PRINT Magazine, vol.7, no.3. 1952

Blog-swap?

This photo makes it look much better than it is! The paper table is rust-lined, the tab rubber's mush, the feet are semi-liquid and the keys are stuck to the comb (or whatever you call the key lever guide thing) because the original rubber cushioning - I'm guessing that's what it was - is now a hardened brown toffee residue. You can just make it out between the K and L. Beautifully made. That cover is cast aluminium and the engineering beneath it is breathtaking. The paint stays on this one!

I'll shortly post some 'work in progress' photos of the out-of-the-attic, cover-plate-off, assessing the situation, not-as-bad-as-it-looks, but-still-scratching-chin, Remington Rand Model 1.

Suffice to say, it is a rubber fetishist's worst nightmare.

On a completely unrelated tack, I was sat here wondering, as you do, what it would be like to write another's blog? Like a house swap but just for one post. Imagine how cool it would be to post on Joe's blog. Or be Matt for a day. Or make a cowboy preacher's proclamation in homage to Father Ted. Or pioneer some previously unimagined typecast transportation road movie type bike cast as Richard. Or a "this day" cast for Robert. You get the idea.

Walk in another's shoes, just for one post. Maybe share post content by e-mail  and upload as usual. Easy, and potentially a lot more interesting than the way I have made it sound.

I don't know, it was just a thought. Empathy, and all that. I'm up for it. Have an opinion.

Happy Canada Day

...and thank you, Canadian workers, for my 1939 Remington Portable Model 5 and my 1936 Corona Silent, maple syrup, canoes, Leonard Cohen, Catelyn Bett, etc. etc.

My stats show a small readership in that fair country - enjoy the day.

Meanwhile, Project Underwood continues.

Orwell's long shadow

A neighbour of mine was helping out at The Orwell Prize awards evening in London on Tuesday this week (17 May 2011). Here's an author who was not featured in the LIFE gallery a month or so ago: George Orwell (Eric Blair) at work on an unspecified typewriter. He's reported to have owned a Remington Portable...any ideas?

His work lives on through The Prize, and in his still-popular political novels, for example The Road to Wigan Pier. His books were certainly part of my political education. Although he died in 1950, you can subscribe to his 70 year-old blog (which he wrote longhand) of world events during WW2. And as you do, take note of how his reporting resonates to this day.

He's buried just upstream in All Saint's churchyard in the village of Sutton Courtenay.

© Unknown. Possibly The Manchester Guardian

typecast #7

typecast #5

typecast #4

Short and sweet?

From my Remington Model 5

typecast #1

All done

Nancy made a bee-line for The Good Companion

Unless I find a typewriter under the bed or in a cupboard, and until the next one comes along, I've done taking photos. If you enjoy looking at this collection, please comment and share a link. Surprised it only came to 22 machines. Here's my wish list - keep your eyes open and drop me a note if you stumble upon any of the following:

• Oliver 3 or 5
• Anything in bakelite
• 1970's Olivetti Valentine
• Hermes 3000 (curvy, like this one)
• Bennett
• Corona 4 in Lavender and Rose Gold
• Blickensderfer 6 (featherweight)

...that'll do for now.