Smith Premier 1 Typewriter
The Smith Premier 1 Typewriter, produced in 1889, featured a double keyboard design and a unique mechanism for smooth typing. It was highly advertised and sold for $100.
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The Smith Premier 1 Typewriter, produced by L.C. Smith Gun Co. in Syracuse, New York, in 1889, is notable for being the most advertised and successful double keyboard typewriter of its era. It features a unique design with a double keyboard, where white keys are used for lowercase letters and black keys for uppercase letters and figures. The Model 1 is distinguished by its intricate, nickel-plated, embossed frame pattern. Unlike other typewriters of the time that utilized levers to connect keys to type bars, the Smith Premier employs a system of turning rods to transfer motion from the keys to the type bars. This mechanism allows for a smooth and responsive typing experience. The typewriter was sold for $100, which was comparable to the cost of other contemporary items, such as a horse-drawn carriage priced at around $60 and a finely engraved rifle at $35. The phrase "The pen is mightier than the sword but the Smith Premier typewriter bends them both" highlights the significance of this typewriter in its time.
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"A rather specialized market for typewriters exists due to the regulations of many correctional systems in the US, where prisoners are prohibited from having computers or telecommunication equipment, but are allowed to own typewriters. The Swintec corporation (headquartered in Moonachie, New Jersey), which, as of 2011, still produced typewriters at its overseas factories (in Japan, Indonesia, and/or Malaysia), manufactures a variety of typewriters for use in prisons, made of clear plastic (to make it harder for prisoners to hide prohibited items inside it). As of 2011, the company had contracts with prisons in 43 US states."
(judging by their web site, they still do)
- No 1 or 0, just use l and O
- Page width is measured using decimal-divided inches
- That lowercase g glyph!I'm thinking of 3D printing a lookalike case for some SBC so I can use it as a computer.
See it here: https://www.mrmrsvintagetypewriters.com/products/pristine-vi...
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