Computers & Business Machines

Imagine the loss, 100 years from now, if museums hadn't begun preserving the artifacts of the computer age. The last few decades offer proof positive of why museums must collect continuously—to document technological and social transformations already underway.

The museum's collections contain mainframes, minicomputers, microcomputers, and handheld devices. Computers range from the pioneering ENIAC to microcomputers like the Altair and the Apple I. A Cray2 supercomputer is part of the collections, along with one of the towers of IBM's Deep Blue, the computer that defeated reigning champion Garry Kasparov in a chess match in 1997. Computer components and peripherals, games, software, manuals, and other documents are part of the collections. Some of the instruments of business include adding machines, calculators, typewriters, dictating machines, fax machines, cash registers, and photocopiers

This Corona typewriter was manufactured by the Corona Typewriter Company, Inc. of Groton, New York sometime around 1923-1925. The typewriter is a front-striking model with a three row QWERTY keyboard, likely the Corona No.
Description
This Corona typewriter was manufactured by the Corona Typewriter Company, Inc. of Groton, New York sometime around 1923-1925. The typewriter is a front-striking model with a three row QWERTY keyboard, likely the Corona No. 3 although it lacks the “3” numbering on the frame below the spacebar. The Standard Typewriting Company began producing a folding model of typewriter in Groton around 1907.
The success of the Standard Typewriter Company’s Corona model typewriter prompted the company to change its named to the Corona Typewriting Company in 1914. In 1926 the company joined with the L. C. Smith & Brothers Typewriting company to become Smith-Corona. Smith-Corona manufactured typewriters and typewriter accessories throughout the 20th century, becoming Smith Corona Marchant in 1958. After two bankruptcies, Smith-Corona returned to operation in 2010 as a thermal paper manufacturing company.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1923 - 1925
maker
Corona Typewriter Company
ID Number
ME.336759
catalog number
336759
accession number
1978.2479
serial number
590430
This is a Corona Three folding typewriter that was manufactured by Corona Typewriter Company of Groton, New York around 1920. The Corona Three was an extremely popular typewriter, produced from 1912 until 1941. This model has serial number 394384, dating it to 1920.
Description
This is a Corona Three folding typewriter that was manufactured by Corona Typewriter Company of Groton, New York around 1920. The Corona Three was an extremely popular typewriter, produced from 1912 until 1941. This model has serial number 394384, dating it to 1920. This typewriter’s platen and carriage can fold down to rest on the keyboard, allowing it to become compact and portable.
The success of the Standard Typewriter Company’s Corona Three model typewriter prompted the company to change its name to the Corona Typewriting Company in 1914. In 1926 the company joined with the L. C. Smith & Brothers Typewriting company in to become Smith-Corona. Smith-Corona manufactured typewriters and typewriter accessories throughout the 20th century, becoming Smith Corona Marchant in 1958. After two bankruptcies, Smith Corona returned to operation in 2010 as a thermal paper manufacturing company.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1920 - 1929
maker
L. C. Smith & Corona Typewriters Inc.
ID Number
ME.326636
catalog number
326636
accession number
261574
serial number
394384
This Royal Standard Typewriter was manufactured by the Royal Typewriter Company of New York, New York beginning in 1906. This typewriter is the original Royal Standard model, which was soon followed by a Royal Standard model number 1.
Description
This Royal Standard Typewriter was manufactured by the Royal Typewriter Company of New York, New York beginning in 1906. This typewriter is the original Royal Standard model, which was soon followed by a Royal Standard model number 1. The Royal Standard typewriter was a flatbed model with a QWERTY keyboard that featured visible writing. Early typewriters had upwards striking typebars that required the typist to lift the carriage to see what they had written.
The Royal Typewriter Company was founded in 1906 by Thomas Fortunes Ryan and Edward B. Hess, with Ryan providing the capital and Hess providing the inventiveness. Hess owned over 150 patents, many of which were assigned to the Royal Typewriter Company. Hess’s most noteworthy patents related to increasing the ease of typing, including an accelerating typebar, anti friction roller escapement, Magic Margins, and selective touch control. In 1954 Royal merged with the McBee Corporation, operating as Royal Mcbee until 1964. In 1964 Royal McBee was acquired by Litton Industries, which used Royal as a brand until 1968.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1982.0201.04
accession number
1982.0201
catalog number
1982.0201.04
serial number
15995
The Blickensderfer Model 8 typewriter was manufactured by the Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company of Stamford, Connecticut beginning in 1908.
Description
The Blickensderfer Model 8 typewriter was manufactured by the Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company of Stamford, Connecticut beginning in 1908. The Blickensderfer was advertised as having one quarter of the parts that other typewriters used, allowing for easier operation, maintenance, and repair. Other features include a tabulator and a scaled with slots for carriage stops. Blickensderfer typewriters also had a patented type action using their patented “type wheel,” a metal wheel containing all the characters which would rotate and strike the paper to create the inked mark. The type wheel allowed for easier type alignment, less jamming, and an easier way to change type fonts. The simplicity of the Blickensderfer made it portable, and this model had a wooden cover with a leather handle for easy carrying. While QWERTY keyboards could be ordered, by default most Blickensderfer typewriters eschewed the QWERTY keyboard in favor of a “Scientific” keyboard that put the most used letters “D, H, I, A, T, E, N, S, O, and R” on the bottom row nearest the space bar to minimize hand movement.
George C. Blickensderfer founded the Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company in Stamford, Connecticut in 1893. The Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company produced nine different models of typewriters, including an electric typewriter, and operated until George Blickenderfer’s death in 1917. The company was reformed as the Blick Typewriter Company for a few years before the Blickensderfer patents and designs were sold and manufactured by a variety of different companies.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1981.0653.01
accession number
1981.0653
catalog number
1981.0653.01
The Wellington No. 2 typewriter was invented by Wellington P. Kidder in 1892. Kidder has already invented the Franklin typewriter before moving on to invent this thrust-action typewriter. The typewriter received patent number 471,794 on March 29, 1892.
Description
The Wellington No. 2 typewriter was invented by Wellington P. Kidder in 1892. Kidder has already invented the Franklin typewriter before moving on to invent this thrust-action typewriter. The typewriter received patent number 471,794 on March 29, 1892. The typewriter was produced until the early 20th century as the Wellington in the United States, the Empire in Canada, and the Adler in Germany.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
ME.322802
catalog number
322802
accession number
249566
serial number
4443
This Corona Four model typewriter was manufactured by the Corona Typewriter Company Incorporated of Groton, New York around 1924. The Corona Four had a smaller frame to allow portability.
Description
This Corona Four model typewriter was manufactured by the Corona Typewriter Company Incorporated of Groton, New York around 1924. The Corona Four had a smaller frame to allow portability. The Corona Four had 42 full size keys, a 10-inch carriage, a 2-color ribbon, and an accelerating type bar action.
The success of the Standard Typewriter Company’s Corona model typewriter prompted the company to change its named to the Corona Typewriting Company in 1914. In 1926 the company joined with the L. C. Smith & Brothers Typewriting company to become Smith-Corona. Smith-Corona manufactured typewriters and typewriter accessories throughout the 20th century, becoming Smith Corona Marchant in 1958. After two bankruptcies, Smith-Corona returned to operation in 2010 as a thermal paper manufacturing company.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1925
maker
Corona Typewriter Company
ID Number
ME.308355
catalog number
308355
accession number
85488
This New Franklin typewriter was manufactured by the Franklin Typewriter Company of New York, New York around 1904. The design for the Franklin typewriter was patented by Wellington P. Kidder, receiving patent number 464,504 on December 8, 1891.
Description
This New Franklin typewriter was manufactured by the Franklin Typewriter Company of New York, New York around 1904. The design for the Franklin typewriter was patented by Wellington P. Kidder, receiving patent number 464,504 on December 8, 1891. The main feature of the Franklin typewriter is its series of radial type bars that carry multiple typefaces. The curved Franklin keyboard remains one of its most distinctive features.
The Tilton Manufacturing Company of Boston, Massachusetts was originally assigned patents to both the Victor Index Typewriter (invented by Arthur Jacobs in 1889) and the Franklin typewriter (invented by Wellington Kidder in 1891). Eventually, both these typewriters were sold by their own companies, with the Victor Typewriter Company staying in Boston and the Franklin Typewriter Company moving to New York. The Franklin Typewriter Company began producing Franklin Typewriters in 1892, releasing numerous models before the company went bankrupt in 1904. The Victor Typewriter Company of Boston absorbed the interests of the Franklin Typewriter Company in 1907 and moved into its New York factory and offices at 812 and 814 Greenwich Street, producing its new visible frontstriking typewriter Victor No.1 that same year.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1904
maker
Franklin Typewriter Manufacturing Company
ID Number
1981.0107.01
accession number
1981.0107
catalog number
1981.0107.01
81.0107.01
This Remington Standard Model Number 6 typewriter was manufactured by the Remington Standard Typewriter Company around 1894.
Description
This Remington Standard Model Number 6 typewriter was manufactured by the Remington Standard Typewriter Company around 1894. The Model Number 6 contained many improvements to Remington’s previous models including an improved cylinder, improved spacing mechanism, improved paper carriage, and adjustable paper guides. Many of these improvements were due to the inventiveness of Remington mechanist George B. Webb.
The first commercially successful typewriter was designed by Christopher Sholes and Carlos Glidden and manufactured by gunmakers E. Remington and Sons in 1874 in Ilion, New York. The typewriters manufactured by E. Remington and Sons had been sold by the company Wyckoff, Seamans & Benedict since 1882. In 1886 E. Remington and Sons sold the entirety of their typewriter interests to Wyckoff, Seamans & Benedict. Wyckoff, Seamans & Benedict manufactured their typewriters under the Remington Standard Typewriter Company name beginning in 1892. The company became the Remington Typewriter Company in 1902, before merging with the Rand Kardex Company in 1927 to become Remington Rand. The Remington Rand plaque on the typewriter would have been a later addition to the Standard No. 6. Remington Rand continued to sell typewriters until around 1955, when it was acquired by the Sperry Corporation.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1904
maker
Wyckoff, Seamans & Benedict
ID Number
ME.311041
catalog number
311041
accession number
136288
serial number
123640
The Blickensderfer Model 8 typewriter was manufactured by the Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company of Stamford, Connecticut beginning in 1908. The appeal of the Blickensderfer was its simplified mechanical operation.
Description
The Blickensderfer Model 8 typewriter was manufactured by the Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company of Stamford, Connecticut beginning in 1908. The appeal of the Blickensderfer was its simplified mechanical operation. The Blickensderfer was advertised as having one quarter of the parts that other typewriters used, allowing for easier operation, maintenance, and repair. Blickensderfers used their patented “type wheel,” a metal wheel containing all the characters, which would rotate and strike the paper. The type wheel allowed for easier type alignment, less jamming, and an easy way to change type fonts. The simplicity of the Blickensderfer allowed it to be portable, and this model has a wooden cover with a leather handle for easy carrying. While QWERTY keyboards could be ordered, by default most Blickensderfer typewriters eschewed the QWERTY keyboard in favor of a “Scientific” keyboard that put the most used letters “D, H, I, A, T, E, N, S, O, and R” on the bottom row nearest the space bar to minimize hand movement.
George C. Blickensderfer founded the Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company in Stamford, Connecticut in 1893. The Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company produced nine different models of typewriters, including an electric typewriter, and operated until George Blickenderfer’s death in 1917. The company was reformed as the Blick Typewriter Company, and in the following years the Blickensderfer patents and designs were manufactured by a variety of different companies.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1890 - 1895
maker
Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company
ID Number
ME.319568
catalog number
319568
accession number
238761
The Blickensderfer typewriter No. 6 was manufactured by the Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company of Stamford, Connecticut from 1910 to around 1928. The Blickenderfer No. 6 was essentially the Blickensderfer No.
Description
The Blickensderfer typewriter No. 6 was manufactured by the Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company of Stamford, Connecticut from 1910 to around 1928. The Blickenderfer No. 6 was essentially the Blickensderfer No. 5 in an aluminum frame, and could be ordered with either a standard QWERTY keyboard or a DHIATENSOR keyboard. This model has the DHIATENSOR keyboard, which Blickensderfer called their “scientific” keyboard because the most used letters—“D, H, I, A, T, E, N, S, O, and R”—were on the bottom row nearest the space bar to minimize necessary hand movement. The aluminum frame of the No. 6 made it exceptionally portable, weighing only 5 pounds, and came in a leatherette case for easy carrying.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1895
maker
Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company
ID Number
ME.310701.A
catalog number
310701.A
accession number
125450
This Standard Number 2 typewriter was manufactured by E. Remington and Sons around 1878. The Standard No. 2 was one of the first commercially successful typewriters, refined from the original designs of Christopher Sholes and Carlos S.
Description
This Standard Number 2 typewriter was manufactured by E. Remington and Sons around 1878. The Standard No. 2 was one of the first commercially successful typewriters, refined from the original designs of Christopher Sholes and Carlos S. Glidden in the Sholes and Glidden typewriter. The Remington 2 was an upstriking machine—the carriage held the paper type-side down—and the keys would rise up and strike the paper through the ink ribbon from the bottom. This required typists to raise the carriage if they ever wanted to see what was written. The Remington 2 had a QWERTY keyboard, and its commercial success led to it being adopted as a standard, even as its design was primarily to prevent the type bars from jamming and not to increase typing speed or ease of use. This model has four keys that project from below the keyboard that operated to stop the carriage at proper positions for tabulating and billing.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
ME.310677
catalog number
310677
accession number
122901
This Royal KHM model typewriter was produced by the Royal Typewriter Company of Hartford, Connecticut in 1934.
Description
This Royal KHM model typewriter was produced by the Royal Typewriter Company of Hartford, Connecticut in 1934. The Royal KHM was very similar to the Royal 10, but notable differences include plastic instead of glass sides, no scooped center, and covered ribbon spools.
The Royal Typewriter Company was founded in 1906 by Thomas Fortunes Ryan and Edward B. Hess, with Ryan providing the capital and Hess providing the inventiveness. Hess owned over 150 patents, many of which were assigned to the Royal Typewriter Company. Hess’s most noteworthy patents related to increasing the ease of typing, including an accelerating typebar, anti friction roller escapement, Magic Margins, and selective touch control. In 1954 Royal merged with the McBee Corporation, operating as Royal Mcbee until 1964. In 1964 Royal McBee was acquired by Litton Industries, which used Royal as a brand until 1968.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Royal Typewriter Company
ID Number
ME.311042
catalog number
311042
accession number
136502
serial number
KH1758925
This is a Smith & Corona Silent typewriter manufactured by around 1934. The model was made to be portable, and operate quietly thanks to the Smith Floating Shift used in the machine (note the cursive word “Floating” above the shift key).
Description
This is a Smith & Corona Silent typewriter manufactured by around 1934. The model was made to be portable, and operate quietly thanks to the Smith Floating Shift used in the machine (note the cursive word “Floating” above the shift key). When the shift key was invented, it originally shifted the cylinder, or platen, to be struck in a new position by the capital letters on a typebar. The floating shift moved the typebars up and down instead, allowing for a smoother typing action. The four row keyboard has a QWERTY layout.
The success of the Standard Typewriter Company’s Corona model typewriter prompted the company to change its named to the Corona Typewriting Company in 1914. In 1926 the company joined with the L. C. Smith & Brothers Typewriting company in to become Smith-Corona. Smith-Corona manufactured typewriters and typewriter accessories throughout the 20th century, becoming Smith Corona Marchant in 1958. After two bankruptcies, Smith Corona returned to operation in 2010 as a thermal paper manufacturing company.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1934
maker
Smith & Corona Typewriters
ID Number
ME.336760
catalog number
336760
accession number
1978.2479
serial number
50911
This Vari-Typer electric typewriter was made by the Ralph C. Coxhead Corporation in New York, New York around the late 1937. The Vari-Typer was based on the body of a Hammond No. 2 typewriter, which had an unusual typing mechanism.
Description
This Vari-Typer electric typewriter was made by the Ralph C. Coxhead Corporation in New York, New York around the late 1937. The Vari-Typer was based on the body of a Hammond No. 2 typewriter, which had an unusual typing mechanism. Instead of the character striking the paper from the front of the machine, the printing is done by a hammer in the back of the machine striking a type-carrying shuttle in the front of the machine, with the paper and ink ribbon in between to receive the impression. The Vari-Typer was so named because it had the ability to print in a variety of typesets in various sizes, including math formulae, special symbols, and foreign characters with an easy replacement of the type shuttle. The Vari-Typer would make direct impressions of the character on the paper that could then be reproduced by a variety of processes including litho-plates, mimeo stencils or photo-offset printing. This Vari-Typer is an electric typewriter that would automatically rewind the carriage at the end of each line.
The type-shuttle and hammer typing mechanism present in the Vari-Typer evolved from the Hammond typewriter invented by James Bartlett Hammond in 1884. James Hammond founded the Hammond Typewriter Company to produce typewriters with his patented mechanism, which enjoyed success in the late 19th and early 20th century, winning the gold medal at the New Orleans Centennial Exposition. Much could be said about Hammond’s affairs towards the end of his life, but the story of the Vari-Typer merely depends on Hammond’s patents passing to the Frederick Hepburn Company, and then ending up in the hands of the Ralph Coxhead Corporation around 1929, the company that eventually produced this Vari-Typer.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Ralph C. Coxhead Corporation
ID Number
ME.314891
catalog number
314891
accession number
212172
Charles Spiro was the inventor of a variety of typewriters including the Columbia, the Bar-Lock, and this Visigraph. Spiro held a variety of patents relating to the Visigraph, and had begun production by 1910.
Description
Charles Spiro was the inventor of a variety of typewriters including the Columbia, the Bar-Lock, and this Visigraph. Spiro held a variety of patents relating to the Visigraph, and had begun production by 1910. This typewriter was manufactured by the Visigraph Typewriter Company sometime before 1919, when the Visigraph Typewriter Company reorganized as the C. Spiro Manufacturing Company. The Visigraph was a visible front-strike typewriter with a four-row QWERTY keyboard.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Visigraph Typewriter Company
ID Number
ME.326231
catalog number
326231
accession number
257824
serial number
12136
This is a Demountable typewriter that was manufactured by the Demountable Typewriter Company of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin during the 1920s. The Demountable was designed by DeWitt Clinton Harris who had previously brought the Harris Visible and the Rex Visible typewriters to market.
Description
This is a Demountable typewriter that was manufactured by the Demountable Typewriter Company of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin during the 1920s. The Demountable was designed by DeWitt Clinton Harris who had previously brought the Harris Visible and the Rex Visible typewriters to market. The Demountable bears a strong resemblance to these previous typewriters, but as the name suggests, the Demountable can be separated into three main components without the use of any tools. The Demountable could be separated into the frame unit, carriage unit, and the action unit, allowing for the replacement of parts as the type bars or platen wore out as well as allowing the use of different carriage lengths without having to buy a totally new machine.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Demountable Typewriter Company
ID Number
ME.334783
catalog number
334783
accession number
314637
serial number
125806
This is a Williams No. 6 typewriter that was manufactured by the Williams Typewriter Company of New York between 1904 and 1909. John N. Williams received patent number 501753 on July 18, 1893 for his type-writing machine invention.
Description
This is a Williams No. 6 typewriter that was manufactured by the Williams Typewriter Company of New York between 1904 and 1909. John N. Williams received patent number 501753 on July 18, 1893 for his type-writing machine invention. Prior to William’s design, most typewriters were blind-writing upstriking machines, forcing the typist to lift the platen to see their work. Williams’s design allowed for visible writing with an intriguing “grasshopper” typing mechanism. The typebars were arranged in two semi-circles around the platen and rested on an inking pad. When their key was struck, the typebar rose up and sprung forward to hit the paper, printing a visible line.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Williams Typewriter Company
ID Number
ME.326647
catalog number
326647
accession number
261226
serial number
41312
This Hartford No. 2 typewriter was manufactured by the Hartford Typewriter Company of Hartford, Connecticut between 1896 and 1901.
Description
This Hartford No. 2 typewriter was manufactured by the Hartford Typewriter Company of Hartford, Connecticut between 1896 and 1901. The Hartford was a blind-writing typewriter with upstriking typebars, with an interesting lever and rod connection between the keys and the typebars, seen in patent number 553,515 from January 28, 1896. The machine prominently featured a double keyboard, allowing it to print both upper case and lower case letters. In a time where visible typewriters with shift keys were being brought to market, a blind-writing double-keyed Hartford was behind the times and the company soon filed for bankruptcy.
Location
Currently not on view
associated person
Fairfield, John M.
ID Number
ME.329981
catalog number
329981
accession number
283426
This Harris Visible Typewriter No. 4 was produced by the Harris Typewriter Manufacturing Company of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, beginning in 1912 until around 1918. DeWitt C.
Description
This Harris Visible Typewriter No. 4 was produced by the Harris Typewriter Manufacturing Company of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, beginning in 1912 until around 1918. DeWitt C. Harris submitted a patent application on April 15, 1912 for improvements to a front-striking visible typewriter. The patent was granted patent number 1,115,311 on October 27, 1914 and mainly concerned the machine’s ease of assembly and repair. The patent described a typewriter with upper and lower actions that can be tested before the machine is fully assembled into the main metal frame of the typewriter. The three-bank keyboard is in the QWERTY layout, with left and right shift keys, shift lock, tabulator, back spacer, and marginal release. It has an 11-inch carriage and writes a line 9-inches long. While this model is Number 4, model numbers one through three never sold at retail and were likely early Harris prototypes. The Harris typewriter attempted to undercut the market, claiming to have all the features of a $100.00 machine, but selling for $39.80.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Harris Typewriter Manufacturing Company
ID Number
ME.314854
catalog number
314854
accession number
211302
This is a Yost Typewriter manufactured by the Yost Writing Machine Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The typewriter is the Yost 1, which was first produced in 1887.
Description
This is a Yost Typewriter manufactured by the Yost Writing Machine Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The typewriter is the Yost 1, which was first produced in 1887. The machine is an upstriking non-visible typewriter, but unlike the Sholes and Glidden design before it, the types were held to the side of the machine rather than hanging below. Resting against an inkpad, the key would pivot out horizontally before rising up vertically to strike the faceted platen. The double keyboard consists of 8 rows of keys in the QWERTY arrangement, the three upper black keys are upper case letters, and the three lower white keys are lowercase characters. The top row of keys is symbols and the second row is the numbers.
George W.N. Yost worked with a variety of early typewriting companies including Remington and Caligraph before starting his own company. The Yost Writing Machine Company operated from 1887 until 1924, when it ended production of its last typewriter model, the Yost 12. The September 30, 1895 New York Times obituary for George Yost reveals an interesting aspect of Yost’s later life. “Although a shrewd man of business, Mr. Yost had a tendency in his nature which led him into abstract speculation and made him a devoted Spiritualist.” The biggest example of Yost’s Spirtualist activities is a book entitled “Posthumous Memoirs of Helena Petrovna Blatatsky from the Spirit World upon the typewriter independent of contact under the supervision of G. W. N. Yost to bring the things of truth and affirm the continuity of life and activity of the soul immortal” which was composed on a new Yost typewriter during a séance in which noted Spiritualist Helena Blatatsky was claimed to have materialized.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
Yost Writing Machine Company
ID Number
ME.314928
catalog number
314928
accession number
212904
serial number
3471
This Hammond Multiplex typewriter was manufactured by the Hammond Typewriter Company of New York beginning in 1913. The typewriter uses Hammond’s patented type-shuttle and hammer typing mechanism.
Description
This Hammond Multiplex typewriter was manufactured by the Hammond Typewriter Company of New York beginning in 1913. The typewriter uses Hammond’s patented type-shuttle and hammer typing mechanism. The type shuttle is a curved piece of rubber/metal that rotates when the key is pressed to bring up the correct character. The printing is done by a hammer in the back of the machine striking the type-shuttle in the front of the machine, with the paper and ink ribbon in between to receive the impression. The typewriter is called a Multiplex because the typewriter contains two type shuttles in its central “turret” that can easily be rotated into use, allowing the typing of two complete alphabets in different typesets on each machine. The keyboard is in a three row QWERTY array.
James Bartlett Hammond filed patents for his type-shuttle and hammer typing mechanism present in Hammond typewriters in 1879, receiving patent number 224088 on February 3rd, 1880 and patent number 232402 September 21st, 1880. The Hammond Typewriter Company was founded in 1880, and produced its first machine by 1884, winning a gold medal at the New Orleans Centennial Exposition that same year. The Hammond Typewriter touted its superior strength and durability due to its unique type-shuttle and hammer typing mechanism. The replaceable type-shuttle also contributed to the Hammond’s popularity with the ability to print in a variety of typesets in various sizes, including math formulae, special symbols, and foreign characters with an easy replacement of the type shuttle, or an even simpler rotation of a wheel in the Hammond Multiplex.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
ME.334776
catalog number
334776
accession number
314637
serial number
AL 218262
This Standard Number 2 typewriter was manufactured by E. Remington and Sons in 1878. The Standard No. 2 was the first commercial typewriter, refined from the original designs of Christopher Sholes and Carlos S. Glidden.
Description
This Standard Number 2 typewriter was manufactured by E. Remington and Sons in 1878. The Standard No. 2 was the first commercial typewriter, refined from the original designs of Christopher Sholes and Carlos S. Glidden. The Remington 2 was an upstriking machine, the carriage held the paper type-side down, and the keys would rise up and strike the paper through the ink ribbon from the bottom. This required typists to raise the carriage if they ever wanted to see what was written. The carriage reads “Keep the machine free from dust. Clean all of the top rods—especially the Shifting rod—with a greasy cloth Every day.” The Remington 2 had a QWERTY keyboard, and its commercial success led to it being adopted as a standard, even as its design was primarily to prevent the type bars from jamming and not to increase typing speed or ease of use.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1878
maker
Remington
ID Number
ER.324140
accession number
253647
catalog number
324140
serial number
61892
The Standard Folding Typewriter was made by the Standard Typewriter Company of Groton, New York from around 1906 until 1912. The typewriter was made of aluminum and was relatively light weight, and was made to be portable by allowing the carriage to fold down onto the keyboard.
Description
The Standard Folding Typewriter was made by the Standard Typewriter Company of Groton, New York from around 1906 until 1912. The typewriter was made of aluminum and was relatively light weight, and was made to be portable by allowing the carriage to fold down onto the keyboard. The Standard Folding Typewriter was succeeded by the Corona Three folding typewriter.
The success of the Standard Typewriter Company’s Corona model typewriter prompted the company to change its named to the Corona Typewriting Company in 1914. In 1926 the company joined with the L. C. Smith & Brothers Typewriting company to become Smith-Corona. Smith-Corona manufactured typewriters and typewriter accessories throughout the 20th century, becoming Smith Corona Marchant in 1958. After two bankruptcies, Smith-Corona returned to operation in 2010 as a thermal paper manufacturing company.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1906
maker
Standard Typewriting Company
ID Number
ME.308353
catalog number
308353
accession number
85488
This is an Ideal Polyglott typewriter that was produced by Seidel and Naumann A.G. of Dresden, Germany between 1902 and 1913. The Ideal typewriter was patented by E. E. Barney and Frank Tanner, but production occurred in Dresden, German, beginning in 1900.
Description
This is an Ideal Polyglott typewriter that was produced by Seidel and Naumann A.G. of Dresden, Germany between 1902 and 1913. The Ideal typewriter was patented by E. E. Barney and Frank Tanner, but production occurred in Dresden, German, beginning in 1900. In 1902 Max Klaczko of Riga, Russia received a patent in Great Britain for an improvement in typewriting machines, allowing for two different languages to be printed with one key, doing away with changing typefaces or switching machines. This patent was incorporated into Seidel and Naumann’s typewriter, hence the name Polyglott (many tongues).
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Seidel and Naumann AG
ID Number
ME.321693
catalog number
321693
accession number
245476
serial number
94003

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