In this issue

Editor’s Notes........................2
Typewriter Periodicals.........3 Journal of the
Meet the Kabouter.................6
Nikkei Master........................ 7
Early Typewriter
Victor portable......................8 Collectors’ Association
J. N. Williams book...............9
Typewriter photography.... 10
Tennessee Williams................11
Letters...................................12 No. 73 -- March 2006

Getting down to
BUSINESS
 Editor’s
ETCetera
Journal of the Notes
Early Typewriter
Collectors’ Association ±
March 2006 Spotted on eBay earlier this year: a
Model T. Not a Ford, but a Reming�
No. 73 ton—the British name variant of the
no. 3 portable. This Model T came
Editor: with a beautiful leather case includ�
ing various pockets, and it sold for a
Richard Polt
4745 Winton Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45232
M y first words as editor are, of
course, words of thanks to Dar�
ryl Rehr for getting this magazine
hefty £410.
Another offering was an American
version of the same concept: a ma�
513-591-1226 going and producing 49 beautiful
roon Remington Noiseless Portable
[email protected] issues, and to Chuck Dilts and Rich
in a leather case made by Abercrom�
Cincotta for publishing so much, so
bie & Fitch with compartments for
Secretary-Treasurer: well, over the last five years. I’m go�
writing supplies. I was the lucky win�
Herman Price ing to do my best to meet the high
ner of this item, and I found from
standards our readers have come to
German translation: the used carbon paper in one pocket
expect.
Norbert Schwarz that it was used by a farmer’s wife in
±
Mailing: Pennsylvania in the 1940s.
The lucky few who’ve handled a
Dan Norton-Middaugh One more eBay typewriter in a
Skrivekugel tell me that it’s a won�
fancy leather case, including a pocket
derful, precision-built instrument.
©2006 ETCA. Published quarterly. for documents, was a Royal flatbed
Pastor Rasmus Malling-Hansen was
Subscription: $25, North America; No. 5. Now that’s a substantial piece
$30 elsewhere. ISSN 1062-9645 obviously a gifted inventor. Did you
of luggage!
know that he even produced a par�
±
tially electrified Writing Ball?
On Our Cover Now a Malling-Hansen Society is The “Collector’s Corner” inter�
being formed in Denmark. If you’d views will resume in our next issue,
This photo of a mysterious proto- like to join, send an e-mail to Chris� where you’ll meet Tilman Elster and
type machine was kindly shared with tian Barnholdt, [email protected]. his amazing collection of writing
us by Dennis Clark. ± machines. If you’re interested in be�
Whose Business is it? Felice Vitale sends us this photo of ing interviewed, do let me know.
Dennis believes it is this machine his new Swedish-keyboard Pittsburg
patented by Herbert C. Hess in 1900 No. 10 (Daugherty style) equipped
(patents 644515 and 644516). Hess with a typebar cover that completely
also patented a four-bank version in changes the typewriter’s appearance.
1903 (726222) which is reminiscent of I wonder whether the company had
received complaints from some of its
the Triumph Perfect Visible.
customers who found the writing
mechanism a little too vis�
ible!
This machine was
ahead of its time; the
concept of a remov�
able typebar cover
appeared later in
the 20th century on
machines such as the
Mercedes Superba portable.

 / ETCetera No. 73 / March 2006

 Typewriter Collector Periodicals: A Brief History
Richard Polt

T ypewriter collecting must have be�

gun not long after serious manu�
facturing. The major companies de�
This “Newsletter for the Writing Ma�
chine Collector” was begun by Dan
Post, also well-known for reprinting
veloped collections for research, and several excellent books and pamphlets.
private enthusiasts were active too. He published it sporadically, with
(A circa 1909 ad reprinted in Mike no issues between Summer 1982 and
Brown’s new book on J.N. Williams Spring 1985, but produced 84 pages in
states that “A PARTY Making A Col� all. Tom FitzGerald produced another
lection of Old Typewriters … will pay 100 pages. After a three-year hiatus,
good price for antiques.”) But when Mike Brown took over, and has been
were there enough collectors to form publishing every three months since
associations and start publishing their then, with a record of nearly 500 pag�
own periodicals? I figured that as the large issues per year (30-50 pages), and es so far. “Typex” features color pho�
new editor of one such periodical, I was supplemented by a monthly news� tos, eBay reports, auction and meeting
ought to inform myself. According to letter of current events called Taus- news, research articles, and Mike’s en�
a newspaper article cited in ETCetera chtaste (“exchange key”) from 1985 to joyable sense of humor. The magazine
#56, the Typewriter Collectors’ Society 1987. (The same system—a magazine comes as separate three-hole-punched
had 60 members in 1975, but I haven’t plus a more frequent newsletter—is pages that can be put in a binder. Year�
uncovered any periodicals published followed today by the German and ly cost is $25 for North America, $30
before 1980 (although one could per� French associations.) In 1988 Leer- overseas. Send checks or money orders
haps count Au fil de la plume, a French taste became part of Büro-Wirtschaft payable to Michael A. Brown to P.O.
journal for collectors of writing instru� (renamed Büromarkt in 1990), an office Box 52607, Philadelphia, PA 19115. E-
ments in general from 1979). What fol� equipment trade magazine with about mail: [email protected]. Phone: 215-934-
lows are the results of my research so 10,000 readers; Fritz became the editor 7998. Back issues are available; contact
far; I invite your corrections and addi� of the magazine’s antique department, Mike with your request.
tions. Many thanks to François Babil� and Peter Muckermann succeeded
lot, Ned Brooks, Mike Brown, Den� him. Büromarkt eventually folded, but
nis Clark, Chuck Dilts, Tilman Elster, Muckermann continued serving the
Graham Forsdyke, Edmond Kern, Jos collectors’ community with his Typen-
Legrand, Flavio Mantelli, Peter Muck� korb newsletter, and he is still editing a
ermann, Fritz Niemann, and Darryl newsletter today (see Typenkorb, Typen-
Rehr for helping me track down this korb & Typenhebel, and HBw-Aktuell).
information.

Rundschreiben,
Leertaste, Tauschtaste Kwbl, Dutch Q, TPC
Germany, 1980-1987
Netherlands, 1982-1996
Editor: Fritz Niemann
Editor: Jos Legrand
Fritz Niemann was a crucial contrib�
The cryptic name Kwbl is short for
utor to the early days of the German
Kwartaalblad voor de Schrijfmachine­
typewriter collectors’ community,
verzamelaar, or Quarterly for the Type-
which is so active today. He began with writer Collector. The not-quite-quarter�
a questionnaire asking whether collec� ly magazine ran to dozens of pages and
tors would be interested in a magazine focused on research, getting into some
and meetings. After getting a positive The Typewriter Exchange fascinating minutiae of little-known
response he produced Rundschreiben, USA, 1981-present
machines such as the Adji Såkå. Kwbl
renamed Leertaste (“empty key,” i.e. Editors: Dan Post (1981-88);
reached about 100 subscribers in 17
spacebar) in 1981. He also hosted over Tom FitzGerald (1989-94);
countries. Dutch Q was an appendix
25 meetings. Leertaste published 3 or 4 Michael A. Brown (1997-present)
ETCetera No. 73 / March 2006 / 
with English summaries and articles,
later including Kwbl-Deutsch in Ger�
man. In 1990 Legrand also initiated
a little magazine called TPC (Typema-
chine Patent Club), which ran for six
issues and reached … four subscrib�
ers! The complete 34 back issues of
Kwbl can be ordered for $165 postpaid
This modest bimonthly black-and- The Typewriter Collector
white newsletter was the organ of the USA, 1985
from Jos Legrand, Redemptielaan 35
Typewriter and Sewing Machine Col� Editor: Ed Peters
B, 6213 JC  Maastricht, Netherlands,
lectors’ Society. When the society split
jjlegrand­@hetnet.nl.
into two separate groups, so did the This rather crudely printed 6-10 page
publication; the typewriter newslet� magazine ran monthly throughout
ter was renamed Type-Writer Times. Mr. 1985; its first issue was titled Typewriter
Forsdyke ([email protected]) Topics. Contents included practical ad�
graciously offers to make photocopies vice for collectors, historical research,
of S&R for interested collectors. and letters. The Oliver logo was de�
signed by Siegfried Snyder.
HBw-Aktuell
Germany, 1984-present
Editors: Uwe Breker (1984-1990);
Thomas Butzbach (1991-1993);
Dr. Lutz Rolf (1994-1996);
Claus-Peter Soelter (Dec. 1996);
Historische Bürowelt Peter Muckermann (1997-present)
Germany, 1982-present This is the IFHB’s monthly news or�
Editors: Uwe Breker (1982-1996); gan, mostly reporting on meetings
Leonhard Dingwerth (1997-2001); and sales. Through 1996, HBw-Aktuell
Lothar K. Friedrich (2002-present) and Peter Muckermann’s Typenkorb &
Typenhebel (see below) were two sepa�
Type-Writer Times
This large, professional-looking mag� UK/USA, 1985-1991
rate publications. In January 1997, the Editors: Graham Forsdyke (#1-6);
azine (Historic Office World, HBw for old HBw-Aktuell was absorbed into
short) currently appears three times a Peter Tandy (#7-12);
Muckermann’s newsletter, which from Paul Lippman (#13-22)
year and is the larger publication of the then on used the name HBw-Aktu-
Internationales Forum Historische ell. He offers printed back issues from Type-Writer Times evolved from a small,
Bürowelt (IFHB). Under Dingwerth’s 2003-5 (€20/yr. including shipping); sometimes manually typed newslet�
editorship, it was known as Schreibmas- contact Peter Muckermann, Auf der ter to a computer-prepared publica�
chinen- und Büro-Zeitung. Technically Warte 34, 33378 Rheda-Wiedenbrück, tion with color photographs glued to
expert articles discuss typewriters and Germany, [email protected]. its cover. Contents included research
other office machines, with an empha� on early machines, news reports, an�
English summaries are provided.
sis on German products. The director ecdotes, and editorials. Issues 1-10 are
of the IFHB is Wolfgang Mock, Ge�
markenstr. 61, D-45147 Essen, Ger�
AZERTYUIOP the “Journal of the Typewriter Collec�
France, 1984-present tors’ Society,” 11-22 are the “Journal of
many. Yearly dues are €65 (or €68 by the Anglo-American Typewriter Col�
Editor: Denis Seguin
PayPal to [email protected]). E- lectors’ Society.” In 1991 the magazine
mail: [email protected]. Web site: Named after the French keyboard lay� became The Type Writer.
www.ifhb.de. Back issues of Historische out, this is the quarterly newsletter
Bürowelt are available. Members also of the Association Lorraine des Col�
receive HBw-Aktuell (see below), and
sometimes get free books on old office
lectionneurs de Machines de Bureau,
with about fifty members. Eight black-
ETCetera
USA, 1987-present
technology. and-white pages with articles and Editors: Darryl Rehr (1987-1999);
news. President: André Verney, 11, rue Kevin McGowin (2000); Chuck Dilts
The Shuttle & Ribbon Canrobert, F 54000 Nancy, France. and Rich Cincotta (2000-2005);
UK, 1982-1985 Tel : 00 33 3 83 35 33 95. E-mail : verney. Richard Polt (2006-)
Editor: Graham Forsdyke [email protected].

 / ETCetera No. 73 / March 2006

 Typenhebel
Switzerland, 1989-1993
Editors: Stefan Beck; Heidi Frei
Typenhebel means “typebar.” This
short but lively monthly bulletin of
the Swiss office machine collectors’
organization merged with Typenkorb
in January 1994.

In its inception the Early Typewriter

Mercurius
Netherlands, 1993-1994 lot. There are about 100 members in
Collectors Association was headed
Editor: Peter de Valois France and elsewhere. Arts mécaniques
by several California collectors. Its
main function soon became the pub� appears twice a year; Contact (see
This successor to Medium was the below) is bimonthly. ANCMECA
lication of Rehr’s quarterly ETCete­ monthly magazine of the short-lived
ra, which from the start featured membership is €50 a year, payable
club also named Mercurius. to international bank account FR35
professional-quality layout, attrac�
tive graphics, and original research. 2004 1010 1206 0144 8N03 334, Bank
ETCetera eventually included four- Identifier Code PSSTFRPPSCE.
color printing and German transla� President François Babillot can be
tions. Dues are $25/year in North contacted at Boîte Postale n° 5, 37210
America, $30 elsewhere. Back issues Rochecorbon, France, or by e-mail
1-49 can be downloaded at home. at fbabillot­@aol.com. Phone: 00 33
earthlink.­net/~ajrehr/archive.html, or 2 47 52 52 67. Edmond Kern can be
ordered on CD or paper at cafepress. reached at 11, rue Ravel, F 67310 Was�
com/vtm. Issue­s 50-72 are available selonne, phone 00 33 3 88 87 06 91,
for $13 per year to North America [email protected].
and $14 elsewhere, postpaid; send The Type Writer
a check or money order payable to USA, 1991-1993
Chuck Dilts to P.O. Box 286, South� Editor: Paul Lippman
boro, MA 01772, or make a payment
Issue 1 of this “Journal of Writing
to etcetera@­writeme.com at paypal.
com.
Machine History and Technology” Typenkorb & Typenhebel
explains that “Typewriter Times has Germany, 1994-1997
Typenkorb severed its relationship with the An� Editor: Peter Muckermann
Germany, 1988-1996 glo-American Typewriter Collectors’
Editor: Peter Muckermann Society, since the great majority of This was the former Typenkorb, which
its subscribers are in North America.” in turn became HBw-Aktuell (see
This monthly newsletter (whose
The six issues of the magazine print� above).
name means “typebasket”) primar�
ed a wide variety of attractive arti�
ily contained reports on meetings,
cles. Lippman also finished his book
auction results, and advertisements.
American Typewriters: A Collector’s En- L’ufficio d’epoca
Typenkorb merged with Typenhebel in Italy, 1994-present
cyclopedia in 1992. Unfortunately, a
January 1994, and Typenkorb & Typen- Editors: Glauco Pegorini (1994-1997);
mysterious neurological illness was
hebel became HBw-Aktuell in January Giuseppe Colangelo, Carlo Torchio,
to take his life in 1995.
1997; so Peter Muckermann’s news� Ugo Armaroli and Silvano Gabotti
letter has been published continu�
ously since 1988 under three different
Arts mécaniques (1998-present)
France, 1994-present
names. Editor: Edmond Kern This journal, whose name means The
Antique Office, is published six times
Medium This is the magazine of the Associa� a year by the Associazione Italiana
Netherlands, 1988-1992 tion Nationale des Collectionneurs Collezionisti Macchine per Ufficio
Editor: Peter de Valois de Machines à Écrire et à Calcul� d’Epoca. It focuses on technical de�
A four-page monthly in Dutch and er Mécaniques, founded in 1993 by scriptions of typewriters and other
English, featuring advertisements. Maxime Cunin and François Babil� office machines, and also includes

ETCetera No. 73 / March 2006 / 

 ment of their products. Recently it has
This is the bimonthly news bulletin featured a spectacular series of one-of-
of ANCMECA, including announce� a-kind typewriters from the Mantelli
ments, reports on meetings, and in� collection. Also includes “Grandpa’s
teresting short articles. Drawer,” featuring office erotica. Sub�
scription: €10/year. Subscribe online
at www.typewr­itermuseum.com.
It’s a good time to be a typewriter
collector, with fine magazines being
produced worldwide.
a page on books about antique office Look for “Around the World” in
equipment. The journal was founded the next ETCetera—a regular feature
by the enthusiastic Glauco Pegorini, that will quickly inform you of what’s
who sadly died in an auto accident in appeared recently in the planet’s type�
1997. Dues: €50/year. For more infor� writer collector periodicals. ±
mation, e-mail [email protected]
or visit the Association’s Web site at
www.typewriter.net. The Virtual
Typewriter Journal
Marketplace
Netherlands/Italy, 2004-present Wanted: Odell 1A (dog-bone/
Editors: Paul Robert and paw feet base), Trebla, Yan�
Flavio Mantelli kee. I am also interested in
very rare typewriters in need
This handsome magazine is primarily of restoration (any condition,
a digital creation, distributed by e-mail including parts machines).
(although black-and-white printed is� Flavio Mantelli,
sues can also be ordered at cafepress. [email protected]
com/vtm). It has published in-depth
Advertising in ETCetera is free for
Contact specials on a number of inventors, giv�
ing previously unknown information all ETCA members. Just send
Editor: Edmond Kern your ad to the editor.
France, 2002-present on their private lives and the develop�

Meet the
Kabouter
Paul Beijersbergen contributed this
shot of a Kabouter, serial number 3771.
This rarity is a Dutch name variant of
the German-made Faktotum (1912); the
Faktotum was based on the Imperial A,
and was the predecessor of the Rofa.
A kabouter is a gnome or imp … could
there be any connection to the quite
different mystery typewriter in the
Mantelli collection, with a Dutch key-
board and a picture of a gnome on it,
which is documented in issue 2.4 of the
Virtual Typewriter Journal?

 / ETCetera No. 73 / March 2006

Show & Tell ...................................................Nikkei Master

The character tray is removed, revealing the

“finger” that raises the character slugs.

When a handle is pressed, the “fin-

ger” raises the slug, which is seized
by the rectangular sleeve just below
the little white ceramic roller.
The Nikkei Master with platen, typing assembly, and character tray. 12-inch ruler shown for scale. After printing, the slug is released
by a push from the ceramic roller
and drops back into the tray.
Detail of the character tray showing
individual kanji characters. The upper,
more solid row seems to be an identifier The character slugs
(and not type), as are the other squares are small metal
of a similar color. The characters should pieces with special
be upside down relative to the operator, notches for orienta-
making it even more difficult to identify tion and for the
them. sleeve to latch them.

S ome time ago, my son told me that one of his friends had an old Japanese typewriter in his basement. The boys were playing
with it and some of the characters had already been lost. After some negotiating, I was given the typewriter. It was made by
the Nippon Keieiki Co. in 1965. It is called a “Master.” A better name might be “Monster”: the machine weighs 50 pounds, and
that’s without the character tray that weighs 23 pounds! Japanese writing is based on ideograms known as kanji (and another set
known as kana). Kanji are actually Chinese characters. There are some 50,000 kanji characters in the Japanese lexicon. Sugimoto
Kyota (1882-1972) invented the Japanese typewriter around 1915. He found some 2400 kanji that were most commonly used and
developed a tray that contained them. Each character is in the shape of a small printer’s slug. The typewriter has a rod, or finger,
underneath the tray, which can push the slug upwards. At the same time, a lever above grips the slug and bangs it against the paper.
You move the tray to place the character slug you want exactly under the “gripper”; the platen assembly can also be moved to facili�
tate the connection. There is a good film clip of the working of the machine on www.honco.net/japanese. In the hands of an expert,
the typewriter could write about twice as fast as a person with a brush. The result was also a neater copy. But it was obvious that
expertise was required, and these typewriters were not widely used outside official and business circles. In 1978, Mori Ken’ichi of
the Toshiba Corporation developed the electronic word processor, which was commercialized by 1985. The mechanical typewriter
quickly became obsolete. I have already sold off some of my larger typewriters due to lack of space. The big question now is: what
do I do with the “Monster”?
—John Wilkinson, Schoharie, N.Y.
Share one of your favorite typewriters with our readers: send us a big, clear photograph along with a paragraph
about what makes the machine special. Even common typewriters can have interesting stories!

ETCetera No. 73 / March 2006 / 

Portables,
ETCetera by Will Davis

The VICTOR Portable

T he development of the Victor
Portable came at a point in Max
Garbell’s career when it might well
1925, according to the official Victor
history printed in book form as It
All Adds Up (Edwin Darby, 1968), the
that the trade name of “Victor” for
typewriters was owned by Interna�
tional Textbook Company of Scran�
have seemed necessary to him to find board of directors employed Max ton, Pennsylvania, who had been the
stable ground. Garbell. He was given 2000 shares of final owners of the Victor Typewriter
Garbell had begun to develop a Company. This latter entity had al�
small portable employing gear-op� ready shut down by this time, but
erated thrust-action type bars, and Victor Adding Machine still needed
which was inexpensive to manufac� rights to the name. The board au�
ture, around 1918. The first patent thorized a maximum of $20,000 to
for what would eventually become be paid for the name, but was able
the GAR-BELL portable was filed in to purchase the rights for it for five
that year, by Garbell himself. Shortly, thousand less.
he would form the Garbell Type� The other hurdle was quite simply
writer Corporation, which was incor� the overall design of the machine,
porated in Delaware but which was which was perhaps overly ambitious.
located in Chicago, with production Garbell had designed the machine to
actually beginning in March 1919. be not only light in weight and com�
The company had little success in pact, but also to be relatively inex�
penetrating the market, and by July pensive to build, so that an offering
1923 had been liquidated and essen� price of around $60 would still allow
tially bought out by O. D. Jennings a handsome profit. The devil was in
& Company of Chicago. Patents the details, though, as the production
for alterations to the GAR-BELL of developmental prototypes indicat�
were granted to this latter company ed that the machine’s design was not
through 1925, but the machine was fully debugged, or even close.
an almost complete failure. Victor playing card (courtesy of Peter Weil)
During the following several years,
Following this debacle, Garbell a large number of patents were filed
took out a patent for a machine stock, and a salary of $5000 annually by Garbell, assigned to Victor, cover�
which used conventionally pivoted in exchange for patent rights to this ing a large number of changes and im�
type-bars, but which still included a new machine and his continued de� provements to the machine. In fact,
form of gear drive. This machine’s de� velopment of it exclusively for Victor, there are no fewer than 29 patents
sign, filed in 1924 and granted patent this development to be entirely at for the Victor portable; one block of
in 1925, was unusual in that the type Victor’s expense. He was to be given thirteen was all granted on the same
basket dropped down and raised up commission if the machines could be day, even though they had been filed
very much like that of the early Rem� built and sold; up to 50 units per day, variously from 1924 through 1929.
ington portables. It is believed that Garbell would receive 25 cents each. What is illuminating is the content
none were actually built, but hints of If production went up to 100 a day, of these patents—and the already
his following design were present. he would receive 20 cents for every mentioned date of 1929.
The first patent for what would one over 50, and if it even got higher, This batch of patents includes di�
eventually become the Victor Por� he would get 15 cents for those. Victor rect statements by Garbell as to ac�
table was filed by Garbell in 1924, executive A. C. Buehler was assigned tual problems experienced with the
although at that time he still had to assist with a prototype. Victor in� machine, and corrective measures.
no backing to produce the machine. tended to get into the portable type� In short, problems were being ex�
This changed when he either ap� writer market in a big way. perienced with the rocking carriage
proached, or was approached by, Vic� Now, Victor faced a challenge on shift (bouncing, motion, and ribbon
tor Adding Machine Company. In two fronts. The first was the fact vibrator and feed problems), the type

 / ETCetera No. 73 / March 2006

bar action (misalignment, wear, and
uneven key pressure or “touch” from Book Review
row to row) and the assembly of the
machine. In short, the central fea� John Newton Williams: The Untold Story
tures of the machine, which were
the novel geared type bar mecha� by Michael A. Brown
nism and the rocking carriage shift, published by the author, 2005
proved its undoing. The contract had
been signed in 1925, and the patents
for workable improvements to the J ohn Newton Williams is
known to collectors as
the inventor of the Williams
machine (as well as a number explic�
itly stated as being for the purpose of typewriter, with its inge-
reducing cost to the absolute mini� nious “grasshopper” mecha-
mum) were not granted until years nism. But as this new book
later. The aforementioned “block” of by Typex editor Mike Brown
thirteen improvements was granted tells us, there is indeed an
patents in 1932; further would be untold story. Williams (1840-
added, one each in 1934 and 1935 (al� 1929) turns out to have been
though none was filed after 1931.) a busy and resourceful man.
The Victor Adding Machine He fought in the Civil War,
Company picked the wrong design. raced horses, and in addition
Garbell’s ingenious design was too to developing his typewriter
ingenious to debug. It All Adds Up in� invented machines such as a
dicates that only a few machines had check punch, two- and three-
been sold by 1929, and we may guess wheeled motorcycles, and a
helicopter, hobnobbing with Photo by Glenn Curtiss, 1908:
from the patents and other informa� the Williams Helicopter “lifted this young
tion that production probably didn’t the likes of Alexander Gra-
man, several inches, several times.”
last much longer than that. What’s ham Bell and Glenn Curtiss.
more, Max Garbell had experienced I wish all histories were organized the way this one is. After a gen-
two serious failures in a row, certain� eral summary of his findings, Mike divides the 188-page book into twenty
ly a hard blow for this very bright chronological sections. Each section provides a timeline and a collection
man. ± of relevant documents: photos, letters, legal papers, patents—even an ad
in which Mr. Williams promotes Paine’s Celery Compound. This approach
lets the reader delve directly into the sources. It’s almost like time travel
as we follow Williams (and his magnificent moustache) through the Civil
War, Reconstruction, the Gay Nineties, and the birth of aviation.
We get to see a number of patent drawings, and learn that some as-
pects of the Williams typewriter keyboard are borrowed from the Fitch.
The Phonographic World reported that Williams also based his design in
part on the Slocum typewriter. Mike could not confirm this, but he does
show us an ad for this very obscure machine.
Mike was not able to track down some of the patents that are listed on
the front of Williams typewriters; but with the help of Dirk Schumann’s
wonderful “Patentbase” data DVD, most of these are easy to find—for ex-
ample, the patent of April 30, 1878 is #202923, filed by Byron A. Brooks.
(I will send a copy of the DVD to any ETCA member free upon request.)
By the way, Mike reports that Brooks sued Williams in the 1890s, and
speculates that lawsuits like this eventually contributed to the demise of
the company.
This book is the product of many years of research, and I recommend
it to anyone who loves invention. Postpaid copies may be ordered for
$30 (North America) or $37 (overseas) from Michael A. Brown, P.O. Box
Victor ad, 52607, Philadelphia, PA 19115.
The Literary Digest,
—Richard Polt
December 10, 1927

ETCetera No. 73 / March 2006 / 
Back to Basics
Typewriter Photography
by Martin Howard
Reviving a feature of the earliest Lighting camera. The flash creates hot spots
ETCete­ras, this column will consider on the subject and washes out sur�
Use halogen and
the fundamentals—issues that nearly rounding color. Again, bringing
incandescent desk lamps to illumi�
everyone who loves writing machines the photo into Photoshop allows
nate the typewriter. The combina�
is bound to deal with. These articles one to easily adjust for brightness
tion of these lamps will produce a
will be useful to beginners, but also and end up with a much better im�
richer image, each one pulling out
worthwhile for experienced collectors. age. A remote flash (away from the
different colors. I have found that
Most of us eventually want to photo- camera) can work very well, but I
the ceiling light, being high up, of�
graph our typewriters—to document have not used one.
ten creates “hot spots” on
them, to show them to distant friends, Play around with your
the typewriter.
or to post them online. But a mechani- lighting. You will enjoy the cre�
cal object can be surprisingly difficult to ative process and you will
capture. Who better to advise us extract the best possible
than Martin Howard, whose results.
website antiquetypewriters.
Shooting
com features lovely shots
of his collection, some by Use a tripod for a steady
Martin himself and some shot. This is essential
by professional photographer when shooting at the
Jon Muldoon. (Prints of the lat- preferred lower light
ter are for sale on the site.) The levels mentioned above.
photos here were taken by Martin Take many shots,
with a digital camera. —Ed. six or so, and experi�
ment with the

T he key element, I found, following:

in achieving good re� varying light
sults was a lot of playing levels and angles
around with the camera and of incoming light
lighting to realize the best com�
bination of choices. Using only orientation of the type-
the basic equipment in my posses� Moving the two desk lamps around writer to the camera
sion, I became happily obsessed in and not using the ceiling light gives
this quest and in getting the best distance between camera and subject
better results, as one can change
imaging for my website. These are the angle of the reflected light and
the choices that worked for me. You will find the best images by
reduce and often eliminate these
playing around freely. Remember
hot spots. [Ed.: indirect sunlight also
Background works.]
to write down what worked well,
Use a clean paper background In Photoshop (or similar) the when it happens.
to highlight the typewriter. A large image can be brightened up, so Resolution
sheet around 30” x 40” works well. don’t worry if the image looks dim Take the photo with enough
Visit your local art shop to get on the computer screen. resolution (pixels) so the image
what you need. Do not use the flash on your can be shown large enough on the

10 / ETCetera No. 73 / March 2006

 Tennessee Williams’
Typewriters
T his 1934 Underwood portable, serial 717166, sold for $3750 in Decem-
ber. Why? Because according to the auctioneers, it’s the very machine
featured in this story told in Donald Spoto’s The Kindness of Strangers: The
Life of Tennessee Williams.
On September 8, 1982, five months before his death, Williams was
screen. Try the different settings in a bar in Key Largo, Florida, where he struck up a conversation with a
on your camera and see the re� couple having coffee. When Williams found out that the husband, Steven
sulting image sizes created. Small Kunes, was a writer, he introduced himself and asked that they call him
images will never satisfy other Tom. Eventually, the Kuneses drove him back to his home in Key West,
viewers who want to see your where Steven Kunes told Williams about his novel in progress. “And
typewriters. that’s when it happened. Williams went into another room and emerged
with a square black case, telling me to look inside. It was an Underwood
Angle of shot typewriter… ‘I used it for Summer and Smoke and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
It needs a new ribbon, and perhaps some oil... Write a play, Steven. Just
Generally speaking, the angle of
write a play. I know you can hit the core... Don’t be flattered when I say
the shot will match the angle an this. You can flatter me by using this old machine to do the job.’” 
observer would have, when stand� As Lucy Jacobs commented on the online Portable Typewriter Forum,
ing and looking at the typewriter “To me, this story just doesn’t fit Williams—he slept anywhere, wrote
on a desk. It is often best to shoot anywhere, threw the typed pages behind him (his agent had to rescue
the typewriter turned sideways, them)—he just had to be typing every morning at dawn. By 1955 (when
to give depth of view and the side Cat was written) he was no starving artist, so he could afford to pick up a
detail. new machine wherever he was. I think the seller might be telling the truth
of what Williams told the man—but I bet the real story was that Williams
Cropping had an old typewriter and made up the story on the spot for dramatic
Always crop the image to show� effect.”
case the typewriter. It is best not One thing is sure: TW
to crop through a shadow. loved to use TWs, and to have
himself photographed with
Photography is a creative pro� them. Here we see a dapper
cess. Success comes from playing Tennessee on a circa 1940 Co-
with and enjoying one’s camera rona, a humid Tennessee on a
and computer. Have fun and enjoy Royal KMM, and a fumaceous
your results. ± Tennessee with an Olivetti Stu-
dio 44. ±
In the next “Back to Basics”: an eBay
primer.

ETCetera No. 73 / March 2006 / 11

Letters
From 1955 to maybe the early 1960s
my father used a Varityper for set�
ting the copy for his newspaper. The
first machine was an A-20, and then
he got a DSJ, which from his point
of view was not an improvement. My
father wrote his newspaper articles
on a standard desk typewriter from
maybe 1920. The two-inch column
in the paper was 30 characters wide
in the font he had chosen to use, and
that knowledge allowed him to avoid Later, typesetting was done with In our area, there has been a re�
double typing. Here’s how he did it. machines from Photon and then surgence of typewriter use among
Compugraphic, both companies young people. The LA Times printed
123456789012345678901234567890
located in Wilmington, Massa� an article about it a couple of months
This is a story that wouldxxxx
have appeared in the Wilming-x chusetts, where my father ran his ago, and our own paper, the Pasade-
ton Town Crier. By puttingxxxx newspaper. He was negotiating with na Star News, ran a story about this
the x’s at the end of eachxxxx Compugraphic for a new system that same topic. Most days you will find as
line, he could write storiesxx would have been somewhere around many people using manual portables
anywhere there was a type-xxxx $100,000 in 1983, but when he and as laptops at the local coffee shops.
writer, and submit the copy to
my brothers discovered the Macin� When I took my daughter’s Hermes
be set to the Varityper opera-
tor, who would move the justi-
tosh, everything changed instantly. (with the cool mint green keys) to get 
fication lever for each linexx The Wilmington Town Crier was one it fixed, Jesse  tells me, “You know,
by counting the number of x’sx of the first newspapers to be set on a son, my business has been picking
before she typed it. Mac. Photon and Compugraphic are up, lots of young folks are bringing
gone. in typewriters to me. When I started
There would be a slight prob-x Peter Neilson in 1962, there were 250 typewriter re�
lem if the name of David Coxxx
Sanford, N.C. pair shops listed in the Yellow Pages,
happened to fall at the end of
the line, of course. now there are only three.”
I recently bought my daughter Rudy Martinez
Once you get into the habit of a Hermes 3000, but I had to get it South Pasadena, Cal.
writing a story that way it’s not hard fixed, so I took it to U.S. Office Ma�
to do. You have to be good at hyphen� chine Co., 5722 N. Figueroa St., in
ation without using a dictionary, and the Highland Park neighborhood of
New on the Shelf
my father was unjustifiably proud of Los Angeles. The guy who owns the Tony Casillo: Shimer
his ability to do without one. (His place is a WW2 veteran named Jesse Thomas Fürtig: Gourland, Regia,
spelling of the words “devide” and Flores. He’s been there 44 years. His Weltblick
“hugh,” for huge, were famous.) To be son Danny handles most of the re� Richard Polt: Tip Tip, Monica 1
fair, we are talking about a man who Herman Price: Genia, Blick 5
pairs now. Jesse is a trip to talk to,
would do the Sunday NYT cross� telegraphic, Neya 2
he’ll talk your ear off about the  his�
word puzzle in ink, verticals only. Peter Weil: celluloid pillbox from
tory of the area and is full of interest�
My father later got a Friden Jus� Mexico with Oliver L-10 ad
ing anecdotes. Around Christmas, he
Reinmar Wochinz: Gardner, Pearl
towriter system, which had two gives out toys to needy children and
(Searing), Stenotype 3, Dactyle 3
separate machines. The composing has helped organize the local Christ�
machine produced a five-level Bau� mas parade in the past and such. The
dot-coded paper tape, but the tape building he is in used to be a theatre
was seven levels wide, and the extra back in the 1910s, and the fellow has
bits signified the justification infor� photos of him with every council�
mation for the line just entered. The man and mayor, as well as Senators Blick telegraphic typewheel
other machine read the tape in a pair and national politicos from the early Let us know what’s new on your shelf!
of reading stations. ’60s to the present, on his walls.

12 / ETCetera No. 73 / March 2006

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