.Davis Typewriter Works

.Davis Typewriter Works

Friday, January 14, 2011

A Wrecktacular Discovery - 1

Sometimes around here we forget how many typewriters we have. I can't tell you off the top of my head. And sometimes we discover something we forgot! How about this large heavy cardboard box we found at one of our secret typewriter storage locations (and there are four of those, folks...)

Now, I recall having bought a broken machine of some kind a loooong time ago... but not broken so badly that it scared us. I think this is it. Let's get to work!

Box inside a box... that's good. The inner one is open as if I'd looked at it once before, and I might have. Often times I can't remember where my cup of coffee is, so how am I supposed to remember which of my machines this might be considering it never got out of the box? Who knows. But at least either it's from another collector or else it got packaged and shipped the way I instructed, since I always give instructions for packing like this for standard machines. Even if I know they're already broken -- see the Woodstock Electrite on the original DTW site.

Lots and lots of sealed air packs inside! I wonder if the air in these things is filtered. I mean, who's to say what kind of air they're packaging in these things? Didn't they find out that lots of bottled water is really just tap water in pretty spring-water-labeled bottles? You wonder if the air in these things is asbestos and petroleum fume laden. I do, anyway. No matter; back to the typewriter.

"Do you see anything?" "Yes, wondrous things." Or one wondrous thing. Quickly I remember that this machine was a Monarch-pattern machine, but with the number of variants that we had discovered over time for a second I didn't really know what this one was except that it was special and I wanted it. I look and see the large REMINGTON name on the paper table, and then the letters "MIER" below that, smaller. Aha! We do have something special here indeed - a previously unremarked branding, or labeling, variant of this machine and perhaps a very interesting intermediate step.

Here is the detail of the paper table. Now I remember! This is a machine that carries both the Remington name and the red, round Remington brand decal but that also carries the Smith Premier name below that. Quickly, I wonder to myself what model this thing is and what goofy serial number I'll discover on it.

The rest of the unearthing tomorrow, and more interesting facts revealed!

1 comment:

  1. This is almost like being there at that magic box-opening moment.

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