Saturday, September 3, 2011

THE WEEKEND COLLECTOR: The Classic Typewriter Page

 

Typewriter collector, historian & expert Richard Polt has a wonderfully interesting website called The Classic Typewriter Page. Surprisingly, he started his website in 1995, and has kept it going all these years, adding to it as his information and collection increased.  He also has a blog, called The Writing Ball, where he celebrates all things typewriter and typewritten.




I can't begin to summarize Richard's amazing knowledge of typewriters. He not only knows their history and design, but understands how each type of typewriter works. And there are dozens and dozens of different types of mechanisms that were developed through the years- from the late 19th century, to the late 1980s when typewriters began to be replaced with computers. Not only is Richard a talented collector, writer, restorer and historian, but he also types! On real typewriters! He also has available for download a number of historically accurate typewriter fonts. Check 'em out! I downloaded a bunch!

I hope you take the time to browse through Richard's archives and blog. It's really fun to see the origins and ingenuity of the designers and engineers of these fabulous typing machines!

2 comments:

Richard P said...

Thanks, Stefanie! My site actually got started in late 1995 -- the Stone Age, in Web terms. One of my initial ideas was to provide an online forum for typewriter collectors to buy and sell. This was before eBay. Boy, do I feel old.

Stefanie Eskander said...

Noted, and edited!