oh look! that’s right around the corner!
Paper-y people across the country: you have an upcoming reason to celebrate! Our dear friend the typewriter will be celebrating a birthday on June 23rd!
this is where it all began…
from wiki: “The Sholes and Glidden typewriter had its origin in a printing machine designed in 1866 by Christopher Latham Sholes to assist in printing page numbers in books, and serial numbers on tickets and other items.Sholes, a Wisconsin printer, formed a partnership with Samuel W. Soule, also a printer, and together they began development work in Charles F. Kleinsteuber’s machine shop, a converted mill in northern Milwaukee. Carlos S. Glidden, an inventor who frequented the machine shop, became interested in the device and suggested that it might be adapted to print alphabetical characters as well.”
ah, the glamorous life…
Thus, the typewriter (as we would come to know it) was born!
will you be mine? i promise i’ll do all the chores, everyday…
Fast forward, 1956: Jack Kerouac was fast at typing; it frustrated him to have to change paper so often. Allen Ginsberg went on record stating that Kerouac was an incredibly fast typist, averaging 110-120 words per minute. When writing “On the Road” Kerouac improvised, taking long sheets of drawing paper and trimming them to fit into his typewriter (a Hermes 3000), then typing out what would become known as “On the Road”. When taped together, the manuscript was/is 120 feet long. (side note: here is an amazing website devoted to the Kerouac scroll’s travels)
christmas in june!…
So how will you celebrate the typewriter’s birthday? I’m going to start by sending out a handful of goodies that are –of course!– typed, as opposed to handwritten. But I’d love to hear whether or not you will be creating a special mailing to commemorate our trustworthy friend’s 146 birthday!
–JH
PS: a fun additional fact — the YWCA set up the first typing school in 1881! Following in their footsteps, typewriter manufacturers established schools of their own which also included lessons in shorthand.
PPS: the above photo of the Hermes 3000 was taken from the website machinesoflovinggrace.com. If you like that, Alan’s got another blog called Stapler Fetish and oh-my-god-I’ve-died-and-gone-to-heaven: it’s pretty swoon-worthy.
Oh love this post, don’t know anyone who would take such joy in this celebration than you!
I don’t even own one, but wish I did, a pink one indeed. 
Happy birthday typewriter of the world!
Miss Hanna –
I think the typewriter of your dreams lives here, but oof! It has a hefty pricetag. Well worth every penny tho’, I’m certain…
–JH
I think I will have a little party for my two lovely ladies — Ruthie Royale and the
as yet un-named Script typewriter — do you think they like champagne?
Miss Pamela — if Ruthie and Scrips are anything like me, they LOVE champagne! Hope the three of you celebrated the day in style…
–JH
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0801445868/ref=rdr_ext_tmb
The Iron Whim: A Fragmented History of Typewriting
by Darren Wershler-Henry
M. Charlton –
Running off to Amazon right now…
–JH
I have my Olivetti ready for a new ribbon. I loved it when my grandson asked if it had a delete button. He was so excited to use this ‘new’ tool!
Miss Dot –
A NEW Olivetti?!?! You must tell RLD readers more!!!…
–JH
Oh no, it is an old Olivetti but a new ribbon to put in….Now it is back in the closset while I get ready for the AIR position at Camp Mather from the 14th -22nd. Also busy being a mentor at the Macy’s Fashion Incubator…..:) dot
I mean closet….
Love the old typewriters. I learned to type (well, kind of learned to type with a few fingers!) on an old black Royal typewriter. There’s a shop in Mill Valley (Once Around) that has a collection of them on display. I wrote a blog post celebrating the typewriter’s birthday as well. Great blog. I’ll return. Bob