1 of 1- OldGreyBeard
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Use of typewriters in local government
I was researching in the minutes of my local Council in the County Record Office today. I got back to 1919 having started in a previous visit in 1974. When do you suppose the Urban District Council started using a typewriter instead of handwriting the minutes? 1920? 1930? No, 1945
- Uwe
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Re: Use of typewriters in local government
Interesting. Were you looking at the originals, or electronic copies? I almost asked if they were on microfiche, which would have really dated me.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- OldGreyBeard
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Re: Use of typewriters in local government
The originals. On good quality paper. The typed volumes were usually stencil copies (Gestetner?) and the handwritten ones were bound ledgers with numbered pages. Quite heavy! And a lovely smell.
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Thread Starter- Uwe
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Re: Use of typewriters in local government
Were you made to wear white cotton gloves, for the handwritten ledgers? I'm sure the typed versions were interesting to look at in their own right. Any typos? What colour was the text? And I assume it was slightly smudgy, or fat in appearance to tip off that they were stencil cut copies?
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- OldGreyBeard
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Re: Use of typewriters in local government
I didn't have to wear gloves but I did need to wash my hands afterwards. The quality of the typing was very high, the colour was black and clearly from a stencil although in some cases they were top copies.
The handwritten ledgers were accounting books with pre-numbered pages.
A fascinating window into the recent past. I was just astonished that a typewriter wasn't used until 1945. Perhaps it was a war surplus one!
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Thread Starter- RWWGreene
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Re: Use of typewriters in local government
Way up here in New England, some govts are still using typewriters to fill in forms.
- OldGreyBeard
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Re: Use of typewriters in local government
The minutes are still printed out and hand signed and its the signed physical copy that is the official record.
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