The Typewriter Revolution reaches Europe

By not-so-secretive channels, this exciting book reached Switzerland today... First look: awesome! I cancelled all appointments for the day. You can reach me in the Kaffeehaus, reading reading reading.

Beautiful MON BUREAU Covers 1913/14

Have a look at these. I found them while digging in the Basel library's hidden treasures.

Doing so, I also discovered the amazing illustrator William Fell. Remark: only those illustrations labeled W. Fel can clearly be attributed to this master.

Is it "Fell"or "Fel"? According to the editorial of the No. 47 issue of Mon Bureau, it is "Fell". However, the images are signed "Fel".

A google search yields quite a few results for Fel's illustrations. Often, they are of erotic nature. However, I couldn't find any biographical material on this artist. Hopefully someone reads this and leaves a comment.

April 1913 cover of Mon Bureau. This French office magazine was edited by G. & M. Ravisse in Paris. Is it Monsieur Gaston Ravisse himself on the cover? Compare with the photograph below. I think there is strong similarities, down to the pince-nez (weak but visible on the photograph)

This is Hermes, or Mercury. Very fitting for a business magazine. Hermes holds the telegraph wires and literally uncovers or holds his protective hands over a contemporary office. W. Fel's signature on the lower right side.

There we go: Hermes, adorned with the very Mon Bureau magazine, looks triumphantly on what might be St. Sebastian, speared by a giant quilt, symbol of the old office world.

Sexy Hermes - please notice the winged heels - overlooking the city and the port, sends out the merchant ships. In his left hand, the herald's staff with two intertwined snakes.

September 1913 issue, William Fel differently. A serious yet confident-looking business man.

The first issue of 1914. William Fel cover again, Hermes / Mercury again, but a different atmosphere. A serious-looking God of commerce, with belching smokestacks in front of a fire-red sky.

The February 1914 edition. An interesting compound of a sprocket, symbolizing mechanics, and Hermes' symbols, the herald's staff and wings. 

Gaston Ravisse again? Yes I think so!

An animated business meeting. One of the participants, however, is pensively looking at the opposite factory.

Looking for the shiny white factory on the hill on the horizon.

A good working climate keeps the smokestacks smoking!

Early Typospherians

Here they are: the crème de la crème of the Early Typosphere... the year is 1913. Taken at the Frankfurt fair, in the premises of Büro-Bedarfs-Rundschau, we see, from the left to the right: O.F. Graband, director of advertising of "Mon Bureau"; Jacob Fresineau, director of the Russian magazine of office supplies (it doesn't give the exact title); G. Ravisse, editor of "Mon Bureau"; Mario Boni, director of "Ufficio Moderno" (I do correct the spelling); Carl Labin, editor in chief of Büro-Bedarfs-Rundschau; Dr. Hemes, director of "Typewriter Topics"; Dr. von Schack, director of "Büro-Bedarfs-Rundschau".

Friedrich von Schack must have been an interesting figure. I wonder if he really was director of the BBR in 1913 - that would have meant a lot of work, as in 1913, Schreibmaschinen-Revue was still running. Schreibmaschinen-Revue was founded by F. von Schack in 1904. I haven't seen all volumes yet, but have scanned volume 1907/08 recently. It results that in 1907 Schreibmaschinen-Revue was issued at a biweekly basis, and that the rhythm augmented to one issue per week as of 1st January 1908... very very busy indeed.

Typewriters in Nancy

Ok, it was a fantastic meeting. Here I share photos of the typewriters present at the October 3rd meeting of the French collectors' associations, held in Nancy in beautiful Lorraine. Please enjoy!

Moby Dick, made in 1948. It followed me home. Typosphere magic: RobertG of backspace does not erase also features a late Adler in today's post.

Moby Normal, 1930s

Adler flatbed writer, or rather, screenwriter

AEG Olympia Standard - now this is a puzzle for a collector. Anyone knows about this model?

The first Caligraph - or is it a Frister & Rossmann?

The second Caligraph - nice! As always, with the famous spelling mistake (it should be "calli")

high on my wish-list: The Chicago, with its intriguing typing mechanism

We type Chinese!

Contin, aka Remington 3, in beautiful deep blue

It's France, so plenty of Dactyle-Blicks

Yes!! I got this one! It's a Dactyle 3, equivalent to the Blick 7

The Dactyle company also labelled calculating machines

all right, there is one S.P. Blick

Ah, one Etoile with original spool covers - they are usually missing, although they can be replaced by a Hermes Standard 3 or 4 typewriter spool covers (which of course requires you own one)

A Hermes Ambassador, guinea-pig edition

Here is something special: it's the first Japy standard typewriter, a Model 3X. Even more special, this one still has "Remington-Sholes" written on the front (to complicated for me now to add the detail picture, this primitive blogger software is really driving me nuts, highly complicated to add one more picture in between - blogger.com software specialists, take wordpress as an example!!). The story goes that the first of the Japy series were still produced in the U.S. and only mounted in France. Something to follow up. Who knows facts?

A Japy 3Y, already labelled "BEAUCOURT - JAPY  FRERES & Cie - PARIS"

In Lambert paradise

... and one more

This L.C. Smith is special - according to the seller, it is one of the D-Day typewriters - wow!

ok, Mignon - NICE!!

Mignon 2 - would also be my choice

A model 3

and a Model 4 (with backspace key)

Monditype - I like it. And it followed me home

Ochydactyl - train your fingers till they hurt

Odoma. I find the design very classy

Portex Portex! with glamorous finishing

Yes!! top of tops - a Sholes & Glidden. It was sold in good old Vienna, when the Emperor was still young

It really is a privilege to inspect such a beautiful machine close-by

The Toshiba Typewriter

Also on my wish list - a TYPO. When is Christmas 2017? (I already got myself presents for 2015 and 2016)

Behold! A seemingly innocuous Underwood, but from the bottom of the case unfolds  a support for typing in the field. The perfect typer for a type-in with "bring your own table"

The Williams density at the meeting was uncanny - five machines spotted!! Maybe it's not rare after all? :)

I find the tab keys of this Yost particularly charming

and what a beautiful case with faux-woodgrain finishing

Are we done? Yes, for today. I still haven't given you the updates of other summer '15 weekends...