آلة كاتبة عربية

Here's a typing sample from Ned Brooks' Arabic Olivetti Lettera 32:



An early Erika folding (#3032):






A few stages in the evolution of the Erika, 1910s - 1950s:





My '50s Erikas (left to right: Erika 10 #1909032, Aztec 700 Super #1976404, and Arabic #2000670). The Arabic machine lacks several features of the others and has old-fashioned round metal keys, even though it's newer. I believe the others are both the "Super" version; they include include touch adjustment and tabulator, among other things. On the left of the keyboard is a lever for disentangling typebars, and a "+" key for setting tabs.




There are plenty of small differences among these machines. Consider the line spacing markings:




There are more differences under the hood. On the left (#1909032), a decal from VEB Schreib- und Nähmaschinenwerke Dresden (Volkseigener Betrieb, or "People's Enterprise" Dresden Typewriter and Sewing Machine Works -- the socialist successor to Seidel & Naumann). On the right (#2000670), no decal and a different system for securing the hood.





The Arabic Erika and its capitalist rival, an Olympia SM5:





The Olympia's logo:





Let's take a closer look at the Arabic Erika:





Who can tell me what these decals say?











The shift key is a work of calligraphic art:





For those of you who want to get into the nitty-gritty of proportional typewriting, here is a non-proportional mechanism (#1976404) and then the Arabic, proportional mechanism (#2000670).






And finally, here is Ned's Arabic Lettera.



Wikipedia article on the Arabic alphabet


Marty Rice on the Aztec 700