Big Brown's Carriage

Not entirely unlike my HH.
Source: Machines of Loving Grace

This afternoon I was working on seating charts. You would think with all the smart-boards, computers, and projectors in the modern classroom there would be some amazing way to make seating charts, but my seating charts are byzantine documents that take hours of toil to craft. Our attendance system doesn't offer an easy way to craft the kind of chart I need. That's where the Royal HH comes in handy. It has a 13" carriage which is tailor made to accept the landscape forms that I use. When I set up the tabs I can get through a seating chart in very little time.

It's the tabulator key that makes this machine great. It's larger than a normal tab key and placed to be activated with the fleshy part of your pinkie. I don't think that there is another tab key like it on any typewriter. The proper placement of a tab key is important. On the Hermes it is in a strange location that takes a conciderable ammount of time to learn. The HH tab is easy to activate without looking. 

Well, as I was using the tab I nocticed that the carriage was slowing down mid-travel. A quick call to Mesa Typewriter Exchange (the last typewriter repair in the Phoenix area) help me figure out that it is either a dirty, sticky carriage or the tabulator brake. When I get a little time and money I'll take it on down and have it cleaned and serviced. It's a wonderful machine that I would love to keep for a long time.

Typecast from the Front, Episode 5

I have a million of these to share. This one, in particular, was written by Oscar who is not a native speaker of English. His grammar and usage is frequently non-standard he can be understood. It is his typing that is really special. This typecast is typed beautifully. Please enjoy!

Olympia Mania

Well, I've gone and done it again. I bought anouther Olympia. Did I really need it? Not really. But this new machine means that I can try the dunk method of cleaning. In the February 1957 edition of Popular Science the process is presented. You can find it by searching Google Books for "He Dunks Typewriters"

Tis just a scratch!

It looks like a simple process and with the plastic keys of the Olympia there is little concern with water wicking up under celluloid keytops. I plan on documenting all the steps in photos for your enjoyment. If the dunking is successful,  I have a few other machines that need a deep clean.

Typewriters in the Movies

My wife and I went to the movies (a rare occurrence with a year old at home) to see The King's Speech with Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth. It was a wonderful movie. There is a scene where Geoffrey Rush's character, Lionel Logue, is seen using an Oliver.

Hepburn and Tracy in Desk Set

Another movie, while not specifically about typewriters, is about the conflict between the modern and the traditional. Spenser Tracy and Katharine Hepburn are hilarious in Desk Set (1954). Hepburn plays a reference librarian for a major television studio and Tracy is a computer scientist. When Tracy's character is hired to computerize the office, Hepburn's character matches wits and ultimately falls in love with the computer scientist. It is definitely a comedy film, but it crystallizes a time in the history of human experience when a paradigm was about to change. The digital age was gaining momentum and would soon change everything.

New Old Stuff

I have been enjoying the post-Christmas bliss so much that I haven't posted anything, but that is soon to change. I have a number of things in the queue, so check back soon!

If I ever made mistakes I would use one.

On Monday a dozen new old stock Eberhard Faber typewriter erasers arrived in the mail. I am unsure of their age, but the rubber is still soft and pliable. They are a beautiful green with fun little brushes on the end. I would love to share the joy of these erasers so I am willing to give away 6 of them. Drop me a line (typed is always appreciated) at tryanpa@cox.net and I'll send you an eraser. With these little denial-sticks 2011 will be mistake-free.

Fact: Santa Prefers Royals

I hope there is a typewriter under your Christmas tree. Happy Holidays!

Phoenix Type-In March 5th

Thanks to Dana from Hula's for being willing to host this event!

UPDATE: Sorry for the confusion. I have corrected the image above with the correct date. We are still a go for March 5th.