Monday, August 20, 2018

Mystery typewriters (Part 2)

In response to my previous post, Flavio Mantelli says that the aluminum frame is part of a Nickerson:



You can read more about the wonderful Nickerson from Robert Messenger.

And schrijfmachine said that this machine sold at Breker looks like a later Jackson. I'm not an expert on Jacksons, but I do see a similarity to this Jackson, which I believe is the earlier kind:



You can read more on Jacksons at The Antikey Chop.

I don't think either of these identifications is a home run, but both are possible.

Now, here are some typewriters in my own collection that I'd love to learn more about. First, a semi-electric Braille typewriter based on a Woodstock. You can read more about it in ETCetera No. 77. It turned up here in Cincinnati. But who designed it, when?




Then there's this prototype portable that no one has been able to link to an inventor, patent, or typewriter company. More in ETCetera No. 112.



I'm also puzzled by my Monac Simplex.


 

This machine is not a prototype, like the ones above, but was produced in series (#9701). One other machine like it is known to exist; it's in Thomas Fürtig's collection and is labeled AVGVSTA MONACO (#9708). Both have French keyboards.



Here's another machine labeled Monac which looks like the typical SIM machines from Italy, which were sold under many names, including AVGVSTA MONACO.



So the Monac Simplex was almost surely marketed by SIM, but I don't know whether they built it. It is not just the typical SIM in a new shell, but uses a different mechanism. The body is heavy cast metal, and the quality is high.

I'll be grateful for any tips!



1 comment:

  1. It is interesting to see all the different old typewriters. I wonder how many unknown or short-lived brands/models were ever made.

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