The Underwood secret number mystery

Robert G recently blogged about the "secret" numbers you can find stamped under the left front foot on many Underwoods. I pointed out that there's also a mysterious number under the angular nickeled piece that covers the right end of the carriage.

Now Robert has started to collect data on these numbers. The two hidden numbers match in every case so far (though sometimes the initial digit is omitted on the foot). But how do they relate to the machine's serial number? 

Here are some examples from two machines currently in my possession, both made in January 1925 according to the Database.

For some reason, the machine with the higher serial number has lower hidden numbers.

Want to contribute to Robert's research? Inspect your Underwoods and write to him at robertg@planet.nl.

Gratitude to the machine: Clarice Lispector on typewriters

The brilliant, often baffling Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector (1920-1977) had a love affair with typewriters: specifically, an Underwood Finger-Flite Champion, an Olympia SF, and an Underwood Dora. I've found some photos and videos of her typing, and a couple of wonderful texts in which she reflects on her typewriters. These are a good opportunity for me to practice my Portuguese (I know Spanish, but I needed some machine help with these translations). I don't currently have a Portuguese typewriter, but my Swissa Junior has some of the necessary accents.

Clarice in a trance state with her Underwood

Olympia SF at left

 

Photo by Cláudia Andujar, 1961

This YouTube video includes a reading of the second text, if you'd like to hear what it sounds like in Portuguese. The video was produced in connection with an exhibit of what is purported to be Clarice's Olympia and Olivetti, but the Olympia Monica in the exhibit certainly isn't the little SF in these photos. The Olivetti in the exhibit is a Lettera 22, but in this 1976 film, she's using what looks like a Dora—still in the "laptop" position that she described as "a strange habit."

Gratitude to my Swissa Junior for typing these texts.

PS: A copy of my entire blog has been created on the new typewriterrevolution.com (designed by Trent Reker). For the time being, I'll be double-posting in both places. You can follow and comment on either site. Here is this post.

A ribbon hack for a 1929 Underwood portable

Tonight I worked on a four-bank Underwood portable from 1929. It's a fussy machine, with some awkward functions and tiny pieces that can easily get lost if you remove the platen and paper tray.

Right around 1929, the company introduced snap-on ribbon covers with attractive cut-out UT (Underwood Typewriter) logos. Here's a nice example from the collection of Geoff Flash.

The problem is that if the ribbon covers snap on, they can also snap off—and get lost. Then, when the loose spool spins, the ribbon tends to fly off and get tangled up.

A few years ago, someone in the typosphere generously designed and sold some 3D-printed replacement covers. But in my experience, they were too flimsy and did not fit reliably. 

Tonight I had a brainstorm. For years I've had little binder clips like this one lying around the workshop, and I keep thinking that there must be some typewriter-related use for them.

Well, there is.

This simple measure keeps the ribbon in place. The prong wobbles back and forth as you type, but I don't think it will be too distracting. If you have a similar problem, you might want to give the Binder Clip Solution a try.

1939

Two neat typewriters from 1939 just dropped in my lap. 

This Remington was donated to WordPlay Cincy by a local woman. It had been in her brother-in-law's family for generations. She was glad to drop it off on my porch (social distancing!) and I promised her it would go to a good cause.

You might say it doesn't look like it was made in 1939, and you'd be right—it doesn't. That's because it was clearly refurbished in the 1950s, getting a modern tan (or gray, once I clean it?) wrinkle finish and a '50s Remington Rand logo. But here's what it originally must have looked like:

You can tell the early Remington no. 17s by the two little panels on top that flip up to provide ribbon access. All of these machines date from 1939. On later no. 17s, the whole top plate lifts off easily.

In case you're wondering, here's what the inside of the right flip-up panel says (it's just the same on the machine I just got).

As for my other recent acquisition, it turned on eBay a couple of days ago (with the typo "PortableTypewriter" in the title). It was a Buy It Now for under $100 (a pretty small fraction of its market value). It was in Ohio, so it got to me quickly. It came with a user's manual like this one, with the original owner's name typed on it. (An obituary tells me that he served in the South Pacific in WWII and lived to the age of 94.)

This beauty is fully functional. It just needs a little cleaning and new feet. I haven't added any typewriters to my personal collection for a while, so I'm tempted to keep this one side by side with my black and green Champions.

1939: horrible year for war and politics, good year for typewriters.

Tuxedo typer

Here are some views of the latest machine that I've rescued from the basement, cleaned up, and put back into rotation. This model has been referred to as the tuxedo, the cop car, or the penguin. (OK, I just made up that last nickname.)

This black-and-white version of the Underwood De Luxe Quiet Tab is the rarest variation. Here are two other variants from my collection (all three typewriters were built in 1956). Their designer was Paul A. Braginetz (see Robert Messenger's post on Braginetz).

I think the tan-and-brown variant usually comes with a standard pica typeface. The turquoise-and-gray variant usually comes with a quirky typeface that Underwood called Continental, in pica pitch. The tuxedo variant usually comes with with elite Continental type.

If you like Continental, you can download a digital version here.

Here is the Underwood ad that provides the Continental name, as originally posted on the blog X Over It (thanks, Jael P.!):

Like all Underwood portables of the '50s, these machines are a bit rattly and do not show the best quality overall. But if you're going to get a '50s Underwood, I'd say these are the finest: they have the most features, the most striking design, and (at least in two variants) the most interesting typeface.

Here are a few more views of my tuxedo. I've equipped it, by the way, with a ribbon from Ribbons Unlimited that will type either in black or in a deep blue-black which is really attractive. (My previous post was typed on this machine, in that color.)

Midsummer miscellany

I don't have a well-developed topic for a post, but thought I would publish a few notes on my recent activities.

I continue to bike around Cincinnati in the early morning, before it gets too hot. Here's a view from Mt. Storm Park just after sunrise today. My new bike doesn't currently have the wherewithal to strap a typewriter onto it, but I'll work on that ...



Although Urban Legend Typewriters is officially on hold, some people in need find their way to me. I just finished restoring this Burroughs, which was very dusty and had a couple of mechanical issues. The main problem was that one cam that's crucial to reversing the ribbon was missing, and the other was damaged. Tyler Elliott on Facebook came to my rescue, and sent me the parts. As I've noted before, in general Burroughs are very robust machines—at least on this one, even the paper table is cast, not sheet metal! But their ribbon reverse system is finicky, and if it fails, it will put tension on a plastic (!) gear at the base of the ribbon shaft, which will break and render the typewriter inoperable. Every typewriter has an Achilles' heel, and this is a classic example.



I've also recently cleaned up an Olivetti Studio 45 and this 1929 Underwood no. 5.



This morning I discovered a review on Amazon that gives me hope that sometimes I can manage to be the person and the writer I aspire to be. It was posted years ago, but it's fresh to me and I very much appreciate it.



I received an advance reader's copy of the forthcoming, mostly typewritten novel by Lee Siegel, Typerotica. Eventually I'll publish a book review here.



Cold Hard Type III: Backspaces is proceeding well. I've received typescripts from most contributors and am lightly photoshopping them into publishable form. We may be able to publish around September 1. Here's a sneak peek at the cover, featuring a photo by Fred Durbin.



Finally, after a three months' wait, I received a historic typewriter that was shipped to me from Romania.



This 1932 Urania-Piccola is signed on the back, in a place normally hidden by the folded paper supports, "M. Heidegger." Martin Heidegger is the philosopher to whom I've devoted most of my research for over three decades. He didn't like using a typewriter, but in 1932, his assistant's Torpedo portable was stolen. Evidently Heidegger bought a replacement, and signed it in case of theft. The typewriter was sold by Strangfeld, a dealer in Berlin.



There is much more to say about this machine, and eventually I think I'll write an article about it. [2022 note: I did.]



In order to afford this typewriter, I sold this Sholes Visible which was a duplicate in my collection. It's shown here with the shifting portion of the carriage removed (an easy thing to do—you just unhook it and lift it out).



I guess it's been a pretty eventful midsummer. I won't even get into my professional news (in brief, I'm starting a three-year term as associate dean in the midst of the turmoil of the pandemic).

I hope my readers are doing well and putting in some good, healthy time at their typewriters.

The takeaways

Congratulations to ZetiX for guessing the four winners from Friday's typewriter safari!

1. This Adler J4 was an obvious choice at just $29.99. It's an uncommon and well-made portable with interesting styling (reminiscent of its notorious big brother from "The Shining").



All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy:



And—bonus!—this J4 has a beautiful typeface known as Esquire (Rodrian 88) (thank you, Ted Munk):

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2. I couldn't resist the Underwood Master, on sale for $40. I'm fond of this somewhat ridiculous attempt to streamline the boxy Underwood, and I'd been thinking that if I found one in nice shape at a good price, I might pick it up. Notice that this one even has a rare ribbon cover on the left spool.



It's not quite a giant, but it is a very beefy writing machine. It was made one year after the New York World's Fair.



Here's what it looks like after extensive cleaning and adjusting. I had to replace one foot and part of the backspacing mechanism. I found the second ribbon cover languishing in the innards of the typewriter!

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3 and 4: These two Smith-Corona Classic 12s also came home with me.



Why? Look closely:



The scale on this 12-inch carriage only has markings up to 66 characters. And ...



... notice the lack of a red ribbon option.

Yes, these are magnatype machines, 6 characters per inch.



For $29 apiece, this purchase was a no-brainer.

The two keyboards are not identical: notice that the first keyboard below includes the usual symbols #, %, and &, but the second one replaces them with +, ÷, and =.



Both typewriters include this peculiar key:



Both typewriters actually print the same characters, including + ÷ =. One of the typewriters has an old ribbon, but I think the typeface is identical.



The weird character is an em dash (–), as opposed to an en dash or hyphen (-). The em is a little longer, and also prints a little higher on the page: see the ems and ens between the two typing samples above. I'm really not sure why you'd need both kinds of dashes, but I guess the em looks better as a minus sign.

The typeface is similar to Speech-Riter (another grateful tip o' the typebar to Rev. Munk). However, note that the a and 4 are obviously different from Speech-Riter, and there are other, more subtle differences. Sight Saver isn't a match, either.



According to information scratched into the back of one of these typewriters, it belonged to a fabric supplier in St. Louis. Now both of them are going to WordPlay, either for kids to use or for sale to the public.