Saturday, January 31, 2015

A brand-new 48-year-old typewriter










The label on the bag for the carriage is marked with the typewriter's serial number.


The carriage return lever is tucked back, but it's easily put in the right position without any tools.


Wrapped around the platen was this form that asks the office machine dealer to report back to Grundig on the condition of the typewriter.



Here's a cover, an accessories kit, and the screws that attach the carriage to the body.


 The accessories kit holds two brushes, an eraser, an erasing shield, and a cleaning cloth.



An instruction manual in German, Danish, Italian, and Portuguese:


This supplement explains the special accommodations for the blind that are found on this machine.




Raised dots on some keys provide tactile guidance.
 

You can also find tactile help on the paper support ...


... and the scale is marked with Braille numerals. You can feel the exact location of the printing point thanks to the protrusion on the little structure above the type guide.


 The serial number dates the typewriter at 1967:


 
 
Type unblemished by any ink:


There were small amounts of rust on the typebars and segment, which I removed with a brass wire brush. A little old grease in the segment was making the typebars stiff, so I loosened them up with Lectra-Motive Electric Parts Cleaner, my favorite degreaser.

On the left side of the typewriter you see a socket where a Grundig Stenorette tape recorder can be plugged in. The key to the left of the space bar makes the tape play when you hit it, or rewind when you hold it down. A key to the right of the space bar stops the tape. Very useful for typing from dictation, and especially useful for the blind.



And there you have it: a brand-new 48-year-old typewriter! 
It feels great: precise, speedy, and durable.




16 comments:

  1. Congratulations! Unpacking and setting up a never-before used typewriter is quite an experience! And that big machine is a beauty, too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful!

    Do you think the keys are the original color, not having been exposed to sunlight?

    ReplyDelete
  3. It must have been exciting to open it. It also looks like a very nice typewriter. Congratulations.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Richard thank you for sharing that. What a cool find!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Amazing! But you should've saved it to unwrap at Christmas :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow. What a machine. What a treasure. What an opportunity! I can't help but wonder how it fell through the cracks for nearly half a century.

    ReplyDelete
  7. One of those "few in a lifetime" experiences! I've heard you say in the past that you'd like to have an Adler Universal. Well basically here it is - mechanically and in layout it looks just like mine. As I recall, at that time, the parent company was TA under Litton Industries - Truimph Adler. They're the same machine, for the most part - congratulations. Great schreibmaschine - smooth and powerful! I love mine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I've actually gotten two Adler Universals since posting about my longing for one, so I can see the mechanical close kinship to the Matura. Triumph and Adler shared designs since the 1930s. In 1967 TA was part of Grundig; I don't know whether Litton had a hand yet.

      Delete
  8. Richard - that is absolutely astounding! Congratulations.

    It is also very timely and gives me some ideas for packing my Adler U-39 for its upcoming trans-Atlantic journey!

    But wow. Just, wow!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Made in West Germany...I can only imagine the precision and sturdiness of that machine. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I feel your thrill as you open the package of that spanking new old typewriter. No one deserves it more than you.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I see the address to which this Triumph was shipped is Victory Pky! You win!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks so much for sharing this exciting moment in a collector's life. All aspects of this typewriter's story are truly special. I can relate to the excitement, reminding me of unpacking my Polish Facit.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It's interesting to see the home-row touch guides on A, F, J, and Ö. The ones on F and J are now found on virtually every physical keyboard for a digital device, but this predates that by at least 15 years.

    ReplyDelete