Whatever you may think of recent developments in the world, there is one that is undeniably good news for typewriter historians and anyone interested in the Chinese language.
The long-lost, likely sole prototype of the Mingkwai ("Clear and Quick") Chinese typewriter, invented by polymath Lin Yutang, has been discovered in a basement. The man who found it asked on Facebook, "Is it even worth anything?" Oh, yes. One of the most intricate and brilliant mechanical inventions in typewriter history, one of a kind, developed over thirty years by a man who is well-known and admired in both the People's Republic of China and Taiwan, is worth something.
I am no expert on the Mingkwai and know only four Chinese characters, but as a collector, I have been aware of this legendary machine for years. A true expert on the topic is Thomas Mullaney, author of The Chinese Typewriter. He is aware of this amazing find. There is going to be plenty of discussion and research about the Mingkwai in the coming years, I'm sure, by people who understand it far better than I do, so I'll limit myself to posting a few pictures.
One of the exciting aspects of typewriter collecting is that you never know what is going to turn up in a basement, an attic, or a junk shop.
Image courtesy of reader F. Z.
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Followup:
The typewriter has been acquired by the Stanford University Libraries, where it will have a suitable home and will be accessible to researchers such as Stanford's Thomas Mullaney, author of
The Chinese Typewriter: A History. What a fine piece of news! The typewriter is currently being analyzed with cutting-edge technology in an attempt to create a working replica (it's too risky to try to use or dismantle the original).
More stories:
... and as Stanford Magazine reports, the university has now also acquired the key part of the one-and-only circular Chinese typewriter invented in 1897 by missionary Devello Sheffield!
