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A Brief History of the Typewriter:
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In 1829, William Austin Burt patented a machine called the "Typographer" and is often recognized as the first documented "index" typewriter. However, many inventors lay claim to the first "keyboard" typewriter, so its provenance is not certain. The first commercially successful typewriter was invented in 1857 by Christopher Sholes, Carlos Glidden and Samuel W. Soule in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The patent of this machine was sold to the Remington Company which produced its first typewriter in March 1873 in New York with the now universally accepted standard QWERTY keyboard design which was adopted by the typewriter manufacturers that followed.
Around 1910, the manual typewriter, or mechanical typewriter as it is often referred to, had evolved into a standard design. And despite some variations from one manufacturer to the next, these desktop typewriters became known as Standard Machines. The use of an ink ribbon (some in black and others were in a combination of black and red - used for bookkeeping purposes), the carriage return, the shift key, the platen (paper roller), and the typebar were all common characteristics of these early standard machines. The early standard machines required the user to make deliberate key strokes in order to have the keys crisply imprint the paper. As typewriter designs improved, manufacturers sought to address these issues and introduced silent or noiseless versions after World War I.
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We offer the following Antique Typewriters:
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About Our Antique Typewriters:
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We acquire our antique typewriters from original owners, estate sales and auctions
and discriminantly select only those machines that we believe will appeal to our customers.
After an initial inspection and comprehensive cleaning we then grade our antique typewriters using the scale below. Those typewriters classified as either Platinum, Gold or Silver are then restored to their near original condition by professional typewriter technicians. Each typewriter is gently cleaned with non-abrassive chemicals and
solvents, oiled, mechanically adjusted and restored using original
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parts. We strive to retain the original decals and stencils on each typewriter. For each individual typewriter we identify any marks or blemishes where applicable to ensure you are aware of the overall condition of the antique typewriter in question prior to ordering.
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How we rate our Antique Typewriters:
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Platinum: These typewriters are in either Near Mint or Restored condition and may show slight cosmetic defects attributable to the age of the typewriter not due to negligence or human intervention.
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Gold: These typewriters are in Very Good
condition and may show some cosmetic defects attibutable to age and human
intervention, but the functionality and overall cosmetic integrity is very good.
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Silver: These typewriters are in Good
condition and may have some cosmetic defects but are in overall good working order.
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Bronze: These typewriters are in Average
condition and may have several cosmetic and functional defects and may require restoration or could best serve as a non-functional antique display piece.
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Nickel: These typewriters are in Poor
condition and may exhibit several cosmetic and functional defects. Some or many parts may be rusted. These could best serve for restoration parts or for your own vintage project.
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