making it an instant (and FREE) reference site for other collectors.
As a collector, The IP is a generalist, meaning that he likes to collect examples of lots of things; which is why he only has two typewriters. But they’re nice typewriters. With a special THANK YOU to Mr. Seaver, here’s a quick typewriter tour featuring The IP’s two typewriters, plus one that is now on his hope-to-find list.
Royal Safari c.1965. Serial # SA5390535 $6.00 at Goodwill
You never know what you’re gonna find when you open up one of those plastic portable typewriter cases; the latter are so non-descript that they often go overlooked. When The IP opened the case to a Royal Safari, his jaw dropped. What can one say? Beautiful blue. One of the most beautiful blues The IP’s ever seen. And the body and keys and everything, really, just all work together visually. It’s very “mod” looking, if you know what The IP means.
Mr. Seaver has a whole bunch of Royal typewriters in his collection, including a Royal Safari. He also has this beauty:
Whoa!!! The IP would love to have a mint Eldorado. Look at that thing.
The other typewriter in The IP’s “collection” is a cool little Adler portable he also picked up at a local Goodwill:
It may not be as sexy as the Safari or Eldorado, but the Adler Tippa made in West Germany has an attractive and “clean” appearence. It also has an exceptional build quality. Typing on it makes one realize that, just like that Vince guy says about those Shamwow towels, “You know the Germans always make good stuff.”
The IP found a nice home for his Tippa on one of the cubicles of the cool shelving unit he purchased last weekend at a strange sale of furniture once used in model homes…the latter are not really getting much visitation lately, hence the sale of this business’ stock of furniture.
When The IP’s little Tippa is in its case it’s hard to believe a typewriter is inside. It’s so compact, but it types with a “feel” of a larger machine. Amazing. Well- designed, too. The IP agrees with Vince, the Germans really do make good stuff; especially those “West” Germans from the 1950s. But is that little Tippa really worth that much? The IP doesn’t think so.
The IP recommends that you peruse that Alan Seaver guy’s site and check out his blog as well. The guy has an interesting take on technology and writing with typewriters instead of “touch-type” keyboards and writing software. He also has an awesome tour of Sears, Roebuck, & Company.
5 Comments so far
Leave a comment
W.T.F.!
Comment by Dr.Kinbote April 26, 2009 @ 2:45 amI cannot recall the name of the Italian made typewriter I once used-A beauty!Any guesses as to the brand name?
According to the time & Motion study gurus the “qwerty” keyboard is inefficient-does the optimum layout have a name? Can we start getting kids to use it? Would that be a sensible thing to do? It seems to me that only those with extraordinary dexterity would benefit from this.
(when “on a roll” Dr.K. can achieve the remarkable speed of 12 words per min.!)
I bet it was an Olivetti. Very famous brand. Does that sound correct? OLIVETTI.
Comment by tancred62 April 26, 2009 @ 1:41 pmDr. Kinbote, you need to take your percentage of “typos” into consideration when you assess your typing speed. Nowadays one can correct perceived typos immediately, but it does slow down the speed. Some mistakes still get by, though.
Comment by Marlone April 26, 2009 @ 5:58 pmSaw a nice Olivetti, Mr.IP, at a museum show in Montreal one time. A show of Italian design from the 19th century to the 1960s (and maybe a few contemporary items). Interesting show.
I think my high school typewriter was a Smith-Corona, but later someone gave me one of the first IBM electrics. That thing was my pal and confidante for YEARS. A heavy mother, a pain to take from apartment to apartment, but crucial for my sanity. Then, after living a few years in Huntsville, I took it to a repair place (something was terribly wrong) and they couldn’t fix it, so I left it there and bought a Mac 512K, followed quickly by a Mac SE, and then a Mac LC (which had a very strange, flat design and was the LAST black&white Mac they made.
Thanks for the shout-out, IP. Y’know, I really need to rephotograph that Eldorado now that it has platen knobs.
That little Tippa is nice. I like those sleek midcentury portables, back before they got all boxy and businesslike and No Fun.
Comment by Alan June 9, 2009 @ 4:30 pm[...] Rival Relationships March 9, 2010, 1:26 am Filed under: Uncategorized As The IP noted in a post almost a year ago, as a thrift-store collector, he likes to have good examples of many things, [...]
Pingback by Today on Dr. IP: Type Casting and Rival Relationships « The Incredulous Pithcanthrope March 9, 2010 @ 1:27 am