Hi, I thought it would only be polite introduce myself. This is my first post to a forum so if I have messed it up please let me know.
I don't know what attracted me to typewriters, perhaps because I liked mechanical things. Anyway I wanted one when I was ten and my Aunt took me to the Lever Typewriter Co in London and bought me a second hand portable for my birthday, showed me how to use it and gave me a book on touch typing. I became reasonably proficient at it and the machine devoured reams of paper writing poetry (complete rubbish) and short stories, even worse rubbish. At secondary school I became editor of the school magazine at 12 and at 14 my Father gave in and I was allowed to attend a minor public (read expensive, private) school for a 2 year commercial course, the same as my Aunt had attended. So, in 1961 my elderly Empire was part exchanged for a new Erika Pullman portable with all the bells and whistles for my homework which I still use. I used a variety or machines at school but when I started I was allocated a 1920's L C Smith, ironically the same as my Aunt had used in the twenties. The girls got the modern typewriters as they were to be the secretaries of tomorrow in the City. The boys were only there on sufferance because it was part of the course as was shorthand. Our roles were carved in stone in the sixties. Later, when I passed the London Chamber Elementary Certificate for 30 words per minute with honours was I allowed to use the newer machines like the Remington 66 and Smith Corona's provided it didn't inconvenience the girls who had precedence. I never set out to collect typewriters, they just kept appearing when we needed another one when I ran an accounting business with my wife. One a Hermes long carriage was the Rolls Royce of typewriters, the largest, heaviest (more than a Royal Imperial) and most expensive machine ever built. It was the only NATO approved typewriter. It did everything except make the coffee. My teenage children say I am still living in the sixties, no argument there. They do not have the same love of typewriters I have, type with two fingers on their laptops, write with ballpoint pens instead of fountain pens and use digital cameras instead of film like I still use. I fear it may be evolution in which case, judging by my childrens' handwriting we are all doomed.
I seem to have gone on a bit, sorry about that, put it down to advancing years. I am also on flickr, mainly medium format photographs shot with 1930's cameras so I am probably beyond all help, hence the name, Retro.
 

Last edited by retro (19-2-2015 11:29:04)

Love it! Retro, that 'carved in stone' thing was what put me off typing - I've come to it far too late. The funny thing is, I can remember being  kid and getting my mother to type things for me on her 1948 Royal, which was still going into the 70s.

Hi Magpie. I'm also in the UK, which seems to be a slight rarity in the typewriter world! The first typewriter I bought was a Silverette, but it was badly packed & the carriage left unlocked, and it arrived with the ball bearings in the carriage knocked out of position. That is, broken. SO I was hooked ;)

I kee hearing about people finding typewriters in charity shops but I've never seen one, myself. Amazing. (I feel I should really be going to car boot sales...).

What's the art project?

 

Last edited by KatLondon (19-2-2015 08:58:02)

Ha - yes, you don't want to do that.don't know what hapened to your name, up above! Sorry. It would be fun to see a picture of your art oroject!

Just out of curiosity, who was your favourite writer with the Silver Reed?

Garth Nix - fantasy, right? I've seen them...