The Paper Blogging Typewriter Page

Recent updates—My collection, grouped by model—Links to typewriter posts

Recent Updates

Typewriter Giveaway 2024

In late summer 2024, I plan to again give away a typewriter to a subscriber of the monthly Paperblogging email newsletter. Not a subscriber? Pop your info in below.

Typewriter Diaries

Look out for new installments in this series! The story of each typewriter in my collection. Along with that machine’s unique story, each post will point to the manual, ribbon, and serial number location, along with a list of writers known to have used that make. See below for links to each machine.

Repairs

A long line of typewriter cases sit along a wall of my studio—the machines for public sharing. I’ve majored in getting them ready recently with one or two going off to Cambridge Typewriter for a bit of help, They are for typewriter letter-writing events for various organizations or at private homes.

Purchases

I bought a second Hunter Red Galaxie in Minnesota and gave it away to the poet Molly Ovenden (pictured).

I swapped a beautiful Corona 4 for a gorgeous turquoise Royal Quiet De Luxe at Tom Furrier’s shop Cambridge Typewriter. The QDL is specifically for letter-writing nights. Someone had just driven from New Hampshire and sold it to Tom that morning.

Other than that, I’ve been majoring in using rather than purchasing.

I did buy two reams of my favorite vintage typewriter paper—Southworth 9lb onion skin paper—from a shady Italian in a Home Depot parking lot early one Saturday. Facebook Marketplace for the win. When I told Tom Furrier about it, he gave me a ream as well that was knocking around his shop. I use this paper every day and am thrilled to have plenty at last.

Typewriter Wednesday!

Recently, I’ve set aside time every Wednesday to enjoy the typewriters I have, bringing out a fresh machine or two for an airing. I’ve ordered fresh or interesting colored ribbons for some, including a silk ribbon for my current go-to machine which transformed it. More on that in an upcoming post.

Collection by Model

Just tap the ‘+’ for any section and it will expand. Linked to the Typewriter Diary for that machine. Will update as each is ready.

The Olympias are all finished.

Remington Portable #2, a best-beloved machine, esp for typewriter poetry
Remington Portable #3 in two-tone lavender, tiny typeface, a real looker
Remington 5 - Streamlined with Touch Regulator, rescued from the trash, handsome matte black
Underwood 4-Bank, two-tone green, another absolute looker, bought from Tom Furrier
Folding Corona 3, narrow early model, shift keys on one side only
Corona 4, black, early model; out for repair
Corona 4 Professional, in a depression era 'travel case'
I call them ‘the twins’
Silent-Super in Seafoam Green with a blue-green ribbon
Silent-Super in Alpine Blue with a blue-green ribbon
Royal 10 standard, encased in cobwebs, out for repair and beloved by 16 yo
Royal KMM, came with the above, both hefty fellows, recently restored, and now the daily typer
Royal 'P' belonging to Red Sox Hall of Famer, Bobbie Doerr, a stunning eBay find, repaired twice by Tom Furrier
'P' with Vogue typeface and woodgrain finish, with quite a story, yet to be written
'P' found this summer in a barn in Vermont, for giving away; perfect decals and finish but needs a clean
Royal 'O', just a shiny black one, that I simply love the shape of, from Brimfield Fair
Quiet DeLuxe, Dreyfuss model, with a brilliantly but incongruously painted case, for sharing with other poets at typewriter poetry events
Safari, tomato red, and beautifully restored, great for sharing with others
The one and only, but oh, what a story!
'The Good Companion', the earliest model. Found in the backstreets of the East End of London; restored, with cork platen
Possibly the best-engineered typewriters for long-form writing
SM3 in creamy yellow and burgundy, my first typewriter, pica type
SM8, elite typeface, earlier body style
SM8 cursive typeface, later body style
SM9 lovely elite No. 60 typeface, earlier body/later key color
Splendid 99 in robin's egg blue, British keyboard, bought from Tom Furrier
MP1 ICO with AZERTY keyboard. The hardest repair ever.
Lettera 22 with Venezualan keyboard, an absolute favorite machine for daily use. Congress elite typeface. Also, has a ‘Bs’ key (Bolivares currency, but hey, every typewriter needs a BS key.)
Hermes 3000, my daughter loves this machine so much, it makes her cry to use it. Odd, I know.
Hermes Ambassador, perfection on a monster scale, seen in this TV interview.
Luxe Portable, a Hermes baby clone, sadly waiting for a missing type slug, for giving away
Facit 1620, this Swedish typewriter is in perfect shape and in a great leather case, to share with students
Torpedo 18b, wide carriage machine with a math specialty keyboard; quite a find. From the math department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York state. Not yet in my hands. Likely will pass this on to a math professor I know. But can’t wait to try it!
Tippa Triumph, early 60s, two-tone beige travel typewriter. Flew it home from Washington State as hand luggage. Brilliant machine. Needs a small repair.
Most given as gifts, because more fun than getting a typewriter is giving one
Olivetti Lettera 22, blue
Olivetti Lettera 22, rebranded as a Sears Tower
Olivetti Lettera 35i in grey
Olympia SF in steely grey (my mum took this home to the UK on a flight and got the pilot to get it down and carry it for her ...)
Remington Portable Noiseless with a perfect shine
Royal 'O' in gorgeous shiny green with chrome trim
Royal QDL in elegant grey
Smith-Corona burgundy flattop
Smith-Corona Sterling, blue
Smith-Corona Skyriter, repainted deep red, with green keys
Triumph Tippa 'S' Portable in black
Underwood Champion in shiny green, pictured two images into this Cambridge Typewriter Instagram post, an absolutely perfect mint machine, a gift