“A typewriter has quite as much individuality as a man’s handwriting.” – Sherlock Holmes
Yes, I did it. I bought a vintage typewriter. Seriously I must be living in the past – I love bookbinding, handwritten letters, fountain pens and now typewriters. I recently shared that we watched the documentary “California Typewriter” and I had definitely been toying with the idea of getting a typewriter and then for Christmas my husband got me a couple of books on typewriters and I thought, that’s it. I’m getting one.
Of course I had a typewriter back in the late 80s but it was an Brother electric typewriter. I think I eventually gave that to one of my cousins at some point. Anyway over the holidays I spent hours looking for the right one. I knew what I wanted and I found it on Etsy.
Please meet my Olympia SM3 from 1956. It’s in great working condition and I’ve been having a blast playing with it. Granted, I think I didn’t realize how tiring it is to write on one. I type around 75 wpm but a manual typewriter takes a lot more energy to strike those keys.
For a bit of trivia, the Olympia typewriters were originally made in Berlin, Germany in 1903. The SM3 model has been favored by writers including Woody Allen, Don DeLillo, Robert Penn Warren, John Updike and Patricia Highsmith.
I’ll have to take a better picture of it later but right now my studio is a mess. As usual books and papers everywhere.
If you are curious about typewriters and would like to learn more I highly recommend watching the film. If you want some books to read on the history and see examples of different typewriters you can’t go wrong with The Typewriter Revolution or Typewriter. For a great read about how a typewriter in a bookstore led to building a community, check out Notes from a Public Typewriter.
Let me know if you’ve used a typewriter before and do you remember what kind it was? Would you ever use it again?
I’m with you; I’m a huge fan of handwriting and letters and typewriters. I have my dad’s Remington Rand from his college days after WWII. It needs some tweaking including a ribbon. I would love to have it refurbished. It would be a great project for this year.
I was wondering if you’d read Notes from a Public Typewriter as I was reading your post… then got to the end. Congratulations on finding the perfect typewriter!
I almost bought myself a typewriter for Christmas, but then decided I didn’t have room for it until I make some big rearrangements in my attic room. Yay, you for going ahead and making the step!
What fun!! I love the feel and sound of a typewriter and remember taking a typing class in high school (late 70s). I’m not sure how fast I type, but back then, I think I got to around 80 wpm.
What fun! I love that you did this. I still remember the sound and feel of using a typewriter like this in my much younger years. And I remember how excited I was when I got my first electric typewriter. LOL
Oh I miss those vintage typewriters and even my electric typewriter! I love the sound they made, too! Reading this post has brought back many wonderful memories! Thanks for sharing, Iliana!
I had an electric typewriter and loved it. In the early 90’s I bought 2 vintage typewriters. A few years ago I gave them away. I bought a copy of Notes from a Public Typewriter last year and started it but didn’t finish it. After reading your post I want to start over and finish it.
I had a Brother electric typewriter back in the day as well. I’m trying to remember if I had a manual one. I definitely remember banging away on one somewhere. Maybe it was my aunt’s. She still lived near us while she was getting her business administration degree when I was a kid. That would make sense. Have you read Tom Hanks’s book Uncommon Type? I haven’t but I remember that he included typewriters in it. Enjoy your new (to you) machine!
Where can you buy ribbons? That would be my only worry.
You can buy ribbons online and there are also computer keyboards you can buy that are like typewriter keyboards (with sounds and pressure alterations to make them mimic an old-fashioned typewriter) and apps you can use to adjust your existing keyboard to sound like a typewriter. Even though I’ve not done it for a long time, because it’s very noisy and everyone is stuck at home right now, I’ve found that using a typewriter can create a different kind of flow, which is sometimes helpful if I’m feeling that an idea or project is stuck. Enjoy your new toy!
Somehow I missed this post of yours. The typewriter idea looks like a fabulous one. I wanted to get one for ages, but then I settled for Tom Hanks’ Hanx Writer app (http://hanxwriter.com/) instead (which tries to imitate the typewriter effect).
I LOVE that you got a typewriter! That was my first typing device and I wish I had used it for longer but then computers invaded my space with full force. We are thinking of getting my daughter one for her next birthday but we’ll see.
Yay! I hope you are loving your typewriter! I have a vintage one too. I don’t use it very often because jeepers it’s a lot of work to press those keys! Computers have made my fingers weak. I’m not sure whether or not that is funny. :p