Typewriter Fever.
On Saturday of Gold Rush weekend we went to the Rochester Fairgrounds. Shortly after arriving, my cousin found a portable Royal typewriter. She really liked it, but she had just purchased a beautiful desktop typewriter at Oronoco Gold Rush the day before, and though she really liked this portable typewriter, she really couldn’t justify another one.
A shiny black case + glass keys + great working condition + inked ribbon + good price
+ a slight obsession with typewriters =
a vintage Royal typewriter for me!
Not only is it cute and functional, it is a great conversation piece
and looks fabulous on my vintage oak desk.
This lovely typewriter is not my first.
Two years ago I found this vintage Smith-Corona at a garage sale in Austin, Texas for $10!
This one works great, it just needs a new ribbon.
A few months ago I found this older typewriter, which works nicely too, a new ribbon would make a huge difference in this typewriter’s performance.
Remembering the tak ta ta tak tak tak tak tak! as my mom typed out letters to family and friends, and perhaps recipes too on her Smith-Corona, I have long been drawn to these old typewriters.
It also seems my typewriter and typing obsession started at a young age.
I learned to type on a manual typewriter in high school. It was my favorite class.
At my first secretary position, an IBM Selectric typewriter was on my desk.
In the early 80’s as an Executive Secretary,
I typed on a Royal Electronic typewriter with a floppy disk!
After being a SAHM for many years, when I went back to work,
a computer was my new typing machine!
While I love the convenience and ease of using a computer (Macbook for me),
the sounds of a manual typewriter ….
The “tak ta ta tak tak tak tak tak! (read fast) of the keys,
the bell “ding” at the end of line, and
the “zing” of the carriage return
and the simple print will continue to hold fond memories for me.
