presents

Compiled by Marco Thorne
with contributions by Richard Polt

It's always a treat to see rare typewriters "in the flesh," because drawings and photos can never convey the complete reality of these fantastic machines. Marco Thorne has begun the worthy project of compiling a list of publicly displayed typewriters around the world.

Sightings by readers are invited. This list is not copyrighted but credit is requested if any or all is published elsewhere. Source identification is shown by a capital letter at the end of each listing; S = Staff of the display location, C=Compiler of this guide from personal sighting, P=Richard Polt from personal sighting, or O=someone else who has reported a collection. To report more collections, write or phone Marco Thorne, 4325 West Overlook Drive, San Diego, CA 92115-6116, (619) 582-6048, or e-mail Richard Polt.

Australia

• Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street Ultimo, PO Box K346 Haymarket, Sydney NSW 1238, Australia. This museum has a number of typewriters, including a Sholes & Glidden. They may not be on display, but you can search on their site and see black-and-white images. O.

Brazil

• Fernando Costa in São Paulo has an excellent collection that he would be happy to show to visitors. "I have about 70 machines always in display at my flat and the person would need to call me beforehand for an appointment. My numbers: 55-12-38949134 or 55-11-30648474. If calling in Brazil: 0xx12-38949134 or 0xx11-30648474." Fernando's e-mail: fernandoamcosta@uol.com.br. S.

Canada

• TORONTO, Ontario: the Royal Ontario Museum presents an exhibit of 20 antique typewriters from the Martin Howard collection, July 2007-June 29, 2008. Click here for the press release (PDF).
• THUNDER BAY, Ontario: Mister PRINT, 55 N. Cumberland Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada P7B 4L6. Displayed are about a dozen old typewriters from the 20's, 30's and 40's. Also several business machines such as Burroughs. Owner: Jack Antoniak, antoniak@tbaytel.net. S.

Czech Republic

• PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: The National Technical Museum includes a typewriter collection with some interesting rarities (such as the Westphalia) and one-of-a-kind prototypes (such as the Odkolek). Visit their typewriter page here. Location: Kostelni 42, Praha 7. Hours: 9-5 every day except Monday. S.

Finland

• HELSINKI, FINLAND: the Finnish Business College has a very good collection of some 300 typewriters. Finnish Business College, Rautatieläisenkatu 5, 00520 Helsinki, Finland, typewriter@slk.fi. Visit their website here. S.

France

• PARIS, FRANCE: Musée des arts et métiers. 60, rue Rétaumur. Tuesday-Sunday 10 am - 6 pm, also open Thursday nights until 9:30. Admission: 5.50 Euros. A visitor writes: "Founded by Abbé Henri Gregoire in 1794, the technology museum has a collection of 80,000 machines and instruments of all kinds. Exhibited are a Sholes & Glidden, a Lambert, a Hammond 2, a Royal, a Darling, a Yost # 10, an IBM Electronic, a Stenograph by Bartholomew (1888), and, perhaps most interesting, a Cryptograph by Alexis Kohl (1889), very similar to a Malling Hansen Writing Ball and never produced, according to Michael Adler, 1973." O.

Germany

• HERFORD, GERMANY: Tilman Elster has a museum in his old farmhouse at 99, Stedefreunder St., D-32051 HERFORD (between Dortmund and Hannover). Some 750 plus typewriters on display. Call first to confirm convenient time. Phone: xx49-5221-33466, Fax: xx49-5221-32591. O.
• MUNICH, GERMANY: Deutsches Museum. Museumsinsel 1, D-80538 MŸnchen. Open daily, 9-5. Displays about 20 antique typewriters in its printing department. O.
• PADERBORN, GERMANY: Heinz Nixdorf Museumsforum, Fürstenallee 7, 33102 Paderborn. Phone ++49+5251/3066-00, fax ++49+5251/3066-09. This museum is devoted to the history of information technology. It includes a display of 19th-century typewriters on the first floor above ground level. Another display represents an American office of 1900. Hours: Tues.-Fri. 9 AM - 6 PM, weekends and holidays 10 AM - 6 PM, closed Mondays. Admission: 6 DM adults, 3 DM children. S.

Italy

• PARTSCHINS, ITALY: Schreibmaschinenmuseum Peter Mitterhofer / Museo da Macchine per Scrivere Peter Mitterhofer, Kirchplatz 10, Partschins (near Meran, South Tirol, Italy). This museum in the hometown of Peter Mitterhofer, an early typewriter inventor, features about 120 typewriters on display, including rarities such as the Sholes & Glidden, Edison-Mimeograph Typewriter, Fitch, North's, and Blick Oriental. There are also "family themes" like the Blickensderfers or the Mignons. Tel: (0473) 967581 (during the opening hours). Opening hours: 1 April to 31 October: Mo. 15-18.00, Tu. 10-12.00, Th. 9-12.00, Fr. 14-16.00. 1 November to 31 March: Tu. 10-12.00. Closed on all holidays. Director: Kurt Ryba.

Netherlands

• TILBURG, THE NETHERLANDS: Scryption, p/a/ Spoorlaan 434a, 5038CH, Tilburg, The Netherlands. Phone (from U.S.) 011-31-13-5800821, fax 011-31-13-5800818, "We've got the biggest collection in Western Europe, some 1200 plus typewriters starting from a truthful replica of the Bird Typewriter (if it can be called that) made from original drawings, to the beginning of the electronic typewriter age. Some highlights are the Thurey, the Malling Hansen typing ball (also replica), Caligraph, Kanzler I, Hammond 1, Lambert and a red Mignon." The museum also publishes a bulletin, called Scrypt. S.

Norway

• OSLO, NORWAY: The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology includes some excellent typewriters, including a Hansen Writing Ball and a Fitch.

Spain

• FIGUERES, SPAIN: Museu de la Técnica de l'Empordà. Excellent collection of typewriters accumulated by entrepreneur Pere Padrosa, along with sewing machines, clocks, and other objects. Calle dels Fossos, 12, 17600 Figueres (Gerona). Tel. 972 50 88 20. Wed.-Sat. 10am - 1 pm, 4 pm - 7 pm; Sun. 10:30 am - 1 pm; Tues. 4 pm - 7 pm; closed Monday. Web site: Spanish version, English version (also available in Catalan and French). S.
• VIGO, SPAIN: Miguel A. Castro in Vigo (NW Spain) has an excellent collection that he would be happy to show to visitors. "I have about 600 machines always in display at my flat and the person would need to call me beforehand for an appointment. My phone number: 34 986 213158. e-mail: mcastrod@mundo-r.com." S.

Switzerland

• BERNE, SWITZERLAND: The Museum of Communication includes a typewriter collection. Helvetiastrasse 16, CH - 3000 Berne 6. Phone: 0041 - 031 357 55 55. Fax: 0041 - 031 357 55 99. E-Mail: communicationmfk.ch. Tuesday to Sunday, 10am - 5 pm. S.
• LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND: Musée de la machine à écrire, av. de France 73, CH-1004 Lausanne, Switzerland. Phone 079-229-1303 or 021-625-5151. Visits by appointment. Free admission. The collection of Charles Perrier has over 400 typewriters, including antiques over a century old, Chinese and Japanese machines, and more. A web site can be found here.
• TOGGENBURG, SWITZERLAND: Alex Arca, the house beneath Restaurant Rössli, Tufertschwil, near Wattwil, Toggenburg, Switzerland. One has to phone before a visit, 071 931 26 06, it is in his family house. About 150 conventional office machines, about 200 usual portables, but also about 50 of the rarest kind. O.

United Kingdom

• BURTON-ON-TRENT, ENGLAND: Bernard Williams has a museum in his home at 80, Manor Road, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England DE159SP. Phone 01283-565858. This is about 30 miles north of Birmingham. Please give 7-10 days notice. Has 350 typewriters including toys, mostly 1874-1920. Also has a large collection of sewing machines and other items. S.
• COALVILLE, ENGLAND: Snibston Discovery Park, Former Snibston Mine, Ashby Road, Coalville, Leicestershire LE6 2LN, UK. Telephone: 0530 813301. 200 typewriters, a few on display. Bernard Williams reports: "On view: only about eight, 1930s to 1970s Imperial typewriters, made at nearby Leicester. Very disappointing to serious typewriter collectors. The interesting machines in the collection require restoring and there is no hope of these being shown for many years." O.
• EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND: Royal Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK. Telephone: 0131-225 7534. "The Royal Museum of Scotland and the Museum of Scotland are part of the National Museums of Scotland. There is free entry, except to special temporary exhibitions, for which there may be a charge. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Tuesday 10am to 8pm, and Sunday 12 noon to 5pm. Further information may be obtained by telephoning 0131 247 4422. Outside opening hours telephone 0131 247 4219/4040. The NMS website address is at www.nms.ac.uk. There is wheelchair access throughout the two Chambers Street museums - the Royal Museum and the Museum of Scotland. Please note that some displays may have to be altered at short notice. Please call in advance if you wish to see a particular item. Curator of office history: Ian Gentle, Department of Social and Technological History, telephone 0131 247 4204, e-mail i.gentle@nms.ac.uk.

  On display: Gallery G.18, Ground floor, Art and Industry 1850-2000

  Case 23: Communications -- Words

  • Braille typewriter, British, c.1900.
  • Columbia typewriter, American, 1884.
  • Gardner typewriter, English, c.1893.
  • Blickensderfer typewriter, American, 1889.
  • Mignon typewriter, German, c.1903.
  • Smith Premier No. 2 typewriter, American, c.1890.
  • Remington Portable typewriter, American, 1931.
  • IBM 'Golfball' electric typewriter, Canadian, c.1964.
  • Amstrad 256k Personal Computer Word Processor, PCW8256, British. Assembled in Korea, 1986.

  Case 2: Mass Production
  Sholes, Glidden and Soule-designed typewriter, made by Remington & Sons, American, c.1875.

  Case 21: Swinging Sixties
  Olivetti 'Valentine' portable typewriter, designed by P. King and E. Sottsass. Italian, but made in Spain, 1969.

  Case 22: Yesterday
  Sinclair ZX80 computer. Designed by Thandar Radionics, Cambridge. British. Made in Dundee by Timex, 1980.
  Amstrad wordprocessor and home games computer, English. Made by Amstrad Consumer Electronics, c.1984.

  On display: Level Five Innovators: James Watt 1736-1819, Engineer and Inventor.

  Watt's patented roller copying press, made by James Watt & Co., c.1780. On loan from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

  In addition to the above items, the NMS also has over 100 typewriters in storage, as well as many duplicators, cheque-writing machines, pen nibs, staplers, embossers, rubber stamps, postal items, telephones, telegraph instruments, and computers." S.

• LONDON, ENGLAND: London Science Museum usually has about 10 interesting typewriters on view; the rest are in storage. O.
• ST HELENS, ENGLAND: The Old Cottage Hospital, 386, Clipsley Lane. Haydock. St Helens. Merseyside WA11 0ST UK. View the collection of Les Owen, lo@landbee.demon.co.uk. Located in NW England, not too far away from Bernard Williams (about 70 miles). S.

United States

Arizona

• BISBEE, ARIZONA: In the main part of this old mining town there was, a few years ago, the museum of the Bisbee Historical Society. They had an array of old typewriters, well-preserved in the dry desert air. It was open in the afternoon. If visiting Bisbee, give it a try and let us know what you saw. C.

California

• BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA: Gordon's Office Equipment, 2242 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704. (510) 843-3510. This shop displays several old typewriters in its windows, including an Oliver, a Hammond Multiplex, and several portables of the 1920s and 30s. P.
• BISHOP, CALIFORNIA: Laws Railroad Museum and Historical Site, four miles north of Bishop on Highway 6. PO Box 363, Bishop, CA 93515. (760) 873-5950. Alice Boothe, Administrator; Howard Holland, volunteer curator. Large open compound, several small wood buildings with various exhibits: sewing machines, cameras, dolls, glassware, etc. One building has printing and typesetting items along with several classic typewriters. Some other machines in storage. C.
• EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA: El Cajon Typewriter Co., 130 E. Main Street, El Cajon, CA 92020. (619) 442-3934. Ralph A, Borelli, Jr. About 30 or more machines, displayed in glass cases in front of store. Smith-Premiers, Hammonds, early Noiseless portable, calculators and other typewriters and business machines. C.
• PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA: Museum of American Heritage, 351 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. Museum of American Heritage is devoted to the display of electrical and mechanical devices commonly in domestic or commercial use from 1800-1950. Includes at least one Blick. O.
• PASADENA, CALIFORNIA: Anderson Business Technology, 120 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA. (626) 793-2166. Don Anderson has several cases displaying part of his collection, including a Sholes & Glidden, a couple of Hammonds, a couple of Olivers, a couple of Blicks, Coronas, Royals, etc. O.
• PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA: Petaluma's former Carnegie Library building now serves as a museum. They have some machines in the basement including a glass-sided Burroughs bookkeeping machine in good shape. It won't hurt to ask. C.
• SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: California State Capitol Museum, 1315 10th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. (916) 324-0312, ext. 210. Vito Sgromo, Curator. Open every day except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and New Year's Day; hours are 9 to 5. This stately building (1869) was restored about 1980. The main floor was converted to a museum of late 19th and early 20th century state offices. Furniture of the period is there along with festooned telephone and electric wires that preceded built-in wiring. There are five typewriters and four calculators in the actual settings in which they were used. Tours are conducted hourly; viewing is from hallway entrances, although you can ask a guide to let you get a closer look at a particular machine. S, C.
• SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA:
  • APD Business Machines, 3514 Adams Ave., San Diego, CA 92116. (619) 282-6226. George and Julie Stojadinovic. Has a small group of early typewriters and calculators on a display case. Some may be for sale; number varies. C.
  • College Typewriter. 5733 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92115. (619) 286-4034, fax (619) 286-0761. Gary Holliday. About 20 typewriters, adding machines, calculators circa 1920's-1950's and older. Displayed at front of store. C.
• TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA: Old Town Typewriter, 28780 Front Street. A-O. Temecula, CA 92590. Phone 909-699-7092, 909-699-2812. Fax 909-699-2491. Al Sisson, owner. Has about 10 old machines of various ages including a Blickensderfer. G&O.
• VENTURA, CALIFORNIA: Ventura County Historical Museum. Occasionally, they display some of their small group of typewriters. The rest are in a basement storage area and include an Odell, Blickensderfer 7 and other goodies. Ask if you can be conducted downstairs to see them. C.

District of Columbia

• WASHINGTON, DC: National Museum of American History, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. Open every day except December 25, 10 A.M. - 5:30 P.M. This museum, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution, includes many interesting typewriters. O.
• WASHINGTON, DC: the National Cryptologic Museum "has a great collection of esoteric cryptographic formerly secret typewriters," as a visitor says. O.

Florida

Lightner Museum, 75 King Street, ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida (9-5 every day except Christmas) exhibits a few typewriters in the first floor Science Wing: a Lambert, a Blickensderfer, a Bennett, and another unmarked index machine. Of interest is another small stenograph machine patented 1879. The museum also has a fairly sizable collection in storage, but it is not accessible to visitors. S.

Idaho

• COTTONWOOD, IDAHO: Historical Museum at St. Gertrude. "The museum has an extensive collection of artifacts that reflect technological advancements since the late 19th century including a vast array of calculators, office machines, and computers. Examples of artifacts to be found include: A rare Burroughs 'Moon Hopkins' bookkeeping machine (1902); a Dactyle calculator, made in Paris in 1895, possibly the only one in existence; the Millionaire calculating machine (1893) made in Zurich, Switzerland; a Blickensderfer typewriter (1892); a Smith Premier typewriter (1896); and many more." O.

Indiana

• MUNCIE, INDIANA: Dept. of Business Education and Office Administration College of Business, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, 47306-0335. Dr. Rodney Davis, Dept. Head, (765) 285-5227. About 15 machines displayed on second floor of College of Business. Restored by Ron Wild, a collector of Carmel, Indiana. Includes an early Hammond, Smith Premier 2, Dalton adding machine, Brandt Money change and others. S.

Iowa

• COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA: Smith's Office Machine Co. In business since 1919. Owner: Greg Smith. "I have on display about 20 nice antique typewriters and adding machines. Olivers, Blickensderfers, Smith Corona colored folding portables,etc etc. Located at 112 W. Broadway, Council Bluffs, Iowa, 51503. Ph. 712-323-1731." S.

Kentucky

• LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. 1839 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206-0085. Phone (502) 895-2405. Fax (502) 899-2363. Website: www.aph.org. Carol B. Tobe, Director. The Marie and Eugene Callahan Museum of this printing house has about 45 machines including braille and point writers as well as regular typewriters adapted for use by the blind. Admission is free. open hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Mondays through Fridays. S.

Michigan

• DEARBORN, MICHIGAN: The Henry Ford Museum has a collection of early typewriters and office machines, but it is not currently on display (2007). O.

Missouri

• HERMAN, MISSOURI: There's a small museum in Herman (just south of I-70) that has an Underwood Model 1 on display. It has composition keys instead of nickel rimmed keys. There are also a few more common typewriters like a Corona #3 and a Hammond Multiplex. The museum's web site is www.historichermann.com. O.
• KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: Business Technology Association, 12411 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO, USA. A few old typewriters are on display. Normally open during business hours, but call first to be sure: (816) 942-1656. (BTA used to house the amazing Clark collection of typewriters, but the collection is now in storage and the family is looking for another display location.) P.
• MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MISSOURI: Marler Business Systems, 11396 Dorsett Road, Maryland Heights, MO 63043, 314-770-2020. This shop has over 50 antique typewriters on display, by appointment. S.

New Jersey

• FREEHOLD, NEW JERSEY: Advanced Business Machines Co., 3434 U.S. Highway 9, Freehold, New Jersey, 07728. (732) 431-1464. Jay Respler. "A selection of most different kinds of typewriters is on display starting with the very first model Remington, and including examples of the first Underwood, first Royal, first Smith Corona, first IBM, etc. There are also a few adding machines. The public is welcome to view them, but ... call first to confirm convenient time. We will also date, identify or refurbish any typewriter that someone may have." Read about Jay Respler's typewriters here. S.
• LAWRENCEVILLE, NEW JERSEY: Moore Library of Rider University has a typewriter collection. Most of the machines are unremarkable, but a decorated Sholes & Glidden makes the trip worthwhile.

New York

• SYRACUSE, NEW YORK: Moshier collection, Onondaga Historical Association, 321 Montgomery St., Syracuse, NY, 13202, USA. Tel. (315) 428-1864, 428-1862. Upstate New York was the home of many typewriter manufacturers (including the still-living Smith-Corona); this explains the presence of a good typewriter collection here. Not currently open to the public. O.

Oregon

• BEND, OREGON. Central Oregon Community College. 2600 College Way, Bend, Oregon 97701-5998. Phone (library circulation dept.) 541-383-7560. Fax: 541-283-7507. E-mail: dbilyeu@cocc.edu. Person in charge: David Bilyeu, College Librarian. Open hours: see web page, www.cocc.edu. The collection is in a large display case on the lowest level of the library. There are about 20 machines from the collection of the late Joseph Updegraf, a faculty member. Includes a Caligraph 2, an Odell, a Frolio, and a Hammond 1 Ideal. S, O.

Pennsylvania

• DOYLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA: "James Michener's typewriter and desk and other office appurtenances are on permanent exhibit at the Michener Art museum in Doylestown in his native Bucks County, Pennsylvania, along with an exhibit celebrating famous writers and artists associated with Bucks County, including, if memory serves, the desk and (I think) typewriter used by Broadway's George Kaufman and Moss Hart. On the Web at http://www.michenerartmuseum.org/." O.
• KENNETT SQUARE, PENNSYLVANIA: Longwood Gardens, Route 1, PO Box 501, Kennett Square, PA 19348-0501. Telephone 610-388-1000. These gardens 30 miles from Philadelphia offer a surprising opportunity to see an ultra-rare German Polygraph typewriter. It is located in the DuPont estate house inside the grounds of the gardens, in the office of the original owner of the estate. Visit their web site for hours and admission prices. O.
• WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA: Phillips Supply House. 10 East Fourth Street, Williamsport, PA 17701. (717) 322-6112, fax (717) 322-1885. Ms. Ann Phillips. Fourth generation family owned business (1893) and same location since 1897. Each antique typewriter was a trade-in. All in good condition. Some in front of stare, others in store room. Caligraph, Franklin, Munson 3, Barlock 4, etc. S.

Texas

• HOUSTON, TEXAS: Museum of Printing History, 1324 West Clay Street, Houston, Texas 7701. 713-522-4652. Tuesday - Saturday 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. A visitor writes: "They have a marvelous and extensive exhibit of typewriters and typing devices as well as letter presses, typeface collections, lithography and etching equipment, a great old linotype and an accurate Gutenberg press and reproduction of the first lith press. they also have a papermaking lab, a fine collection of representational printed works, and a book collection and book binding lab, lithog. lab, etching lab, and letterpress printing lab." O.

Vermont

• WINDSOR, VERMONT: American Precision Museum, 196 Main Street, Windsor, VT, USA. (802) 674-5781. Most typewriters are in storage and many are uncatalogued. O.

Virginia

• NORFOLK, VIRGINIA: Wescott Company, 2100 Monticello Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517. Telephone: (757) 622-5327. Fax: (757) 622-6233. E-mail wescott@norfolk.infi.net. Bill Wescott, owner. The firm started in 1942 as an adding machine and typewriter sales and service company. Mr. Wescott writes: "Currently on display are 38 full-size typewriters, 22 adding machines, five time clocks and one stenographic machine. 50 portable typewriters are still in storage. The machines are all functioning and were produced between 1880 and 1965." S.

Wisconsin

• MADISON, WISCONSIN: Leonard Typewriter and Calculator Service, 2433 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53705. John Leonard, owner. Has several old machines, Harris Visible, Oliver 9, Remington Standard understrike, for example. C.
• MALONE, WISCONSIN: "I have a nice collection of typewriters which can be viewed almost any time. Over 300 at last count. I try to collect before 1920. Some names are Edison, Odell, American Index, Young American, Lambert, Hammond (from 1 to Coxhead), World, Hall, Peoples, Franklin, Merritt, Yost, Postal, Globe, Jewett, Yu Ess, over 50 Simplexes (no two alike), a Sholes Visible, and many more keyboard typewriters." Ray Gorden, W3635 Taynette Circle, Malone, WI 53049 (7 miles NE of Fond du Lac). Phone 920-923-4612, e-mail gorden@dotnet.com. S.
• MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: Dietz collection, Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA. (414) 278-2700. A fine collection amassed by one of the earliest typewriter collectors, Carl P. Dietz. It's fitting that Milwaukee should have a good typewriter collection, since it is here that the Sholes & Glidden was invented (see A Brief History of Typewriters). Unfortunately, all the Dietz machines are currently in storage, but the curator may be willing to show some of them to serious collectors. Make arrangements in advance. O.

Wyoming

• ENCAMPMENT, WYOMING: Grand Encampment Museum. 807 Barnett Avenue, P.O. Box 43, Encampment, WY. E-mail GEMuseum@aol.com. Open late May-early September, Monday - Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m, Sunday 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. O.
• SAVERY, WYOMING: Little Snake River Museum. Open Memorial Day - Late October, Wednesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. O.