Typewriters | Vintage Communication

I’ve held onto this picture of William Faulkner’s Underwood portable typewriter for a while- mostly because I just liked the photo, but the machine itself is a beauty too.

The typewriter, though a relic of times past, must have been a real beauty to use. You can almost hear the metal hammers smacking against the paper (not ultra-smooth laser paper of today).  The inked ribbon doing it’s stop-start dance from side to side.  I vaguely remember my mother using her typewriter when I was a kid- although, even by that point, the machines were mostly electric Smith Coronas.

These have seen a lot of action. Check out the beating that the machine gets by the woman in the below film.

As the old typewriters were being sent off to the graveyard some inventive designers (Paul Smith, for one) saw the opportunity for a little clever recycling.

Some very helpful tips from the Prelinger Archives in this 1943 film . She sure can fly while hitting those keys so hard- note that the term “keyboard” was already in use in 1943.

Essentially, the standard keyboard of today. No attached nostalgia like with the old oldies, but I do have to say that I really like the new ones. Quick and Quiet.