Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Completely Justified

This is harder than it looks.

Like sausage, nobody really wants to know how it's made.
UPDATE:

This sample only took me five minutes total. I did it between bells. I should check my r/t finger placement. Embarrassing.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Blickensderfer Electric

Sorry if I mislead you with this post title. I do not have a Blick Electric, but I did find this really fun pamphlet for an Electric Blick from the Duke University Archive. I read an old ETC detailing the restoration of a Blick Electric. They are immensely rare even though they were in the Blick line-up for more than 15 years. A lack of standardized electric service and apprehension over electrified appliances is surmised as why the Blick Electric never caught on.

Well, if I thought electricity came from some disembodied hand, I might
have been hesitant to buy an Electric Blickensderfer.

Well, it just looks dangerous.

Maybe it's the corset that is making you tired. Ever think of that?

Nearly 70 years before IBM came up with the Selectric with a typeball, Blickensderfer had an electric with a typewheel. With advertising like this, I would have run out and bought one immediately.



Monday, April 18, 2011

Blickensderfer Ballyhoo

The only exciting news that I have to share is that a Blickensderfer 7 is on its way to my house. This machine will not make it into the classroom rotation. Instead, it will be on display in the "private collection".

To sate your thirst, I found this Blick 8 instruction manual. While more advanced (and newer) than my Blick, it still make for interesting reading.


Click Image to Read.

Friday, April 15, 2011

More Typewriters in the News

It may not be a New York Times article, but being from my alma mater makes it even more special.

http://www.statepress.com/2011/04/14/asu-alum-uses-typewriters-in-high-school-classroom/

If you are visiting for the fisrt time, you can find all the old posts archived in the right side-bar.We are nearly wrapping up the project for the 2010-2011 school year. I have learned a lot and I think the students have too. If you are looking for documents describing the foundations of this project please read these posts:

1. The original proposal sent to the nascent typosphere: http://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/08/classroom-typewriter-project.html

2. The Hypothesis: http://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/08/hypothesis.html

3. The Process: http://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/08/process.html

4. Some results: http://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/09/results-of-weekly-typewriter-inventory.html
and http://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/09/weekly-typewriter-inventory-analysis.html
and http://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/10/analysis-and-monks.html
and http://magicmargin.blogspot.com/2010/12/young-truth.html