Computers & Business Machines

Apple II Personal Computer

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

Topic: Typewriters

Hartford Typewriter

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

Harris Visible Typewriter No. 4

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

Yost 1 Typewriter

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

Hansen Writing Ball Patent Model

This typewriter patent model accompanied the patent application of Hans R. Malling J. Hansen of Copenhagen, Denmark in his patent application that received patent number 125,952 on April 23, 1872.
Description
This typewriter patent model accompanied the patent application of Hans R. Malling J. Hansen of Copenhagen, Denmark in his patent application that received patent number 125,952 on April 23, 1872. The model only shows a portion of the machine, with three letters in the “type-ball.” This patent was one of the earlier designs of Hansen’s unique writing ball typewriter. In his patent Hansen claimed the combination of converging types arranged circularly that met at the same point. Hansen also claimed the use of a spring or electro-magnet as a means of paper carriage movement. The electromagnet in the typewriter operated by closing the circuit on each descent of the type before it makes it impression on the paper. Closing the circuit causes an attraction of the armature of the magnet, moving the drum before the type hits. After the drum moved a full line, the mechanism would move it down a line.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1872-04-23
1872
patent date
1872-04-23
maker
Hansen, Hans R. M. J.
inventor
Hansen, Hans R. M. J.
ID Number
ME.308874
catalog number
308874
patent number
125,952
accession number
89797
patent number
125,952

Lucien S. Crandall Typewriter Patent Model

Lucien Stephen Crandall of New York, New York received patent number 251,338 on December 20th, 1881 for this type-writing machine patent model design.
Description
Lucien Stephen Crandall of New York, New York received patent number 251,338 on December 20th, 1881 for this type-writing machine patent model design. Crandall described his invention as a “design to furnish a typewriting machine of simple and cheaper construction and with a greater range of type, combining upper and lower case letters, figures, and punctuation marks, and working them all with one set of keys merely.” The design had two interesting elements, the first being what Crandall called a “type-sleeve,” which allowed the printing of both lower-case and capital letters. The type-sleeve was covered with raised characters that wrapped around the sleeve arranged so that the most frequently used letters are in the center of the row requiring less shifting of the sleeve. The capital letters and numerals were not activated by a shift key, but rather a laterally-oscillating key-lever (the gold switch on the upper left of the model) that moved the type-sleeve. You would move the switch one way to activate the numerals and punctuation, and the other way to activate the capital letters. The keyboard for Crandall’s machine was arranged in a non-QWERTY fashion.
Lucien S. Crandall held several other patents for typewriters and typewriter improvements. The Crandall Machine Company of Groton, New York was founded in 1879 to produce Crandall’s machine. The first Crandall typewriter was manufactured in 1881, which was said to look very similar to the patent model displayed in object ME*251217. The New Model Crandall was marketed in 1885, and has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful early typewriters ever produced with inlaid mother of pearl in the casing, decorative flower motifs, and its elegant black keyboard (notably two rows and non-QWERTY). Crandall produced two more models, the Universal No. 3 in 1893, and the Improved Crandall in 1895. The company ceased operation by 1899.
Location
Currently not on view
patent date
1881-12-20
maker
Crandall, Lucien S.
ID Number
ME.251217
catalog number
251217
accession number
48865
patent number
251338

Hammond Multiplex Typewriter

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

Remington Standard No. 2 Typewriter

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

Standard Folding Typewriter

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

IBM Electromatic Typewriter

This is an Electromatic brand electric typewriter. The Electromatic typewriter was first manufactured in 1924 by the North East Electric Company. The North East Electric Company produced the motor and base, and used a Remington model 12 as the typewriter.
Description
This is an Electromatic brand electric typewriter. The Electromatic typewriter was first manufactured in 1924 by the North East Electric Company. The North East Electric Company produced the motor and base, and used a Remington model 12 as the typewriter. The North East Electric Company became the Electromatic Typewriter Company before being purchased by IBM in 1933. The Electromatic operated with a motor controlling all aspects of typing, from the type bar to the carriage returns, allowing the user to operate the typewriter without their fingers ever leaving the keyboard. This typewriter was once used by the United States Navy.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1933
ID Number
1993.0278.01
catalog number
1993.0278.01
accession number
1993.0278
serial number
84032

John M. Joy Teletypewriter Patent Model

This teletypewriter model was made by John M. Joy of New York, New York and received patent number 676,137 on June 11, 1901.
Description
This teletypewriter model was made by John M. Joy of New York, New York and received patent number 676,137 on June 11, 1901. The patent was for improvements to a printing-telegraph receiver, “to provide a printing-telegraph receiver adapted to print lines transversely on a page of paper that can be operated with a minimum of power and at a high rate of speed, and one that is practically useful in connection with the distribution of news from a central station.” There is a label on the model that reads, “This unit is the property of the Page Machine Co., and is never sold.”
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
EM.320954
catalog number
320954
accession number
243599

Ideal Polyglott Typewriter

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

Victor Index Typewriter

This Victor index typewriter was manufactured by the Tilton Manufacturing Company of Boston, Massachusetts around 1889.
Description
This Victor index typewriter was manufactured by the Tilton Manufacturing Company of Boston, Massachusetts around 1889. The typewriter notably lacks a keyboard, and is called an “index” typewriter because you used your index finger to select the letters rather than striking a key. Bringing the selector over the character on the letter plate rotates the daisy wheel to the corresponding character. Pressing the inner left-hand key swung the hammer to strike the character, imprinting the type on the paper. The far left hand key served as the space bar. The daisy wheel used in this machines was such a brilliant design that it went on to be used in typewriters and printers in the 1970s and 1980s. The black metal body of the typewriter notes that the typewriter contains two patents, patented on August 13, 1889 and August 20, 1889. These corresponded to patent number 409128 and patent number 409289, patented by Charles E. Tilton and Arthur I. Jacobs, respectively. Jacobs assigned his patent to the Tilton Manufacturing Company while it was still located in Portland, Maine.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
ME.310347.02
catalog number
310347.02
accession number
117094

Keaton Music Typewriter

As typewriters developed during the 20th century, a class of music typewriters began to emerge. This is a Keaton Music Typewriter that was invented by Robert H. Keaton of San Francisco, California.
Description
As typewriters developed during the 20th century, a class of music typewriters began to emerge. This is a Keaton Music Typewriter that was invented by Robert H. Keaton of San Francisco, California. Keaton had two patents that covered his music typewriter, the first was given patent number 2,047,690 on July 14, 1936 and related to a 14 key music typewriter, and the second was given number 2,631,712 on March 17, 1953 and covered a 33 key music typewriter. The typewriter’s board held sheet music in place while a semicircle ring of keys containing notes and musical notation typebars could be maneuvered above the sheet music to create musical compositions.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Keaton Music Typewriter Company
ID Number
ME.330212
catalog number
330212
accession number
287938

Smith-Corona Marchant Electra Typewriter

This Electra brand typewriter was manufactured by the Smith-Corona Marchant Corporation during the 1960s. This Electra is an electric typewriter with a Dvorak keyboard layout. The popular QWERTY keyboard layout was invented primarily to prevent jams of the type bar.
Description
This Electra brand typewriter was manufactured by the Smith-Corona Marchant Corporation during the 1960s. This Electra is an electric typewriter with a Dvorak keyboard layout. The popular QWERTY keyboard layout was invented primarily to prevent jams of the type bar. The original keyboard layout was alphabetical and led to often-typed letter combinations jamming the typewriter. Moving these keys to different rows solved this jamming issue. When the Remington No. 2 became popular in 1878 with the QWERTY layout, it began to become an industry standard. The unscientific nature of this layout has led to several variants being developed in an effort to increase typing speed and typist comfort. The Dvorak keyboard was developed by August Dvorak in 1932, placing the most commonly used letters and digraphs on the middle “home” row, with all the vowels on the left. The QWERTY layout requires typists to move their fingers to the upper row, while the Dvorak layout results in 70% of keystrokes occurring on the home row (compared to 32% on QWERTY), reducing hand movement and increasing typing speed.
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
ID Number
1994.0237.01
catalog number
1994.0237.01
accession number
1994.0237

Samuel W. Francis Writing Machine

This is a typewriter patented by Dr. Samuel Ward Francis of Newport, Rhode Island in 1857.
Description
This is a typewriter patented by Dr. Samuel Ward Francis of Newport, Rhode Island in 1857. The patent received number 18,504 and claimed the principal improvements of arranging the hammers in a circle, a common printing center, with a key operation similar in manner to that of a piano. The typewriter consists of a wooden box with attached mechanism for typing. The ivory keyboard is similar to a piano's and extends the length of the front, earning the writing machine the “Literary Piano” nickname.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1857
maker
Francis, Dr. Samuel Ward
ID Number
ME.180060
catalog number
180060
accession number
21102

Corona Typewriter

This is a Corona Special typewriter that was manufactured by the L. C. Smith Corona Company during the 1920s. The Corona Special came in a variety of different colors besides gold including lavender, light maroon, channel blue, mountain ash scarlet, cream, and bruce green.
Description
This is a Corona Special typewriter that was manufactured by the L. C. Smith Corona Company during the 1920s. The Corona Special came in a variety of different colors besides gold including lavender, light maroon, channel blue, mountain ash scarlet, cream, and bruce green. The typewriter had a three-row QWERTY keyboard, and the typewriter’s carriage could fold down onto the keyboard making it compact and portable.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1920 - 1941
maker
L. C. Smith & Corona Typewriters Inc.
ID Number
ME.334780
catalog number
334780
accession number
314637
serial number
x646413

IBM Model C Electric Typewriter

This IBM Model C electric typewriter was manufactured by the IBM Company beginning in 1959.
Description
This IBM Model C electric typewriter was manufactured by the IBM Company beginning in 1959. The Model C Executive was an electric typewriter that included previous IBM innovations such as proportional letter spacing, cushioned carriage return, electric ribbon rewind, changeable typebars, and multiple copy control as well as new features such as a decelerator mechanism for noise reduction, a new touch control system, and a carbon ribbon feed to achieve book-style printing.
Originally founded in as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company in 1911, IBM began its venture into typewriter manufacturing with the acquisition of the Electromatic Typewriter Company in 1933. In 1935 IBM produced its first electric typewriter, the Model 01, which IBM considered a commercial success. IBM continued producing typewriters throughout the 20th century until 1990.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1981.0109.01
catalog number
1981.0109.01
accession number
1981.0109

Corona No. 3 Typewriter

This is a Corona Three folding typewriter that was manufactured by the Corona Typewriter Company of Groton, New York around 1930. The Corona Three was an extremely popular typewriter, produced from 1912 until 1941. This model has serial number 650136, dating it to 1930.
Description
This is a Corona Three folding typewriter that was manufactured by the Corona Typewriter Company of Groton, New York around 1930. The Corona Three was an extremely popular typewriter, produced from 1912 until 1941. This model has serial number 650136, dating it to 1930. 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
1924 - 1926
maker
L. C. Smith & Corona Typewriters Inc.
ID Number
ME.330702
catalog number
330702
accession number
296465
serial number
x650136

Hall Index Typewriter

Thomas Hall was awarded patent number 238,387 on March 1, 1881 for his “Type-Writer” design represented in this typewriter. The Hall Typewriter was manufactured by the Hall Typewriter Company of New York, New York, beginning in 1881.
Description
Thomas Hall was awarded patent number 238,387 on March 1, 1881 for his “Type-Writer” design represented in this typewriter. The Hall Typewriter was manufactured by the Hall Typewriter Company of New York, New York, beginning in 1881. The company moved from New York to Salem in 1887, then Boston in 1889, producing a similar model typewriter in all three locations. This Salem variant of the Hall index typewriter began to be produced in 1887. Index typewriters have no keyboard—the characters are selected by a pointer system. In the Hall index typewriter each hole on the grid corresponds to a character, pushing the key through the hole imprints the letter on the page and shifts the page over one space. This typewriter is contained in a wooden carrying case, with a metal handle and a metal plaque that bears the image of a feather with the inscription “HALL TYPE WRITER Co./TRADEMARK/SALEM, MASS.”
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Hall Typewriter Co.
ID Number
ME.314603
catalog number
314603
accession number
205421

IBM Electromatic

This electric typewriter was manufactured by the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation around 1935. IBM purchased Electromatic Typewriters, Inc. in 1933, taking over its Rochester, New York factory.
Description
This electric typewriter was manufactured by the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation around 1935. IBM purchased Electromatic Typewriters, Inc. in 1933, taking over its Rochester, New York factory. After a variety of improvements IBM issued the IBM Electric Typewriter Model 01 in 1935. The innovation of electric typewriters was that each type bar hit the paper with the same force, and that force was more powerful than manual typewriters. This was especially useful in business situations as multiple carbon copies could be produced. IBM continued producing typewriters, including the very popular Selectric model, throughout the 20th century until 1990.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1948
ca 1948
maker
International Business Machines Corp.
ID Number
ME.336753
catalog number
336753
accession number
1978.2227
serial number
156065

Remington Portable Typewriter

This Remington No. 1 portable typewriter was manufactured by the Remington Typewriter Company in 1923.
Description
This Remington No. 1 portable typewriter was manufactured by the Remington Typewriter Company in 1923. The Remington portable was first introduced in 1920, this machine bears the serial number NP-35788, dating it to January of 1923 and it was machine number 5,788 made in January of 1923. The Remington Portable had a gear-locking typebar mechanism, a red and black typewriter ribbon, and a four-row QWERTY keyboard.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1920 - 1929
ID Number
ME.333746
catalog number
333746
accession number
303153
serial number
NP35788

IBM Electromatic Typewriter

This Electromatic brand typewriter was manufactured by the International Business Machines Corporation beginning in 1935. The Electromatic typewriter was first manufactured in 1924 by the North East Electric Company.
Description
This Electromatic brand typewriter was manufactured by the International Business Machines Corporation beginning in 1935. The Electromatic typewriter was first manufactured in 1924 by the North East Electric Company. The North East Electric Company produced the motor and base, and used a Remington model 12 as the typewriter. The North East Electric Company became the Electromatic Typewriter Company before being purchased by IBM in 1933. In 1935 IBM produced the Electromatic Model 01 for the first time. The Electromatic operated with a motor controlling all aspects of typing, from the type bar to the carriage returns, allowing the user to operate the typewriter without their fingers ever leaving the keyboard.
This typewriter bears a label from the Rossford Ordnance Depot, a depot in Toledo, Ohio that was used to supply the military with jeeps and cars during World War II.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1941 - 1945
maker
International Business Machines Corp.
ID Number
ME.325366
catalog number
325366
accession number
254085
serial number
11293060

Hammond Multiplex Typewriter

This Hammond Multiplex typewriter was manufactured by the Hammond Typewriter Company of New York during the 1920s.
Description
This Hammond Multiplex typewriter was manufactured by the Hammond Typewriter Company of New York during the 1920s. The typewriter uses Hammond’s patented type-shuttle and hammer typing mechanism where the printing is done by a hammer in the back of the machine striking a type-carrying shuttle in the center of the machine, with the paper and ink ribbon in between to receive the impression. This Hammond Multiplex contains two additional Hammond innovations. It is called a Multiplex because the typewriter contains two type shuttles that can easily be rotated into use, allowing the typing of two complete alphabets in different typesets on each machine. This Hammond had keystrokes and carriage returns powered by a General Electric motor.
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.322887
catalog number
322887
accession number
249411
serial number
239265

Franklin Typewriter

This Franklin typewriter was manufactured by the Franklin Typewriter Company of New York, New York around 1898. The design for the Franklin typewriter was patented by Wellington P. Kidder, receiving patent number 464,504 on December 8, 1891.
Description
This Franklin typewriter was manufactured by the Franklin Typewriter Company of New York, New York around 1898. 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 was a series of radial type-bars that carried a plurality of types. 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 Victor 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. This typewriter is similar in style to models 7 and 8, produced from 1898 until 1904.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1898
maker
Franklin Manufacturing Company
ID Number
ME.318462
catalog number
318462
accession number
235473

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