Unique Creations from Past Tense Typewriters.
Disclaimer: many typewriters were harmed in the building of this website, and in these sculptures. Typewriter purists and collectors may hate what I do, and I get that; these mechanical marvels are works of art in their own right and should be preserved, used, displayed, and loved. And I do just that, proudly displaying about 20+ gems within a paper toss away from me right now, plus over 100 intact typewriters scattered around the house in various shades of operability. Yes, my wife is amazing and patient.
But there is a certain awe in stripping down a rusty 1920 Royal 10 to the last dirty spring, laying out the unique interworking elements of this world-changing invention, and suddenly seeing ideas come together as the mind and fingers create something new.
The respect, admiration, and reverence I have for the engineers and assemblers – and for the millions and millions of machines produced in this era – is deep and wide. That’s why I have so many working (and partially working) typewriters around me, and why I half-joke that I am preparing for Y3K with a stockpile of history’s best and safest mode of communication.
It’s also why, agree with me or not, I’m okay with taking apart a beyond-repair dozen-decade-old Oliver 9 and being innovative with the parts. Rest in pieces, faithful servant, you served us well. Oliver, Remington, Royal, Underwood, Hermes, Smith Corona, Olivetti, Fox, Olympia, Adler, Brother, heck even Montgomery Ward and Sears and hundreds of long-forgotten brands all churned out millions and millions of manual typewriters in their day,
These are my sculptures to date, built in my basement workshop (aka, old ping pong table), with embarrassingly intermingled parts from now-forgotten-which brand/make/model they came from. There is never any soldering either, and I try to only use existing holes, bolts, screws, nuts, etc. (though I admit I have to use wire or a longer bolt and nut occasionally though.) For the typewriter purists/preservers, I make no apologies for what I create, and I don’t read comments online so feel free to say what you will if it makes you feel better. Creating these kept me sane through this pandemic and it will do so again in the next one. And get me through Y3K, with more than a little luck. So I welcome you to browse and hopefully enjoy.
By the way, I’m sorry that I don’t sell my sculptures; I mainly give them away as gifts to family and friends, or keep them for myself. Maybe that will change someday, but maybe not. 🙂