- thetypewriterman
- Key Master
Offline - From: Leiston, England
- Registered: 29-5-2013
- Posts: 919
Re: Old Typewriter Repair Shops...
I can only impart what little I know. The shop was certainly there in 1983, and was probably in existence a lot longer before that. I believe that when the original proprietor died, maybe 10 years ago, the family kept the shop going by making an arrangement with another typewriter engineer (who was working from home) to come in and man the shop a couple of days a week. This is why no-one ever answered the 'phone if you rang. The gentleman, who was himself elderly, eventually succumbed to ill health and had to retire both from his own business and from running Everest part-time. The shop itself was much smaller than the photos suggest. The building was a single storey tacked onto the end of a parade of shops, and was actually triangular, tapering away from the shop front. This was because the alley that you can see on the left of the pictures cut behind the property.
- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
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- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,370
Re: Old Typewriter Repair Shops...
Hi Tom,
Thanks for your time in providing a bit of history for the shop sign & photos. It is much appreciated.
We would like to think there is always a young apprentice working in these old shops to keep them going after the old master retires.
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Thread Starter- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
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- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,370
Re: Old Typewriter Repair Shops...
Do we have any Forum members from Ohio State in the USA ?
I think "Gem City Typewriter Co." most likely would have been located in Dayton, OH...aka the Gem City.
This sign was for sale on Etsy some time ago...cannot find out much about the shop and its location, etc.
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Thread Starter- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
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- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,370
Re: Old Typewriter Repair Shops...
This photo of a sign for sale caught my attention. The " Mason Whitlock Typewriter Shop "...
Mr. Mason had his shop in New Haven, CT-USA for years. In 1990, he closed up his street-level shop and moved up-stairs into a 2nd. floor smaller location. See current Google Street-view photo of the building st 282 York Street, New Haven, CT.
With advancing age and health problems at age 96, he closed his office/shop in June 2013. He passed away that same year in August 2013. He had worked on typewriters since the 1930's.
Photos of Mr. Whitlock and his obituary in the local New Haven newspaper at the time of his passing.
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Thread Starter- robmck
- Speed Champion
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- From: Seattle, WA
- Registered: 31-1-2022
- Posts: 373
Re: Old Typewriter Repair Shops...
Here's some nice little videos about Dennis and Matt McCormack of Ace Typewriter in Portland (still in business):
Here's some interviews/videos about my families Ace Typewriter repair shop : TypewriterRepair (reddit.com)
- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
Offline
- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,370
Re: Old Typewriter Repair Shops...
Ran across this machine shop-label for the " Keith Watts Typewriters LTD " shop.
I could not find any photos of such a shop...but did find an obituary for the gentleman back in 2010 when he passed away at 97 years old. He was born & lived in Vancouver BC, Canada and had his shop at 2 locations through the years.
He gave up typewriters at some point in time and worked until he was 95 years old in Office Administration.
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Thread Starter- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
Offline
- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,370
Re: Old Typewriter Repair Shops...
And a photo of Keith in the day...when a travelling typewriter repairman...from family photos posted on the Obituary page. Note his pristine tool travel case in tow.
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Thread Starter- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
Offline
- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,370
Re: Old Typewriter Repair Shops...
And a photo of him at work in 1993 on his 80th. birthday at his new profession in life. (Family photo also from his obituary,)
Note the computer on his desk...BUT he still has an IBM Model C in the low bookcase behind his chair.
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Thread Starter- robmck
- Speed Champion
Offline
- From: Seattle, WA
- Registered: 31-1-2022
- Posts: 373
Re: Old Typewriter Repair Shops...
Found in TypeTown #29 (, this reprint of a 1959 profile of a restoring Underwood employee could fit in here:
Looks like the old Underwood shop is now a hardware store: ,+Pittsfield,+MA+01201/@42.4442899,-73.2403796,3a,75y,345.26h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sEoOmm5T_xOqhZJg50hLKvQ!2e0!4m6!3m5!1s0x89e74e5005565a37:0x63acbc33d1207c3!8m2!3d42.4443823!4d-73.2404126!16s%2Fg%2F11fy192gjz
- robmck
- Speed Champion
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- From: Seattle, WA
- Registered: 31-1-2022
- Posts: 373
Re: Old Typewriter Repair Shops...
"restoring Underwood employee" should be "retiring Underwood employee"... Pesky iPad autocorrect.
