and translated by Richard Polt
The writing can be seen only when the typist raises the carriage. With the carriage
raised, you can see the richly decorated manufacturer's notice, which
reads: "NEUE PATENTSCHREIBMASCHINE - KOSMOPOLIT - ALLEINIGE FABRIKANTEN - GUHL& HARBECK, HAMBURG" ("NEW PATENTED
TYPEWRITER - KOSMOPOLIT - SOLE MANUFACTURERS
- GUHL& HARBECK, HAMBURG").
In place of this notice, machines are also found with the
inscription "J.C. Koch" and a picture of the factory.
The style of type can be changed simply by replacing the type plate. Six different
type styles were provided free of charge with purchase of the machine.
There were a total of 13 different type plates available, including three in the
Cyrillic alphabet. The printed index could also be replaced (Hammonds
had a similar arrangement).
The great similarity of the cast-iron base to the base of a sewing machine is not accidental, for the base was made in the company's own foundry. The Kosmopolit weighs 6.5 kg and measures 32 cm in length, 26 cm in width, and 11.5 cm in height.
The Kosmopolit found only a limited market, but where it was used, it
was prized for its sturdiness and for its beautiful, clear typing. It was exported
to several European countries, and according to Ernst Martin, it was still used
for years after the turn of the century, especially in English insurance offices,
to prepare "beautiful" documents. Manufacture must have stopped around
1902-1903, for the last advertisements for the Kosmopolit date from 1903.
The Kosmopolit was the last typewriter produced by Guhl & Harbeck; the
company later produced one more notable item, the Jupiter pencil
sharpener.
The machine pictured at the top of this page is probably serial number 4, for this number is stamped into it at various places, including beneath the type segment. I cannot be completely sure whether this is a serial number or just a part number. Other machines known to me carry the numbers 2 and 7. Maybe someone in our collectors' circle has further information about Kosmopolit serial numbers.
It's rather unlikely that you'll find a Kosmopolit in a flea market; this precious object can be seen only in museums, and a few collectors are happily privileged to call it their own. Aside from the low number of specimens produced, the shortage of iron after the Second World War also contributes to the rarity of the machine. A fellow collector told me that in the years immediately following the war, when he served as apprentice to a German office machine dealer, several Hammonias and Kosmopolits were lying in the warehouse for traded-in typewriters. He had to smash these machines with a sledgehammer, because the cast iron bases were sold to be melted down (a story sure to make every collector's heart bleed!).
