I love all typewriters.
These machines of mechanical grace and creativity beckon to us from a bygone era, reminding us of the need for focus in order to be creative and even calm. The mechanical thwack of the keys and the welcome “ding” of the bell upon reaching the margin are sounds that can transport us to a different time.
For some, their favorite typewriter era is the 1930’s, or even earlier, to just after the turn of the 20th Century. Some of these folks look down on machines from later periods – especially the 1960’s, 70’s, or 80’s. And while there is much room for debate over what is the “best” typewriter, or which is the “best” era, (to say nothing of which is the “best” brand of typewriter), I would like to take a moment to speak in praise of electric typewriters in general.
The IBM Selectric with its game changing, easily swap-able, “golf ball” typing element, is almost synonymous today with the very idea of an electric typewriter. And it is a fabulous machine. Despite, or perhaps even because of, its labyrinthine interior collection of 3000+ moving parts, this analog computer is an unrivaled mechanical masterpiece.
But today, I come to praise, not just the Selectric, but its forebears and rivals – the many other electric models with traditional type slugs and segments. Generally speaking these machines arose in the late 1950’s with offerings from IBM and Smith Corona being the most commonly seen here in the United States.
The Smith Corona Electric typewriter was born when a clever engineering team figured out how to attach a small, quiet, electric motor in the empty space already present in the company’s line of Model 5 typewriters (Silent Super, Silent, Sterling etc). Adding an electric motor added a little weight to the machine, but it delivered a rapid typing speed, the ability to truly moderate the feel or “touch” of the machine by simply turning a dial, the ability to increase or decrease the typing force delivered to the platen (useful for making copies through multiple carbon sheets), and a much more consistent typewritten output.
The last benefit, the ability to deliver a consistent strike of the platen for every keystroke, was truly revolutionary. It equalized typing for the masses. For with an electric typewriter, inexperienced typists or those who suffer from poor physical typing technique, could produce clear consistent results even if they did not strike (or more accurately with an electric machine) gently press the keys on their typewriters.
So if you love typewriters, but think the electrics are perhaps too modern. Give the electrics another look. And embrace the Electric Typewriter Revolution!
