Today is National Typewriter Day. If you are in your fifth decade of life, or older, chances are you learned to type on a manual typewriter in Junior High School. We enjoyed typing so much that on the school bus ride home, several of us would type as fast as we could on an imaginary keyboard on the seat-back in front of us.
Thrilled beyond typewritten words when we reached the magic 100 words-per-minute . . . we were then able to progress to using an IBM Selectric Typewriter.
A love of typing, and later a career as a professional Typesetter, has run through my veins most of my life. So, whenever I see keyboard or typewriter fabric, I add it to my nostalgic stash. I am also fond of penmanship (from our first block letters with the dash-lined paper to cursive and calligraphy), these black and white fabrics hold a sentimental place in my heart.
Having expertly mastered the QWERTY method, typing is something that we learned in school and most of us continue to use every day (i.e., posting to our blogs). You may still prefer the two-finger, hunt-and-peck method and, no doubt, you learned the basics years ago. Whether you are using a PC with an ergonomic keyboard, a laptop, electronic notebook, or talking to your cell phone keyboard, you are celebrating the unique qualities of everything related to the typewriter!
If you still have an old manual typewriter, you will enjoy Janine Vangool's richly illustrated book (three years in the making) full of never-before published typewriter memorabilia, intriguing historical documents and entertaining anecdotes, The Typewriter: a Graphic History of the Beloved Machine is a beautiful ode to an all-but-obsolete creative companion. Check out her video below:
Celebrating Vintage LOVE!
From Shraddha Gupta's blog: "So the one thing that ‘travel’ brings along with it, is the love for spotting the most desirable vintage possessions you crave to have everyday! And for me – it has always been an ‘old Typewriter’!" Read the interesting facts associated with the typewriter.
Celebrating Vintage LOVE!
From the blog: "June 23, the anniversary of the granting of a patent to American inventor Christopher Latham Sholes in 1868 is celebrated around the world as Typewriter Day. So, take out your old typewriter from the attic, dust it and get started on your magnum opus! " Read about this revolutionary device.
Sunday, June 23, 2019
If you're in Phoenix, celebrate National Typewriter Day at the 10th Phoenix Type In Join us as we celebrate all things typewriter, with a display of different typewriters, demos, discuss the history of typewriters, and coffee drink specials at our bar. Bring your own typewriter and join in the fun!
Make an Appointment at The Printing Museum to take an exclusive look at the museum’s typewriter collections. • 1324 W. Clay Street, Houston, Texas 77019 • (713) 522-4652
SHOPPING & REPAIRS
California Typewriter has been in business in Berkeley, CA since 1949. Herb Permillion III, owns California Typewriter with his daughter, Carmen. The store is located at 2362 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705 or phone (510) 845-3780. From an interview: "If you have an old typewriter, the best way to keep it in good working order is to use it at least once a week," says Herb. "Otherwise, as with a classic car, its lubricants will dry up and it will need professional attention."
California Typewriter is a documentary portrait of artists, writers and collectors who remain steadfastly loyal to the typewriter as a tool and muse, featuring Tom Hanks, John Mayer, David McCullough, Sam Shepard and others. It also movingly documents the struggles of California Typewriter, one of the last standing repair shops in America dedicated to keeping the aging machines clicking. In the process, the film delivers a thought-provoking meditation on the changing dynamic between humans and machines, and encourages us to consider our own relationship with technology, old and new, as the digital age’s emphasis on speed and convenience redefines who’s serving whom, human or machine?
MUSIC
The Boston Typewriter Orchestra is a collective endeavor which engages in rhythmic typewriter manipulation combined with elements of performance, comedy and satire. BTO aims to entertain the masses while providing an outlet for the creative urges of its members. View the two videos, below:
"Entropy Begins in The Office" (full version) from the film "California Typewriter":
On Literati Bookstore's lower level, we leave out a typewriter that anyone can type on. There are no editors, no agents. Just a blank page, and you.
Over the years, we've had thousands of people leave all kinds of notes on our public typewriter. This spring, I'm pleased to announce that our favorite notes will be compiled into book-form called Notes From A Public Typewriter, published by Grand Central Publishing. Fellow co-editor and designer Oliver Uberti and I spent over a year working on this project, our ode to this community of book lovers who have supported Literati Bookstore, and the written word. We sincerely hope you enjoy this book.
I plan on making a QWERTY Quilt with my nostalgic stash of fabrics one day. Perhaps you have a design idea that will help to highlight the keyboard fabric.