Meet Margo: The Gold Royal with Star(let) Power

"Give us that, Deagol my love."
"Why?"
"Because it's my birthday, and I wants it."

Thus began Smeogol's slow descent into madness.  Fortunately, I didn't need to drown anyone or scale Mount Doom to acquire the Precious now known as Margo.  But I had a birthday, and I wanted a gold plated Royal.

What is it about gold?   The whole concept of a gold based economy always mystified me.  Why not big stone discs or beads?  Obsidian.  Yeah, it's durable and relatively uncommon.  Why not obsidian? 

To understand the whole concept of gold, one must gaze upon it and think of a time past where few shiny things existed unscathed in our corrosive atmosphere.

Whole empires rose and fell with gold symbols and artifacts at their center.  Wars have been fought over gold.  And why?  Maybe because it is just so pretty.  We covets the Precious.

As suggested in the title, Margo is a typewriter with Hollywood starlet power.  Fortunately, the warranty card came with the machine and provides at least partial provenance.

The trail is a bit cold.  There is no absolute proof that this typewriter belonged to the actress, Jane Wald.  She would have been 22 when this machine was purchased in Hollywood.  That at least fits a narrative.  And even though the ebay seller stated that "It looks like it has never been used!", it in fact had plenty of evidence of extensive use including paper shreds, eraser shavings and lack of mechanical upkeep.

According to the Typewriter Serial Number Database, this machine was manufactured in 1948.  That at least gives a hint that it was not built to order other than the name plaque.

Margo had two primary mechanical issues along with a number of clean and lube related eccentricities.  She was missing an odd screw widgy thingy that actuates an armature for the back spacer.  Also, every shift was accompanied by resistance followed by a "cla-clunk!"  That turned out to be a lever out of adjustment.  I think its purpose was to keep the type basket from moving around during transportation.

The seller was located in Florida; a sensible place to retire.  The case sure smelled like the perpetual mildew that is Florida (no insult intended to Floridians, but every hotel and rental car I've been in there smells of air freshener or mildew).  I removed the side and back panels for mechanical access and to remove the irredeemably stinky wool sound deadening pads.  Relatively damp storage helped keep the rubber parts supple and the only evident pitting was at the high contact points.  Richard Polt has commented on the relatively thin plating on these machines.

I used the Cape Cod Polishing Cloths for Fine Metals to clean the gold plate.  The innards were mildly corroded and required a bunch of PB Blaster, mineral spirits and elbow grease  to get everything cleaned and loosened up.  I think she looks lovely.

The bodywork is really a lovely bit of industrial design by the renowned Henry Dreyfuss.  I have a Gray Magic once owned by a professor and the beat-to-heck Arrow featured at the beginning of Royal week.  http://vintagetechobsessions.blogspot.com/2012/04/royal-study-in-toughness.html
But, in my opinion, neither of these color schemes bring out the design detail the way Margo's contrasting black and gold does.

Henry Dreyfuss was concerned with aesthetics and the human/machine interface.  The keys are shaped just so.  The glass tops are slightly concave and have just a bit of texture molded in.  For a great writeup on Henry Dreyfuss and the the QDL, visit Robert Messenger's blog at
http://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2011/08/on-this-day-in-typewriter-history-lxxiv.html

There are a few more gold Royals living out in the Typosphere.
http://www.9.ai/2011/07/royal-quiet-deluxe-gold-plated.html
http://www.typewritermuseum.org/collection/index.php3?machine=royalqd&cat=kf
Towards the bottom - this is Richard Polt's collection
http://idreamlo-tech.blogspot.com/2011/07/one-shop-permillion.html

The main claim to fame for the gold plated Royals is that one was the weapon of choice for Ian Fleming of James Bond fame.  I can see the attraction.

The gold plated QDLs were reportedly a limited edition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the company.  It's only fitting that I share images of the Royal portable and its shiny first generation ancestor.

More on the chrome and wood grain Royal portable at http://vintagetechobsessions.blogspot.com/2012/01/something-different-royal-portable-in.html

What's in a name?  Why is this typewriter named Margo?  Well, MEK and I like Wes Jackson movies.  The machine is all shiny and glitzy, but rough around the edges like Royal Tenenbaum.  This machine doesn't look all that masculine to us, especially with Jane's name on the paper table. She is vaguely exotic, has a mysterious past and is a little tarnished. So Margo Tenenbaum it is.  Bonus:  She even likes guys that are rough around the edges, just like Margo!

One thing that I absolutely love about this machine is that Royal didn't skimp on the number of gold plated parts.  How many modern "special edition" cars have you seen with a carbon console insert and some chrome bezels on the dashboard?  Even portions of the ribbon vibrator are gold plated.

Here are a couple of parting shots for the road.

Unless a zealous dragon or hafling takes Margo away, you will see more of her.  It's going to be hard to put her in a case since she complements the slate bench so well.  So shiny is the Precious...

Royal Hartford Adjustment Department Circa 1908

Last month a box appeared on our doorstep bearing a gift from a friend.  These photos are taken from a print she picked up many years ago when she lived in the Kansas City area.  It is pretty beat up and the emulsion is doing weird things after 100 years.  But it is still 10 times awesome!

 I am reluctant to take this original print out of the frame given its condition.  Please ignore the reflections.

According to Royal company history, this photo was taken the year the Hartford manufacturing facility started up.  I've looked closely at the machine on the bench and can find no model number identifier.  Was this before they called the No. 1 by that name?

I looked up the studio and found more by the same photographer on a Connecticut history website.
Connecticutt History Online: John C. Nyser  MEK was nerding out on the photo of the book  keeping and penmanship class at the YMCA.

Do a search for Royal Typewriter on the website and you will be rewarded with photos of the factory and the Royal Typewriter Fife and Drum Corps.  Really. Royal Typewriter Company photos

 My photo would probably have been taken on an 8x10 plate.  The print is most likely like a contact sheet and holds a lot of detail.  For you serial number geeks, take a look at the covers.  I can make out one that says 16,541 which would be consistent with a 1907 manufacture date as shown on the Typewriter Serial Number Database.

This was a brand new facility and this portion looks like a pretty decent place to work.

I'll pull this out of the frame and do a proper copy before it falls apart.  This print is a great background for the work bench.  Typewriter and technology ephemera doesn't get much better than this! 

Royal Week at vintagetechobsessions continues through the weekend with a special typewriter waiting in the wings.  Thanks for reading!

A Royal Study in Toughness

Before we go any further, I want to assure you that this post is not an April Fool's Day prank.  The typecast below is from this typewriter, as found, with no lube, adjustments or ribbon replacement.  It was going to be taken apart until I happened to try a few keys.  Sigh.

Just like the Arrow (a rebadged QDL) said, I bought it for the sole purpose of cannibalizing a funky screw that actuates the back space mechanism.  (Correction:  that was $2.00 and worth it just for the screw.)  The love interest mentioned above is much prettier and exclusive and theoretically had an easier and pampered life.  However, the screw in question was missing or had been removed.  And I assure you that she required much lube and adjustment to work properly.  (Famous ebay seller quote:  "Looks like this has never been used!")

This beast looks like it has been to Hell and back, but it works nearly perfectly with only two typebars sticking at the platen.  I'm not sure if the margin release key works; I'll have to bend it back into position to find out.

In high school, when I first started working on cars and motorcycles, I liked the ones that were rough around the edges with good, strong engines.  It was partly due to not having much to spend on cars and partly because I just making things work.  I self-taught on engine rebuilding way back when and drove some really scroungy looking cars.  But they ran, and I respect that.

The guy I bought this and a mint Polaroid 95 Land Camera from organizes a great rod show that I absolutely must attend.  If you like homebrew rat rods and customs, check out photos of Greaserama taken by a friend of mine at http://public.fotki.com/boxstersys/all_thing_automotive/various_car_events/greaserama-2011/ 

My family unit has engaged me in a "discussion" on what degree of clean this machine should be.  I'm leaning towards the barn rat rod approach.  The essential nature of this machine is expressed through total neglect and still having the heart of a champion.  My three girls gazed upon me with various expressions ranging from baleful reproach to Sheldon-is-trying-to-make-your head-explode as they argued for continued existence and mechanical cleaning and lubrication.


If you have read their blogs (which I set up for them) you know how opinionated they are.  I am, perhaps, doomed.

So, gentle reader, what do you think?  Should I give the innards a clean and lube?  Should I clean the dirt off the body?  That risks removing some over spray, but I think the auto paint blobs aren't going anywhere.  Up front, I have to tell you that "boat anchor", "door stop" and "junk robot parts" are welcome opinions protected by the First Amendment.  However, sentimentality for functional mechanical things as outweighed reason in this case.

Also, 1950's car club nickname suggestions are appreciated.

Even the grubby type slugs eventually get their day at vintagetechobsessions.  We have an equal macro opportunity policy.

Heads up:  It is Royal week at vintagetechobsessions.  The aforementioned love interest was my birthday present and it really is pretty.  I'll just say it is a study in contrasts.  Stay tuned!

Olympia, Typewriter of the Jungle

You can read more about me (and bask in my photographic glory) at
http://vintagetechobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/11/other-olympia-sm3-in-italic.html

P.S.  Grandfather Simplex still hasn't been reassembled.  So many Olympias, so little time.

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.

ITAM Special Report: The Eight Millionth Remington Typewriter

Well, that was a bold teaser of a headline.  So why is this first photo so shrouded in mystery?

Simple.  My wife reminded me of the basic "Jaws" principle:  you don't bring out the shark until the third reel.  Buckle up.  This post is on a special machine and is going to be longer than the norm.

First Reel

In all honesty, I started writing this post in January.  But here we are in February just in time to celebrate the International Typewriter Appreciation Month (ITAM).  And while Remington didn't invent typewriting, they successfully took it to the mass market.  Celebrating a Remington milestone seems a good way to mark ITAM.  I have been enjoying the Typosphere ITAM posts including the latest school typing project.  Good work, everyone!

So, here sits Remington typewriter number 8,000,000.  How do I know it is the eight millionth Remington typewriter?  Hmm, I have to push that answer off until the third reel.  In the meantime, I'll share some information about the Remington Noiseless 8.

To start with, I know much more about this machine than I otherwise could have thanks to the efforts of The Classic Typewriter Page and Machines of Loving Grace.
http://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/remingtonnoiseless8.html
http://www.machinesoflovinggrace.com/rems.htm
For instance, without copies of manuals and overview diagrams, I could not have figured out how to unlock the carriage.  On top of that, I would not have known of the existence of this machine had it not been for these websites.  Thanks for empowering junkies!

The Remington Noiseless 8 is a variation on a theme.  Its companion model, the Noiseless 7, features the same mechanical system in a low slung form factor better suited to portability.  This machine is more about the experience of a larger desktop form and a thorough infusion of Art Deco design.

Courtesy of Richard Polt

Functionally, the Noiseless machines were optimized to deliver a glancing blow to the paper and platen minus the characteristic "clack" that normally accompanies this action.  I've been on the lookout for the right Noiseless 7 or 8 for months in an effort to cope with a schedule variance with my family unit.  I am an insomniac night owl who stays up far later than they.  This generally means no typecasting late at night.

That is until now.  Bwa, ha, ha!

Let's look at some design details.  The typebar mechanism is articulated and includes swinging counterweights which control the final acceleration to the platen.  The end result is freakishly quiet.  I can hear the weights swinging around inside, but can barely hear ink being put down for posterity.

Pulling the hood is a different experience.  One interesting detail is that the Noiseless 8 incorporates cast aluminum in this part of the machine.  That is good both for the complex shape and the sound deadening qualities of the material.  There isn't much to see, as much of the typebar assembly is hidden from view.

This is one of the sound suppressor bars on the inside of a sheet metal panel.

The primary steel shell and back cover feature robust sound deadening inside that would not look out of place in the door panels of a luxury car.  Instead of more typical felt, each large panel has bars glued into place that reduce resonance sound attenuation.  The sheet metal stops acting like a speaker as sound is tamped out and dies.

Aluminum is common enough today that we would be unlikely to see supplier information.  In 1933, aluminum was a big deal.  The underside of the cast top cover features this ALCOA aluminum logo.

This is the underbelly of the typebar pivot assembly.

The patent drawing helps us get a grasp on the mechanism.  It is an intricate design that appears to have more moving parts than the average typewriter.  Richard Polt reports that the original price was $105.  I plugged that into an inflation calculator and came up with a 2012 equivalent of just over $1,800.  These machines were serious investments.

This would not be my blog without an overload of macro photography.  The aesthetic details on this typewriter are really interesting.  The finish on every part is superb with thick chrome and outstanding machining.  The black paint is about as close to pure black as I have seen.  It sucks up light like a stealth fighter.  There is a downside in that every speck of dust shows.

As for the plastic keys, I went to an expert for advice.  Richard Polt states that the Noiseless 7 was known to have utilized plastic keys starting in 1931.  In all likelihood, this 1933 machine came equipped with the keys as shown.  Especially given its history, the plastic keys shall remain unmolested no matter how sexy the chrome and glass keys are!

I'm a sucker for raised paper table logos.

The Art Deco theme carries through to the smallest detail.  This is a knob for a ribbon cover.  It is totally functional as well as decorative and makes winding new ribbon a fairly painless process.

Others have commented on the precision alignment of the type slugs.  Much engineering and quality control went into this mechanism.

Second Reel

 

Welcome to the second reel.  At this point we arrive at a bit of a mystery regarding provenance and history.

You may find this hard to believe, but I bought this machine on ebay.  Really.  I'm still surprised.  The bidding wasn't even that heated because the seller created a somewhat odd description.  As it turns out, I outbid one of the Godfathers of typewriter collecting.  I'll let him comment on the subject if he so chooses.

So here is the problem:  I cannot definitively state its provenance.  However, I can present the available dots that provide a fairly solid, if not entirely provable, back story.

The seller is in New York City and stated that the presentation plaque (mounted in front of the spacebar) had been removed prior to sale and showed that the recipient was the YMCA Typing Club.  The case contained a couple of clues as to where it might have lived for these many years. 

Item 1:   A Remington publication entitled A Brief History of the Typewriter was included in the case.  It talks of one potential New York connection; that being the YMCA Ballard School program that pioneered typing instruction.  This turned out to be a frustrating connection as I could find almost no information on the Ballard School, or even the history of the New York YMCA, online.

 

Fortunately, I have a random collection of ephemera including a Good Housekeeping magazine from 1939 (highly recommended - the ads are hilarious!).  It included an advertising section for summer camps that established the location of the Ballard School of the Y.M.C.A. as being at 610 Lexington Avenue in New York City.

Parenting is much easier when you can ship the little ones off to camp!  From the April, 1939 Good Housekeeping.

Item 2:  Inside the case, there was a decal for plaza typewriter Exchange Co. at 120 East 59th St. in New York City.

Decal on the inside of the case.

 An online map search verified that the two locations are six short blocks apart. Street view shows a vacant lot at 610 Lexington Ave.  An additional search turned up the sorry saga of the Shangri-La Hotel high rise that was to be built on that spot.  That story begins in 2005 with the purchase of the YMCA property and demolition in 2007-2008.  The project failed due to financing issues caused by the collapse of Lehman Brothers.  Photos of the original building and the smoking crater are at

http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5616&page=14

Side note:  Honestly, nerd-o-riffic research was so limited in the era before the World Wide Web.  On the other hand, car engines were less complicated and I could actually rebuild them back then.  Just sayin'.

Interestingly enough, the building had some restoration work prior to it going on the block.  I hope that my employer's masonry cleaners were used in the process.

Again, I cannot without a doubt state where this typewriter came from.  However, if I were in the Remington marketing department, it would seem advantageous for a company milestone to be housed at a location significant to the company history.  The Ballard School site is conveniently close to a typewriter retailer of record and it would have had reason to be liquidated in the last five years.

So there are the dots.  How comfortable do you Typosphereans feel with these connections?

Third Reel

And now we have finally arrived at the third reel and can take a closer look at our mysterious friend.  I promised proof of the milestone eight millionth typewriter status, and proof you shall have.

  

You will just have to pretend that this is as dramatic as a Great White shark jumping onto a boat. For once, I don't need to depend on the Typewriter Serial Number Database to know when this machine was made.

This plaque is a remnant of an era when things were made by hand.  Very satisfying.

Seeing double because I like the color balance of the first photo better.  It's my blog and I'll do what I want to ;)

This is the one vintage machine I own that has an absolutely clear birth date.  We'll add it to the family birthday celebration list.  An art deco layer cake could be a great project for the girls!

Insert drum roll...

And now for the serial number...

This is the only serial number on the chassis.  Can you believe the whole typewriter shell had been lovingly hand washed and waxed not 12 hours before this photo was taken?  This is my Deco Dust Magnet.

I uploaded the entire photo set, outtakes included, to my Fotki site at
http://public.fotki.com/coyotesareus/remington-noiseless/

A Brief Word on Manufacturing History

I happened across a record of the Remington-Noiseless manufacturing facility in Middletown, Connecticut where the Noiseless machines were built.  This has more information than you would possibly want to know. http://www.middletownplanning.com/documents/RemingtonRand_Middletown.pdf

Remington Noiseless Typewriter Company, ca. 1924-1928  Source linked above.

Presumably, this was the site for manufacturing portables and office machines.  This plant originally produced bicycles and later horseless carriages.  The Noiseless Typewriter Company was organized in 1909 and began production at this site in November of that year.  Production continued here after the formation of the Remington-Noiseless Typewriter Corporation in 1922.  The facility was in continuous operation until 1937 when it was closed for several years after the result of labor unrest.

This latter detail is interesting in the context of labor issues involved in the production of modern communications technology.  Recently, Apple has received criticism for outsourcing production overseas and utilizing a manufacturing partner with a mixed record of employment practices.  There have been fatalities and employees are known to work double shifts to get our wonderful devices out the door.

Labor unrest and management reactions took a different form in the early 1900s.  This Remington factory reportedly used inexpensive immigrant labor.  In 1936, 1,200 workers went on strike.  Much like the famed Ford factory labor dispute, this action triggered a wave of violence that ultimately resulted in the National Guard being called in to restore order.  James Rand was indicted under the Byrnes Act and was acquitted in 1937.

This is one of those deals where I was not particularly pleased to learn about history.  Does my machine have blood on its keys?  The truth is, most of us would be surprised about the labor and materials that go into the tools of our industrial culture.  After thinking this through, I came to the following conclusion:  Regardless of the human sweat and toil that went into making this Noiseless typewriter, the fact that it has been preserved and will be well used is a manifestation of respect for the people who made it.

The Hong Kong Action Movie Ending

 I feel very fortunate to have this typewriter in my possession.  It is both functional and unique.  I recently blogged on a unique chrome and faux wood Royal Portable.  I have some interesting and hard to find typefaces in my stable as well.  So, what are the chances of topping this find?  Slim to none.  And that is OK.  The acquisition phase inevitably winds down.

I can now focus on getting the rhythm of this machine down as it will be my night typing companion for years to come.  Tips and tricks on lubing and tuning this beast are, as always, appreciated.

Thanks for reading, and a Happy ITAM to all!