Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Montgomery Wards 1912 Typewriters


Front Cover Detail:  100 years ago, Kansas City was still considered to be part of the West.



Front Cover

Front Cover Detail


Back Cover:  This building is still standing and can be seen from Google Street View

Back Cover Detail:  This tells an interesting story of the expansion of the Montgomery Ward distribution system.
 Now we get to the typewriters.  I am not an expert on these early machines.  As this catalog is somewhat scarce, I wanted to at least get information out on the Typosphere.  The catalog itself is a local Flea Market find and is remarkably good condition for a 100 year old piece of literature.
One page is dedicated to typewriters and supplies.  Other writing supplies fill several additional pages.



Montgomery Ward offered ribbons in several standard colors.  Apparently, re-inking was not an uncommon practice 100 years ago.
 This catalog is huge with a vast array of products.  I will do future posts on writing and photographic supplies.

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2 comments:

  1. Bill MFebruary 8, 2012 at 7:06 PM

    I'd love a nice new 1912 Blikensderfer for $24.40, maybe even spring for paying an even $25.00! I'd still have money for a Pullman. Very nice post. I love old catalogs especially Wards and Sears.

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  2. Richard PFebruary 8, 2012 at 7:18 PM

    This is really neat. By 1912, the American index was really an old-fashioned contraption. The Pullman was also pretty obsolete, as it's a blind writer. And the Blick no. 5 was also starting to look antiquated. I have never seen one labeled "Blickensderfer Visible"; I wonder whether that was really the name of it, or whether this is only an advertising drawing.

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