A Time-Honored Concern

In a 1916 article from the magazine America, there is a summary of an argument made by Mr. Thomas L. Masson in a paper he wrote for another magazine called Bookman. His idea is that if Milton used a typewriter to write "Lycidas" or "Hymn on the Nativity", these poems would not be as good. Pen and paper, apparently, are the only way for an author to slow down and revise. It's fine to use the typewriter to "conform more closely to our modern standards of orthography" but the use of one for composition is met with the invective, "Perish the thought!"

The author of the column also concludes that the current dearth of quality literature in America is due to the number of authors who use a typewriter for composition. (Start reading from "That fatal...")

The entire idea of this blog is that the typewriter is an excellent way to compose writing. I (and others) actually believe that it is the superior way to compose writing. The computer marks a "crisis in the history of letters." With the speed of creativity no one takes time to slow down and work on writing. Revision is passe'. The typewriter offers a way for an author to select words carefully without the harsh distraction of the modern computer. Well, reading this column I can see that the concern over the typewriter edging out the traditional way of writing was a concern to early twentieth-century litterati.

The goal of my Classroom Typewriter Project has been to show that the physical act of writing on a typewriter allows a writer to focus. And through that focus become a better writer. In the teens there was a similar concern:

Is it natural that every iteration of technology causes people to worry about losing some ineffable quality of an older method? Did writing strike fear in the heart of the Chavet-Pond-d'Arch painter? Did movable type strike fear in the heart of the Lindsfarne monks?

If you want to read the entire column...read on, Macduff!

Typewriter Bites Man, Circa 1943

I found this in an old Saturday Evening Post. I wonder what the machine the story is referencing? I think it might be a Williams, but I am sure there were a number of machines that used an ink pad. What's more frightening is how modern this experience sounds.

Royal Gravitas

I have been thinking about the Royal Model O that I posted about Sunday evening. I am an unapologetic Royal fan. I have alluded to this before, but it wasn't until the Model O came into the collection that I have really come to an understanding of what makes Royal so special.

Royal, as a company, never set the world on fire with any feature. If the ads that Royal ran in Life are any indication, Magic Margin (after which this blog is named) was their proudest accomplishment. That's a little sad because I have always felt that Royal's margin system was a little over-designed and far from the greatest addition to the world of typewriters. It's more magical if you could figure out how it works. Touch-Control might pop your mind as being something entirely special, but key tension adjustment can be found on many typewriters of the time. It's not the styling that marks them unique. Every industrial designer at Royal must have shopped at the same Brooks Brothers because there is nothing daring about any Royal design. Even when daring is attempted it's done as if someone had suggested that cocktails be served a three instead of four. Scandalous! No there is something else that makes the Royal special.

That "it" factor is gravitas. Royals are weighty. Serious. They are as frivolous as a chartered accountant. You can ever go wrong with a Royal and if you do it's your own fault for not being serious enough. As seen in the advertisement from a 1942 Life, Royal's and serious things like war are synonymous. Would you want some little Smith-Corona or a pipsqueak Underwood doing war business? I don't think so.

Next time you find a Royal in a thrift store, don't discount it because of some fictional (yes, I refuse to believe the problem exists) escapement problems. They are wonderful serious machines.

Model O Gallery

So, the other typewriter that I received this weekend was a beautiful model O. It's in great shape too and even came with the original instruction booklet. (I'll scan it soon.) It works well and has a very small typeface. Enjoy these photos.

Even includes a mint instruction booklet.

Nice decal.

Clean, modern keytops.

My good side.

In situ. 

Ding!

New (to me) Royal Portable

Actually, it looks as if it new. Beautiful paint and bright nickel accents makes this machine look very fancy. It's in absolutely pristine condition. This machine came with another Royal portable that I will post later. It also is in great shape.

What's amazing is that there is very little yellowing of the keys. As you can see above, they have stayed uniformly white. Wonderful machine. I think I'll expand this post a little later, but in the meantime I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

The HH in Advertising

If you've read once, you've read a thousand times that I love the Royal Standard HH. Apart from being the most amazing standard desktop machine, it was also the subject of some of Royal's most mid-century advertising. Each one is rife with the subtle sexism of the decade, but it makes them no less enjoyable. So, please enjoy this little gallery.

Pink typewriters improve office morale!

Romancing the Royal.

Is it a little troubling that I want one in each color?

Put an HH on the back of your Vespa and that'll be the end of you.

It'll Be A Blast!

Yesterday my email account had four RSVPs for the Typewriter Round-Up. So far it looks like we are on-track for almost twice as many as the last event!

Summer Typing

There is no holiday for the typewriter!

As the regular school year winds to a close, the Classroom Typewriter Project winds to a close too. I've started dusting typewriters, taking out ribbons, and packing up the typewriters in their cases. All of this work was going fine until I found out that I was hired for summer school. This means that the machines will get some use in the month of June.

Summer school in our district is credit-recovery, so the class will be filled with Juniors and Seniors who happened to fail the first semester of Junior English. Right now, I have 18 registered and that means we will be nearly 1:1 in terms of typewriters. With this kind of typewriter to student ratio I can start to really construct an idea of how low-performing students can benefit from using a typewriter in class.

There is a type of writing instruction called Writer's Workshop. The idea of this pedagogical approach is to give the students greater freedom in selecting the subjects for their own writing. Academic and creative writing are given equal weight. I think that this is how we will approach writing this summer, but I am going to add the typewriter twist. Workshop does contain a reading component, however when it comes to literature, we will keep it traditional.

The summer might be time off for some, but in my little classroom you will still hear the clack of typebars. I guess I better start unpacking those typewriters.

Blickcast II: Wherein the Blick is Blasted and Outfitted Anew

Blickcast I: Wherein the Author Hunts & Pecks

When you know where the keys are you can focus on the writing rather than where the letters are.

Isn't that question mark great?

Phoenix's Typewriter Repairman Video

Bill Wahl, a local typewriter celebrity, was featured on a segment on Arizona Highways TV this Sunday evening. Take a look at the video embedded below.

Bierce, The Mexican Desert, and Shiny Olivers

When people think of authors who use typewriters Ambrose Bierce isn't often mentioned. Maybe he's too sarcastic for lists, but looking for information on him I came across this typed letter from 1911:

Maybe someone can tell what type of typewriter he used, but it's clear that Bierce was comfortable using one. He even makes a typo by omitting a word. That makes me feel good. I am sure that by 1911 using using a typewriter to write wasn't that unusual. But not many authors were embedded in Panco Villa's army in Mexico.

Mexico was a land of Olivers. Especially, Olivers that are nickle-plated. Like this typewriter from the poet Ramon Lopez Velarde. (Fun lit fact: Octavio Paz studied Velarde and wrote a great deal about his influence in post-modern mexican poetry.)

Oliver realized that Mexico had been overlooked in the market and sent a man by the name of Parker to change that. Parker was able to introduce the country to the typewriter and the Oliver. At this point in 1911 if you wanted to buy a typewriter in Mexico it's likely you were buying an Oliver. They were used in all levels of the post-revolution republic. LC Smith did have some offices, but I think many companies were more concerned over the perceived danger of early republican Mexico. Richard Polt has a blog post about a nickle LC Smith that includes a mention of nickel Olivers. 

The mystery is: did Bierce use a nickel Oliver or did was he supplied a typewriter by his American editors? I am going to investigate this information further. It should be interesting whatever I discover.

Duality

Hot 100

Take a look at AZ Teen Magazine's list of the hottest 100 students and teachers and you will find me listed among them (page 28). I posted about this a while ago, but the magazine has just published. You can see the print version by clicking the image of the cover to the left. I will be signing typewriter's in my classroom after school. You know, because I am so famous and everything.

Orignal Work

A Poem for the 2nd Phoenix Type-In

In the Vale of Old Tempe,

Typewriters you shall see.

Olympia the home to the gods

and Hermes, winged sandal shod.

(both typewriters)

Monti's is where they go

at 1.  If the freeway's slow

1:30 will be fine enough.

No, parking isn't tough.

June 18th is the auspicious day

It will be sunny, Hey!

I shall see you there

lest thou be a human square.

Also keep thou in mind

Three guests you will find

At this event shooting video

for a little documentary-o.

Yes, this is the best poem you have ever read. No, it did not take long.

Apologia

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/04/memento-mori.html

Concrete Poetry is Hard

A student created this. The effort that went into this poem is impressive.





Lies!

Free Selectric Ribbons

UPDATE: This offer is ultra-old.

The school librarian was cleaning out some cabinets and found these NIB selectric ribbons. There are three boxes. Let know if you want one for your Selectric (tryanpa@cox.net). I thought they might have been 0.5", but they are 0.65" so I cannot use them in another machine.

CAUTION: These are the high-yeild ribbons. They are the large cartridges, not the smaller ones.

Round-Up 2: Return of the Typewriter

If you would like a copy of this poster to hang up somewhere, email me your address and I'll send you one or two or three.

Other Happenings

The Blickenderfer has Arrived

It showed up in the mail on Friday. I was able to open it then, but there was so much going on Friday that I wasn't able to take pictures until this morning. So without further exposition...

It's in fair condition. The protective wooden case is rough and in desperate need of care. I pressed a few keytops and, unfortunately, all the keys stuck. I've been able to loosen then up thanks to a lot of penetrating oil and a little patience. Now, the typeball does rotate to the correct position when a key is pressed, but it returns very sluggishly. I've taken the mechanism apart (it is very easy to do) and I am fairly confident that a century of grease and dirt is making the return motion slow. Regardless of these faults, the machine is fascinating. The motion of the the two geared horns that move the wheel into place for striking on the paper is poetry. 

It does need some surface cleaning, but I am unsure of the crested badge. What did it look like to start? I cannot imagine that it came from the factory looking sooty and dirty. However, I am afraid to clean it to a point where it looks completely different from other Blicks. These types of machines vary wildly in condition. Some are pristine and others are junky. The only common denominator is that there is no consensus I can deduce on the original look of this badge. Part of me wants to just shine the heck out of it and get it glowing with a silver luster. I'll ask for suggestions from the TYPEWRITER email list. 

I was able to get some typing done on it, but the combination of the dirty movement and the different key layout makes it nearly incomprehensible. 

In the next couple of weeks I would like to get this machine into running shape. I don't think it will take too much effort. Regardless, I am excited to have my first 100-year-old machine in my collection.

P.S. Where do you find the serial number on this typewriter?

A Canadian Treasure

Click on the picture!

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.

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.



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.

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

The 2nd Phoenix Type-In

Classroom Happenings

Graduation

As we get closer to graduation, you might be wondering what kind of gift a young high school grad might like. I have a suggestion...

Calling All Sun Devils

If you are an Arizona State University student, faculty, staff, or alumni who loves typewriters, Harmony from the State Press wants to talk to you. You can email her at hhuskins@asu.edu She is working on an article about the increase in typewriter interest.