“Vintage typewriter” conjures up connotations of tapping keys, assertive strokes, and the feeling that what you are typing is real. The physical presence of your words through a typewriter, as well as the delightful announcement of the end of a line, can never be replaced by software programs that mysteriously lose your work into the digital abyss.
No wonder the literary greats composed works that still move us today! We can only imagine Hemingway, Steinbeck, Twain, and Orwell hunched over their machine of choice late into the night, with furrowed brows and their large, trusty waste paper baskets overflowing at their sides. If you are curious as to which piece of machinery your favorite Hemingway, Orwell, Steinbeck, or Twain novel was created on, here is an overview:
Ernest Hemingway: 1940s Royal
As one of the greatest American authors, Hemingway penned many of his novels on a Royal Quiet de Luxe, including Death in the Afternoon, Green Hills of Africa, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, and many others. Whether he was writing in Florida or Cuba, Hemingway utilized his trusty Royal typewriter to compose great American novels. In fact, in his Cuban home, Hemingway kept his Royal in his bedroom – one never knows when inspiration will strike!
Hemingway’s trusty Royal, still in its leather case, was recently sold at an auction for $2750 in 2007 – which seems like a steal for this vintage aficionado!
Hemingway’s Actual Typewriter via Havana Journal, Writing Desk via Mr. Typewriter, Bio Photo via Gary Scott Thompson
George Orwell: Remington Home Portable
George Orwell was an overworked journalist around the time he began working on “1984.” It has been said that his Remington Portable (model #2) was his “right hand man,” and that his preoccupation with both the machinery and “1984″ led to his early demise. By the time the novel was packaged up to send to the publishers, Orwell’s physical health had deteriorated, and he collapsed – never to pick up a pen or use the typewriter again.
There are several photographs in circulation of Orwell seated at the Remington. The typewriter is easily identified by the gold lettering above the keys, and by the retractable toolbar which was intended to lower the profile of the machine for travel.
George Orwell at his Remington via Orwell Today
John Steinbeck: Hermes Baby
In 1935, portable typewriters were hard to come by. Moise Paillard and the Thorens family sought to produce a typewriter which could be easily transported and used whilst traveling. When the dynamic duo collaborated with engineering expert Giuseppe Preziosa, the Hermes Baby portable sensation was born.
Both Steinbeck and Hemingway used the Hermes Baby amongst others, and the authentic Steinbeck typewriter is still situated in the Martha Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies. This institution is located at San Jose University, if you are interested in paying a visit.
Mark Twain: Sholes & Glidden
Twain is thought to be the first person to submit a typed novel to a publisher. “Life on the Mississippi” 1883 was a typed copy of a written manuscript, and in all honesty, the grunt work was probably not done by the great man himself.
Twain used a variation of the very first typewriter which was called the Sholes & Glidden Treadle Model (1874). What made this model so special was that the traditional foot pedal, which was used for providing quicker carriage return, had been substituted with a handle. In actuality, the typewriter looks strikingly similar to an old sewing machine.
It is actually quite a romantic notion to think of bare, dark, smoky rooms, sans computer, keyboard, and mouse. Some of the vintage typewriters used by the literary greats are available for sale, and others have been donated to public institutions.
Vintage typewriters are becoming highly collectible, and if you aspire to be like the literary greats, perhaps your next Pulitzer Prize winning piece will come from the keys and strokes of an antique typewriter. Check Poetic Home’s Etsy shop for vintage typewriters – the inventory is ever-changing, and one day, your inspirational typewriter may just be waiting to turn you into the next Hemmingway!
23 responses so far ↓
1 shaks // Sep 10, 2008 at 5:12 am
a very interesting feature
http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/
2 iCalvyn // Sep 10, 2008 at 3:20 pm
how much this kind of machine still worth?
3 Grace // Sep 10, 2008 at 4:15 pm
The value of a vintage typewriter depends on many factors, including its age, how rare the particular model is, and its current condition. Typewriters from the 1930s – 1950s in good working condition are frequently sold in online shops for $500 – $600, but of course, there are some that are worth much more, as well as much less.
4 Jon // Sep 10, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Such an interesting post – although, now somehow, when I type I feel rather under dressed in just a T-shirt and jeans. Hmm, maybe a blazer T-shirt and jeans next time.
5 Literary Geniuses and Their Vintage Typewriters « Poumista // Sep 11, 2008 at 2:51 pm
[...] Literary Geniuses and Their Vintage Typewriters At Poetic Home. Extract: [...]
6 Duc // Sep 11, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Grace, Great post and well put together! I didn’t know about Orwell and the Remington. Lately I’ve spotted some vintage in old movies.
-Duc
7 Grace // Sep 11, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Thanks Duc!! I did not know about Orwell and the Remington either until I began researching…it’s all so interesting with these literary moguls. How fun spotting vintage typewriters in old movies…that gives me a good excuse to pull up some black and whites this weekend
8 Janine // Sep 13, 2008 at 3:18 am
Excellent post!
9 Underwood No. 5 « Duc N. Ly // Sep 18, 2008 at 4:34 pm
[...] Grace’s Post: literary-geniuses-and-their-vintage-typewriters. Posted by ducly Filed in Diary Tags: Bridge, typewriter [...]
10 Tom Trusky // Oct 26, 2008 at 4:54 am
Will be recommending your site to my students next semester (spring 2009)–and hope you will correct Hemingway’s name (one “m,” please!) by that time. Hope to have a “QWERTY” site on my web page by then, too.
11 Dizi izle // Jan 8, 2009 at 5:15 am
who is the discoverer of qwerty?
12 Typelighters: Typewriters Working Double Duty as Lamps | Poetic Home {pH} Living in Vintage Poetry // Jan 27, 2009 at 11:56 am
[...] we certainly do not need any more reasons to crave these treasures, vintage typewriters continue to showcase their timeless appeal (and usefulness) as they transition from typewriters [...]
13 Library Servers // Feb 4, 2009 at 8:58 am
Grace, Great post and well put together! I didn’t know about Orwell and the Remington. Lately I’ve spotted some vintage in old movies.
14 Just Jack: Just What I Need | Poetic Home {pH} Living in Vintage Poetry // Feb 5, 2009 at 7:39 am
[...] Just Jack. How could you not fall in love with a British-DJ-turned-rapping-musician that features vintage typewriters in his music videos? Enjoy one of my favorite songs, “Writer’s Block,” and leave [...]
15 Don't Call Them Bookends...Try Book Beginnings | Poetic Home {pH} Living in Vintage Poetry // Feb 19, 2009 at 10:23 am
[...] a literal interpretation of bookends, why not use vintage typewriters? From my collection of antique typewriters, I borrowed two black Royals to make repurposed bookends. I think the end result is quite [...]
16 Season of Poetic Change | Poetic Home {pH} Living in Vintage Poetry // Apr 28, 2009 at 11:18 am
[...] Symbolized by the changing seasons, I have been contemplating new changes for Poetic Home that I sincerely hope you shall enjoy. I have sharpened my pencils, opened my drawer of art supplies, and spent more time with my vintage typewriters. [...]
17 lillian // May 9, 2009 at 7:51 pm
What? No lady novelists?
18 mental_floss Blog » The Quick 10: 10 Authors and their Typewriters // Jun 22, 2009 at 3:29 pm
[...] Steinbeck, Twain and Orwell pictures from Poetic Home. 21 Comments »Send this Post » Suggest a Topic/Link »function fbs_click() [...]
19 film izle // Jul 11, 2009 at 9:47 am
Excellent post!
20 videolar // Sep 10, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Ouch! Good article. Very informative thanks for this.
21 Sara O'Leary // Dec 2, 2009 at 2:41 am
We just acquired a lovely little Hermes Baby for the princely sum of five Canadian dollars. Pleased to hear it has such a fine literary pedigree!
http://123oleary.blogspot.com/2009/10/typing-manually.html
22 video seyret // Dec 8, 2009 at 2:27 am
Thanks a lot.Good information…
23 film izle // Jan 7, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Ouch! Good article. Very informative thanks for this.
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