What is today the Davis Bros. typewriter collection initially began in 1999 as an investigatory tool for research into the history of what most people would call modern, mass produced portable typewriters. Many makes and models were acquired, including machines not only made in the United States, but in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Japan, and later on many other countries. These machines were seen all over Will's original websites (the Portable Typewriter Reference Site, mainly) and introduced many marques to the collecting world which had never been thoroughly researched and cataloged prior.
During that phase, antique machines were obtained from time to time, but the real beginning of our collection of antique machines began on one day in which Will obtained a Sun Standard No. 2 for $45 in complete working order, a Harris Visible No. 4 and a Monarch No. 2. This launched our interest into the time period around the appearance of visible writing, standard machines - which eventually became a website section every bit as important historically as the Portable Typewriter Reference Site. Since that time we've enjoyed a double sided experience as collectors and authors - pushing ahead with researching modern portables, while at the same time pushing ahead research and writing on antique typewriters.
While we can't list every single machine we own, below is a listing of some of the machines that we really like, which are unusual, are attractive, are hard to find in the Americas or which are of interest to collectors and/or typists.
Please take a stroll through this small virtual version of our collection. Almost all photos will enlarge when clicked. (This page revised, rebuilt August 2015.)
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Adler Standard (1938)
Adler Favorit four-bank, thrust action portable
Allen serial 4341
AMC (rebranding of late ALPINA)
Annell No. 3A
AVONA (rebrand of Alpina)
Bar-Let Model 2 serial 37613
Barr Typewriter serial 2521
Betz Visible serial 20509 Only known example of this machine.
Blick 90 serial K1093
Blick Universal serial 215957
Note on below: The Burroughs Series 50 is the fully manual Burroughs typewriter, while the Burroughs Series 60 is the "Burroughs Electric Typewriter" with electric carriage return and electric shift.
Burroughs Series 50 serial 51A 80724
Burroughs Series 50 serial 51A 261068 with decimal tabulator and right hand tabulator key
Clover 302 portables (two identical; mfd. in South Korea beginning 1978. Serial numbers are 806782 and 811201.)
Cole-Steel (numerous examples, including that originally owned by John Cameron Swayze as seen below)
Collegiate (relabeled alternate body style of ABC)
Consul Silent
Consul 1511 portables
Consul 221.1
Continental serial 672780 manufactured 1938
Continental Silenta serial 742545 manufactured 1938
Corona 3 (Std Typ Co)
Corona Four (Light Maroon)
Corona Four serial 1F 3078, manufactured 1934; late, flat top style for the Four
Corona Junior serial 1J 2070, manufactured 1935
DeJur Triumph Standard
deluxe (rebranded Consul 1511 sold on German market)
Demountable No. 1
Demountable No. 2
Diana (portable mfd. by Royal in former Bing plant, West Germany; see "Royal Diana" below)
Emerson No. 3 serial 10576
Everest K2 portables (two different machines)
Everest K3 (unusual, short lived flat portable)
Fox No. 4 with decimal tabulator (sold!)
Fox Visible No. 24 serial P1355 21355
Fox Portable No. 1 serial 1364
Grant's 737 and Grant's 707 Gullwing Electric. Both portables manufactured for W T Grant department stores by Nakajima in Japan. 737 on left is manual; 707 on right is electro-mechanical.
Groma Combina (short lived "small office" machine with removable carriage)
Halberg Traveler
Hammond Multiplex (Aluminum frame, non-folding portable)
Harris Visible No. 4 serial 22925
Harris Visible No. 4 serial 24568
Harris Visible No. 4 serial 106723
Harris Visible No. 4 serial 107931 Mfd. by Rex Typewriter Co. (see frame detail)
Harry A. Smith No. 4 serial 5324 This machine is a relabeled Victor No. 2. It has its original shipping crate, modified by Smith to remove the Victor name, as well as its original instructions and the remains of its diagram sheet.
Hermes Standard 8
Ideal A serial 13023 "Ideal A2"
Ideal D serial 1062537
Imperial 50 serial V3299
Imperial Good Companion 6
Junior Model 58
L.C. Smith No. 2 serial 106744-2
L.C. Smith No. 5 - no photo yet!
L.C. Smith Secretarial in Walnut Green
Macy's Portable No. 1 serial 39840 (Barr Typewriter Corp.)
Molle No. 3 serial 4473
Monarch No. 2 serial 66988
Monarch No. 3 serial 107517
Monarch portable (identical to Remington 5T)
National No. 5 serial 16169
National No. 5 serial 22036
Oliver No. 3 and Oliver No. 9
Oliver No. 5
Oliver Portable
Olivetti M40
Optima Plana
Optima Elite (left) and Optima Super (right)
Orga Privat 3
Orga Model 10
Pittsburg Visible No. 12 serial 39284
Portex No. 5 serial 19882
Predom 1012 (Manufactured 1986 in Poland)
President (relabeled early Consul portable)
Rex Visible No. 4 serial 48935
R C Allen Woodstock (short lived dual branding, circa 1950-1951)
R C Allen 700 (Visomatic)
Reliance Visible serial 51695 (Reliance Typewriter Co.)
Reliance Visible serial 60800 (Reliance Machine Mfg. Co.)
Remington Junior
Remington No. 10
Remington No. 16
Remington Smith Premier 30 serial MM10004 (not yet shown)
Remington Noiseless 6 (factory refurbished by Remington)
Rooy Portable
Royal Standard
Royal No. 5
Royal No. 10 serial X-988995
Royal No. 10 serial SX-1616291 (incorporates segment shift in No. 10 body)
Royal portable / early model
Royal portable / second model (in woodgrain, with "Vogue" typeface)
Royal Signet serial E9775; depression era portable
Royal Diana (formerly "Diana" made in Germany; this version mfd. in Holland) (see below)
Royal Administrator ("small office machine" developed from Royal Diana)
Siemag IIT
Smith-Corona Super Speed 1A (black, late 30's through late 1949)
Smith-Corona Super Speed 1A (green, late 1949 and beyond)
Smith Corona (SCM) Secretarial 76 - Serial 76E12-7037845 (Highest known serial of any Smith Corona standard typewriter, made 1970)
Smith Corona 4AR series portables: We discovered and identified the carryover of "Speedline" bodies into the "5 series" decor and began seeking them out. Here are a few.
Smith Corona Super serial 5T 118429
Smith Corona 5TE Electric Portable serial 5TE 137750
Smith Corona / Golden Shield Silent Meteor
Smith Premier No. 1 serial 22577
Smith Premier No. 2 serial 72006
Smith Premier No. 10A serial 62296
Smith Premier 60 serial XC40352
Stoewer Record serial 118286 manufactured 1927
Sun Standard No. 2 serial 14962
Torpedo 18 portable
(Brass frame) Underwood No. 5
Underwood No. 5 (rebuilt by commercial factory)
Underwood Four Bank Portable in woodgrain
UNIS TBM deluxe (mfd. 1986 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia; Cyrillic keyboard)
Victor No. 3 serial 9573
Victor No. 10 serial 52072
Visigraph serial 12970
Voss Deluxe
Voss Privat
Woodstock Electrite serial E12169E
Woodstock No. 4
Woodstock Signature
Many brands, or makes/models of more modern typewriter were for the first time anywhere shown, explored in detail and discussed on our (Davis) websites. These include but are not limited to the following now well-known marques and manufacturers, all of which include or have included examples in the collection:
ALPINA
ARGYLE
AMC
ANTARES
ATLAS
BROTHER
CHINESE "MODEL 100"
CITIZEN
CLOVER
COLE-STEEL
COMMODORE
CONSUL
DEL-MAR
ELGIN
EURO-PORTABLE FAMILY (PATRIA/OLIVER COURIER)
HALBERG
IMC
K-MEK
MARITSA
MESSA
MONTANA
NAKAJIMA
NIPPO
OMEGA
PRINCESS
ROOY
ROVER
SILVER-SEIKO
UNIS
VOSS
--------------- OTHER MACHINES -----------------------
American Combination Register
Smith-Corona Cashier
Monarch Listing Adding Machine (identical to Remington 10-key)
Monroe 811 adding machine (actually manufactured by Olympia)
•INSTRUCTIONAL AND TOY TYPEWRITERS•
Collegiate (sold in US by Western Stamping; mfd. in Japan by Konryu Corporation)
Citizen Columbia XL (mfd. in Japan by Konryu Corporation)
Tom Thumb Feather Touch (actually "Petite," made in England, dist. by Western Stamping)
MARX 300
JC PENNEY (mfd. by Marx Toys)
Signature Junior (sold by Montgomery Ward's; mfd. by Marx Toys) This typewriter is somewhat unusual among the range manufactured by Marx in that it is a true double shift typewriter.
Marxwriter (Marx toys)
Buddy-L easy-writer 210 (mfd. by Marx toys)
SELECTO Unusual metal and plastic index toy typewriter by Berwin. This unique design moves the type carrier, and not the carriage -- just like an IBM Selectric.
TOM THUMB One of many variations made by Western Stamping, USA
Thanks for sharing your collection, and all the valuable research information!!
ReplyDeleteFabulous collection! I didn't realize there were so many folding portables like the Corona 3.
ReplyDeleteHi, I have a burroughs wide carriage typewriter. The carriage is about 26" wide and I'm trying to find where the serial would be. I have yet find anyone who knows where it would be. Can anyone help me out? I've turned it upside down and looked everywhere. Today I took a plate off on the back to do some cleaning and I'm not sure but on the inside of the plate I see what might be numbers but they are too small to see with the naked eye......
ReplyDeleteHi,I would like to thank you for sharing you great collection.I have a Japanese typewriter called ( KASUGA 8000 DE LUXE ) do you know anything about this typewriter ?
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful blog!
ReplyDeleteI am a collector of many things, mostly plastics and mostly mid century.
However, I do get the occasional typewriter and was recently given an Everest 92 - see my Flickr photos - https://www.flickr.com/photos/36040317@N02/albums/72157615046721271
I am impressed with the build quality and features but I cannot find any information on the 92.
Have you come across this machine? If you have I would love to hear your thoughts about it.
Regards, Michael