A Fortunate Discovery

 A Previously Unknown Model of Fortuna

Preface:  The line of Stolzenberg-Fortuna and, later, Fortuna typewriters is practically unknown in the United States.  The machines were sold primarily where they were made, in Germany, but did achieve sales around Europe and - incredibly - for a brief time in Australia.  They are not by any stretch uncommon, though, with something over 60,000 or perhaps 70,000 machines having been built over a span of about 27 years.  That said, the existing models are well documented among German collectors and serial numbers and features of over 90 collected examples are known.  The machine you see above is a previously completely unknown, unseen model variant in the line.  

Background.  The Stolzenberg-Fortuna machine appeared on the market in Germany in 1923, initially as the exclusive product of Fabrik Stolzenberg, which was a major German office furniture and equipment dealer.  This company previously distributed the Oliver typewriter under its own name and in fact the Stolzenberg-Fortuna machines were green.  The 1923 standard machine we now describe was a thoroughly different invention, coming in fact from the same man who had designed the production version of the Mercedes typewriter, Carl Schluns.  The Stolzenberg-Fortuna was not manufactured by Mercedes but in fact was produced in the factory of J. P. Sauer and Son, a gun maker whose factory was in Suhl, Germany, roughly six miles from the Mercedes Buromaschinen factory.  

(Aside - I will not delve into further detail here on the history.  Several months' worth of intense research by myself and collectors Thomas Furtig, Bert Kerschbaumer, Georg Someregger and others has resulted in Thomas' effort to rewrite the known history in detail, and I will not steal his thunder here.)

The established history, which derives from trade paper and advertising and which matches all known machines, is that in 1929 a "new" Fortuna IV appeared.  In fact, this was a thorough refresh of the previous machine, with what we might describe best as a large number of small changes.  For example, there are changes in the shape of internal castings and some of the stamped parts to make them easier to manufacture; however, the machine is essentially the same design.  The major alteration was the addition of two more character keys, up from 42 to 44 and the addition of a new tabulator, which the previous machine did not have.  At this time, the backspace key moved down beside the space bar to its right with the TAB key to the left of the space bar.  It's important to point out clearly here that the Stolzenberg-Fortuna and Fortuna prior to this time never had advertised model numbers, were not available with any modifications, and are well documented.  Further, later after the "IV" the machine changes just to model "Standard" or sometimes "ST", and again has no referenced model numbers and is only available as one model at a time.  Again, for example, once the machine changed to model "Standard" a lever-set tabulator, or "setztabulator" was introduced and every machine made thereafter had it.  

(One model at a time is a commonality among "lower priced" standard and even portable typewriters of the day, and is an important part of this story.)

Getting back briefly to 1929 it's necesary to note that at this time the machines became black, and that while a few continued to say "Stolzenberg-Fortuna" most of them did not.  See illustration below courtesy Berthold Kerschbaumer (who provided the earlier line art seen above as well.)

Fortuna s/n 6912, Will Davis collection.  The recent discovery of a green machine, which simply says "Fortuna" and which has 42 keys, and a tabulator with a different key location than the IV, has provided some behind-the-scenes surprise.  Thomas Furtig, leading expert on the Fortuna line, confirms that 6912 is a previously unknown model.  It does not appear in any ads, is not mentioned anywhere, and no other examples exist.  Its serial number is above all known "Stolzenberg-Fortuna" machines and is below a gap after which the "Fortuna IV" serial numbers begin.

The major mechanical change on 6912 is the addition of a tabulator, not present on any other Stolzenberg-Fortuna machine and not present on any of the few green examples that just say "Fortuna" (yet another mystery.)  The tabulator mechanism is functionally the same as that which was employed on the well-known IV, but the tabulator key is down to the right of the space bar and just below the right side shift key.  It must be said that this location and key center spacing is not necessarily optimal.

The rest of Fortuna 6912 is the same as earlier machines; in other words, this is not the IV.  It is in fact the first series, before the multiple small changes, with a tabulator added on - making it an unknown and undocumented model.  

We will now attempt to answer a couple of obvious questions.

When was this made?  We can narrow down at least the removal of the Stolzenberg name from the machines, at least full time, to early 1928 when records indicate Stolzenberg sold out.  The first advertising we have for the IV comes in early 1929; this seems to tell us that this machine could have been made for much of 1928.  However, there are almost no ads for the Fortuna at all during 1928 which to this writer hints at reduced availability or even unavailability, perhaps as the Sauer and Son factory was retooling to produce the revised and altered IV.  It must be said that this machine was not at any time being produced at anywhere near the monthly or yearly rate of most standard machines; it looks like in the first five or so years of production only about six thousand Stolzenberg-Fortunas were made.  

We can look at a pair of interesting advertisements from German newspapers next.

The upper advertisement above ran in Der Naturforscher in August 1927 and shows the Stolzenberg-Fortuna in what we would consider its normal early form.  I hasten to add that the cut was never altered to show the two color ribbon selector that appeared during production, but the ad does not mention a tabulator on the typewriter.  The lower ad ran in Der Deutsche Rundfunk in October 1928.  This is clearly a Stolzenberg ad but it lists three brands available - Fortuna, Mercedes and Oliver.  We can be comfortable that as of this date the name "Stolzenberg" is no longer appearing on all the machines being turned out of the Sauer and Son plant.  Unfortunately, no image of a machine in 1928 advertising seems yet to have been found.  Is this early 1928 to early 1929 slot the period in which the green "Fortuna," serial 6912 was made?  From all evidence we have, that answer seems to be "yes."

What is this machine?  Given the appearance of this example, and the fact that it has a conventionally stamped serial number and no other identifying stamps or characters or numbers either by the serial or anywhere else, this is not a prototype.  The machine is completely finished in full retail condition and appears as a production example.  This means it can really only be one of two things:

-A production machine previously unknown.  This seems to be the better, or more historically responsible, choice given that we do not wish to over-ascribe rarity to a new find.  The lack of advertising for a longish period means that we can assume nothing about what was actually being offered, even if through reduced channels and at a potentially lower rate.  It is interesting however in light of these considerations that not one single other one of these is known to exist.

-A test article released to the public.  Manufacturers often produce preproduction examples to be used in regular service in order to obtain feedback from end users, and also in order to disclose weaknesses in a design (or combination of designs) prior to incorporation of major changes to a product on the open market.  There is a chance, given the total lack of any reference to this variant anywhere, that this machine is part of a batch manufactured to test the tabulator in service prior to a full revision of the machine that resulted in the well-known IV.  These would not have been advertised as a new model, prior to proving out the new mechanism.  

Whichever it is, it's extremely exciting as I approach 25 years of collecting typewriters next month to still be finding previously unknown models in the wild.  Other collectors are still finding yet more unseen machines, and this wonderful hobby proves it still has many surprises in store.  

As to the Fortuna machines - as I wrote earlier, these are practically unknown over here but these machines are VERY common in Germany.  While I won't give away what my friend is working on regarding the detailed history, there is some fascinating engineering in these machines that is really duplicated nowhere else that I am aware of and that'll be shared in another post at a later date; you'll find out why these were advertised as the "German Speed Typewriter."  For now, we can just enjoy this new member of the still-growing pantheon of antique machines.  

-Will Davis, Sept 21, 2024

George Baker and the Typewriter Business

George Baker started out in typewriters in 1932 and stuck with the business - his war service aside - until retirement in 2006.  My father and I were lucky to interview Mr. Baker on the final day his business was open, as he was having a total clearance sale.  We ended up with a few items that he knew we'd appreciate - one being his treasured Royal Line Book.  But the stories and memories were the important part of the day.

The story really begins with George Baker's father, who had already taken one run at typewriters years before, servicing local machines as an independent mechanic.  That adventure had ended badly when the elder Baker's partner suddenly absconded to Canada with all of the machines; Baker started over by doing something else.

After a series of factory and foundry jobs, the elder Baker decided to have another run at typewriters because he knew he could do it; asking his son, George, to come along in the venture gave him both an extra pair of hands and an apprentice.  George was right out of high school and given the job market at the peak of the Great Depression, agreed to join with his father.  

The Bakers began by approaching businesses in town and asking if they had maintenance or repair contracts for their typewriters; they also offered to refurbish machines that were overly worn out.  The Bakers soon had customers and decided to rent part of a home in Elyria for $15 a month in order to operate their business out of it. The Bakers carried typewriters by hand in those early days from businesses to their rented space for work. "I remember sitting on the porch of that house many days and nights," George Baker told us, "scrubbing many small parts with a brush, some gasoline, and my bare hands."  

Baker explained to us how meticulously his father taught him all aspects of the business, which of course turned out to be as much about people as it did machines.  Paramount was selling the customers on the service they would receive, and then building relationships that would last.  "He taught me how to deal with customers as people, and people as customers" Baker quipped.  

The father and son duo did well - perhaps, better than even they had suspected.  They decided to take the next step, and looked for a typewriter manufacturer who would allow them to obtain a dealer license in Elyria.  There was a bit of fear that the Cleveland dealers might object, but they did not; the result finally in 1934 was that the Bakers launched a dealership with Royal Typewriter Company. 

The timing could not have been better.   Royal, according to Baker's own words, "had just changed their number 10 machine to the segment shift which was much lighter and easier than before."  Although they didn't know it at the time, this was the final puzzle piece that would allow Royal to overtake Underwood as the #1 selling standard typewriter in the United States. 

According to Baker, the segment shift 10 did a lot to sell itself, although you had to bring one along with you on sales calls.  "You could sell the Royal as opposed to an Underwood with the heavier carriage shift if you just let the secretary or typist try it out and you would say 'see how easy that is' and that look on her face with the boss watching would usually do the trick," he told us - somewhat proudly.

(Aside:  Baker is one of two long time Ohio dealers who have told us separately that in their experience the Royal No. 10 is the finest standard typewriter ever made anywhere and was unbeatable in office durability as well as ease of adjustment and repair.)

Baker continued on comparison sales.  "Now, the L. C. Smith already had the basket shift from way back, but at that time they still hadn't started using the segment yet - still had separate type bar bearings.  So, you could take a Smith that was kind of worn out and type on it erratically and if you knew how to do it, you could get it to print all over the place ... and then you type off a page on the Royal you're demonstrating, and everything's in line and of course the boss just goes right for that."  With this, Baker did slyly remark to us as I recall that it was important to figure out who in the office actually had the most influence on what typewriters to buy - it could be a senior secretary and not the office manager, for example.  However they did it, using their acumen or whether it was just the attributes of the new Royal, the Baker Typewriter Company began to take off.

Baker at one point paused and thoughtfully said to us "then there was Woodstock.  They were always around, somehow, but they never seemed to be a factor in anything."  He then went right on talking about sales.    

Baker Typewriter moved several times after than until obtaining a proper storefront in 1940.  When war broke out, the younger Baker didn't get drafted and initially didn't enlist, he told us.  Offhand remarks and looks began among the townspeople and Baker's father told him that he'd better enlist right away if he wanted to really make it in the business coming home after the war.  That's just what George did; originally he was billeted to an office machine job (he'd let them know what he could do with typewriters) but Baker changed over completely to armor.  That's right- tanks.  In fact, George Baker the typewriter man became a decorated veteran serving in the famous 749th Tank Battalion, serving everywhere in Europe from Normandy to the Ardennes Forest and the Battle of the Bulge.  The 749th also drove in on the very final assault into Nazi Germany, right to the end.  Baker did in fact return home a hero.

Rapid changes happened again for George, as he took over the typewriter business from his father upon returning - and then, his father passed away soon after.  The business was doing so well that George began to become somewhat of a local business magnate; he invested in the Baker Building in 1955 and moved his business into it in 1966; the building is seen in the photo opening this article.  

Another change occurred for Baker in 1966.  Baker told us that he had become increasingly displeased not with Royal's standard machines, but with the portables both domestic and imported which seemed to be continuously dropping in quality and which he felt just weren't competitive.  Baker made the decision to change affiliations to Olympia; he's seen above with an Olympia keyboard chart from that time period.  Change or no, Baker Typewriter had become the biggest dealer in Lorain County, and also held a number of large school contracts for office and typing education machines.  

Baker continued on through the years of electric and then electronic machines, of course having to branch out into other kinds of office equipment to keep going.  Business steadily declined however, and in 2006 Baker finally decided to retire.

George Baker preferred to recall the good old days instead of the decline.  "I remember carrying two typewriters in each hand, with my hands and fingers just so (he showed us) and I could get them from offices to the shop and back that way.  Later of course I could only carry one on each arm, and later of course less!" he joked.  He also recalled how his father had taught him the true art of sales.  "My father taught me never to oversell the machine, or services, but to deal with the customer honestly and squarely.  When the customer asked a question like 'how much is it then for the one with the wide carriage' or some other such thing you had just described, you just stopped talking right there because the sale was already made."  

For many years, George Baker's life was simply full of typewriters and the office business.  While we've found many men who worked in the trade and treated it as just another job, it was clear to us as we finally shook hands and said goodbye (late enough in the evening that Baker's wife was almost late for an appointment) that Baker really loved the business - every minute of it, and every aspect of it - and indeed liked remembering the good times as the best of goodbyes.

Another classic article from willdavis dot org.  Originally published 2006; full rewrite 2024.

 

A New Look at the Barr Typewriter

Will Davis / June 2024

Preface:  I first published my comprehensive article on the Barr and its variants almost 20 years ago.  Since then, it's held up pretty well - but two things have caused me to revise and republish it.  First, the site it was published on is essentially defunct and closed.  Second, I've been able to acquire many more research resources since then and I can much more accurately delineate changes in the history, both to the machine and to corporate entities.  I hope you enjoy this near-total revision and rewrite which includes many illustrations from the original piece.  

Background.  John H. Barr, already a well known mechanical engineer generally and, specifically, in the typewriter field, left Remington Typewriter in 1923 to launch a firm of his own.  Barr joined forces with Morse Chain Company in Ithaca, New York and the Barr-Morse Corporation was formed in that year.  Barr had been involved with a number of significant machines for the Remington (Union) sphere including the large Smith Premier 10 full keyboard visible and the original Remington portable. 

Barr applied for patents covering a wholly different concept of typewriter design and manufacture in 1925; this machine would be built to the size and cost of the largest portables then on the market or planned but was to be designed so as to be made from stampings of sheet stock and extruded wire as much as possible, in order to simplify assembly and repair.  This was in sharp contrast to the complicated and expensive-to-build Remington portables of the day.  Further, the machine would incorporate segment shift for the first time in a large four bank portable.  

Market Introduction.  We can now, through the availability of advertising, be certain that the Barr Typewriter was introduced to the market in the last quarter of 1927.  The following advertisement appeared in the Typewriter Trade Journal in October, 1927; advertisements in New York papers appeared soon after.

"The Correspondence Machine for Office and Home' and the clever slogan "Small Enough to Carry Off, Sturdy Enough to Carry On" directly imply the intent of the makers that the Barr Typewriter was suitable for serious use.  

Early Model.  When introduced to the market, only one model - the Barr Typewriter - was available.  Richard Polt let us on to the fact years ago that a repair manual in his collection (which is now online) told of numerous, but small, changes in the machines at serial number 2000; we also have here a typewriter trade-in listing from 1930 that mentions Barr portables' trade value with a differentiation between pre-serial-2000 and post-serial-2000 machines.  Price of the machine as introduced was given as $65 but some were offered at an "introductory price" of $45.  

Above, Barr Typewriter serial 1258 from the Chuck Dilts / Rich Cincotta collection.  Very few machines from prior to the design revisions at serial number 2000 exist today, and from an operability standpoint there is no difference in the machines before and after the break.

From the Herman and Connie Price collection comes this wonderful green Barr, serial 2099.

From my collection is this red Barr, serial 2521.  This machine is complete and operable and has its original brown carrying case.  

Barr Typewriter - Description.  The Barr incorporates a full-size keyboard with shift keys both sides, and a shift lock only on the right; the lock is depressed by itself only to achieve a locked shift.  The lock is released by the right-side shift key.  This typewriter incorporates what Barr referred to as "perpendicular key action" which later in the industry would be more generally known as "parallel key action," in which the key top remains parallel to the tabletop when depressed.  Similar key action (although with totally different mechanism) appeared on the Smith Premier standards as well as others before the Barr and appeared on the large portable L.C. Smith & Corona that would hit the market a few years later.  This key motion is thought by many to make a machine easy to use for a wider range of typists of varied strength and speed.  Shift on this typewriter, affecting the segment, is rapid, light and positive.  The machine has a solid feel and is capable of considerable speed.

One unusual feature on these machines is the "Paragraph and Indent Device" applied to the rear of the carriage; this takes the place of a conventional tabulator and incorporates the margin stops as well as tabulator or indent stops. 

Above, detail from the patent granted to Walter Barnard for the paragraph indent and tabulator device applied to Barr typewriters.  Below is the device as seen on Barr Typewriter serial 2521.

Operation of the device is simple; normally it simply operates as the margin rack, and the outer stops serve as the margin stops.  The different inner stops come into play when the lever seen at the top left of the photos is operated; in conjunction with the margin release, the carriage motion will be arrested at each intermediate stop on the rack. Margin release operates normally via a key to the left of the keyboard proper.  While clever and simple, this device was probably not competitive.

This illustration from material in the Dilts/Cincotta collection proves that a wide carriage Barr was available; this had ten tabulator stops and included the same device as seen above on s/n 2521.  Price of this wide carriage version was $80.

February 1929 advertisement shows the unusual "Typelyte" (also seen as "Type Lite") attachment, none of which is known to be in any collection with a Barr Typewriter.

In April 1929 it was announced that Morse Chain had been bought out by Borg-Warner; some of the side or smaller businesses that Morse was engaged in were not purchased by the outside firm but instead were sold directly either to Frank L. Morse himself or designated persons as a part of the whole package deal.  Barr-Morse Corporation was not included in the sale to Borg-Warner and came under the control of Frank Morse and John Barr; our best information tells us that production was continued as-is in the Morse factory complex on top of South Hill in Ithaca, New York.

Split into Two Models.  Somewhere between serial numbers 4133 and 8871, and in all probability in early 1930, the company decided to split production into two different models. In any case, the split occurred prior to July 1930. The original model effectively continued as the Barr Universal, while a stripped down model was launched as the Barr Special.  A facsimile letter in the collection of Peter Weil tells us that in July 1930 the retail price of the Barr Special was $50 while the dealer cost for the machine was $30.  Similarly, the Barr Universal retailed at $65 while dealer cost was $39.

Available data - which is incomplete - seems to show that for a time the Universal may have retained the Barnard-designed paragraph device on the rear of the carriage, but soon enough a conventional tabulator operated by a key on the keyboard was designed and included.  

This green Barr Special comes to us from the Herman and Connie Price collection and is serial number P17857.  It is unusual in that the paint is crinkle finish.  The Special lacked the ribbon selector, variable line spacer and left-hand carriage release that the Universal had and also had no tabulator of any sort.

From the photo library and collection of the late Tilman Elster we have this illustration of a later Barr Special, serial number C3P548.  Look carefully and you will notice that the shift lock key has moved down to above the right-side shift key, from its former position abreast the third row of keys.  This is because the machine had been redesigned slightly by this point to incorporate a key operated tabulator in the Universal version, which of course is omitted on the Special.  See next photo for clarification.

Barr Universal serial number B4U926 comes to us also from the Tilman Elster collection; the tabulator key is visible above the shift lock on the right side of the keyboard, as is the ribbon selector switch on the top cover.  

Production in Canada.  Unfortunately, an error has crept into the popular history of the Barr - it is written in places that production in the US ended in 1934 and was sent to Canada.  In fact, the origin of this error appears to be the catalog that was written in 1965 to accompany the Carl P. Dietz collection of typewriters (now housed at the Milwaukee Public Museum).  This is not the case; the facts are, briefly, as follows.

In 1933 Canadian press reported that architects in Montreal had been contracted to find a site for and design a $175,000 factory for the US based Barr-Morse Corporation in order to start production in Canada and for export to the British Empire from there.  This did not occur; what did happen seems to be that space was rented in the Montreal factory of Northern Electric Company.  A Canadian corporation, titled Barr-Morse Company Ltd. was incorporated in Montreal in July 1933 with a capitalization of $50,000 to launch the Canadian effort.  However, there is simply no indication at all that production was moved to Canada or, in other words, ended in the US.  There MAY have been a lull in production or a slowdown due to the general economy, but as we will shortly see, production in Canada was a parallel, not a move. 

Close inspection of the front frame of Tilman Elster's Barr Special, serial F1P591 will reveal the name "Barr Morse Company Ltd" and the fact that this machine was made in Canada.  These are very hard to find today.  

Barr Typewriter Corporation, NY NY and Weedsport, NY.  The intervening years between 1934 and 1937 do not yield much news of the Barr; it seems clear today that the machine never really took off, with the effort remaining alive but "at the back of the pack" as could be said of Woodstock Typewriter Company in the field of standard typewriters.  Barr himself sold out his interest in the company somewhere between '34 and '36, and the company was bought out by interests from New York in April 1937. 

A report in the Ithaca Journal, printed on May 11, 1937, detailed the fact that the new Barr Typewriter Corporation had purchased "the existing parts of the former Barr Typewriter," and rented from Morse the plant space used formerly by Barr-Morse in order to complete the assembly of machines in the process of being made.  Contracts were also put out for fabrication of parts needed to complete these typewriters.  A brief effort was made to find a place to relocate in Ithaca, but the move to Weedsport New York was shortly announced.  Offices for the new firm were established remotely, at 33 East 33rd Street in New York City.

(Aside:  It is from the above report coming out of Ithaca in 1937 that we can be convinced that production of the typewriters was not in whole moved to Canada in 1934.)

I was fortunate to contact Ezio Leonardi years ago, whose father, Salvatore Leonardi, took part in operating the factory for Barr in Weedsport.  Leonardi had been associated with the first effort in Ithaca and he and several other men moved along with the operation to Weedsport.  Leonardi in fact owned his own plating equipment and leased it to the new corporation.  According to Ezio Leonardi, the elder Leonardi had related that production of the typewriters ended either in 1939 or 1940.  

This remarkable 1939 letter shared to us from the Don and Carolyn Hoke Collection details the apparent fact that the new company continued with two models - a Model 21 that had ribbon selector, and a Model 40 that was single color.  Note also that the old slogan of the company has been replaced with "You can use a Barr wherever you are."  Mechanics will want to pay attention to the remark about the hardening of the type bars near their base as regards adjustments.

Weedsport machines shown.

From the late Tilman Elster's collection we see Barr (model 21) serial number 40339.  This is a very high serial number; Weedsport machines, no matter what label they carry, run roughly from serial number 37000 to serial numbers in the 40000 range.  This is the equivalent of the old Universal model.  Note the change to black keytops, found on most or all Weedsport-manufactured Barr-designed machines.

A truly rare variant is this "Standard Model Mercury" portable, actually again a Weedsport built Barr with serial 40155 and also from the collection of Tilman Elster.  It's not known to this writer just who was behind this labeling, but Royal was marketing a version of its portable as the Mercury at this time as well - which may explain why few of these exist.

From my collection comes this Macy's Portable No. 1, serial number 39840.  This labeling variant is probably the most commonly found Weedsport Barr.  This machine is fully operable, and I have typed on it extensively.  It is one of the most pleasant machines in my collection for use.  As with all Barr machines, it incorporates a snappy, accelerating type-bar action and it responds well to a firm, fast typing technique.  

The back of my machine, serial 39840 clearly displays the name of the final corporation and the place of manufacture.  Remember, this is a Macy's Portable No. 1 and yet it still clearly states on the rear the original manufacturer.  

Variations.  Most Barr-Morse machines are in smooth paint and have white keytops, and most Weedsport machines are in crinkle finish paint and have black keytops.  However, documented factory exceptions to all of these are known.  In addition, there are at least a few machines made after the model split in 1930 which do not state on the machines themselves the model.  For example, one machine is known that is clearly the stripped Barr Special with no ribbon switch, but the machine carries "Barr Typewriter" labeling as had the single-model machines prior.  

Advertising Materials.  We will conclude our new look at the Barr with some illustrations of advertising materials that appeared on the original article from 2005 and additions to it through 2008.

Barr Special folder, Dilts/Cincotta collection.

Early Barr Typewriter flyer detail, Dilts/Cincotta collection. 

Ink blotter, Barr Typewriter, Peter Weil collection.

This article is a complete revision from my original Portable Typewriter Reference Site linked from willdavis.org and should be considered a replacement.  I hope you've enjoyed it!