The typewriter, an emblem of a bygone era, continues to captivate enthusiasts and find its place in contemporary society despite the dominance of digital technology. IBM, once a juggernaut of the typewriter industry, divested its typewriter division to Lexmark in the early 1990s. By the mid-1980s, IBM’s typewriter division was worth more than $1.1 billion (£764 million) in the US. This startling number highlights just how critical the small industry was to the overall economy at that moment in time.
The Sholes and Glidden Type-Writer made its debut in 1868, the creation of four enterprising talents in Milwaukee. It soon proved to be an indispensable vehicle for every type and aspect of communication and record keeping. Millions of units were sold throughout the 1920s and 1930s, permanently establishing it as a fixture in commercial buildings and private residences.
By the mid-1980s, the typewriter industry had surpassed $1 billion in annual sales in the US. The stigma of IBM’s electric typewriters, which once sold for $1,000 apiece, still lingers in the marketplace. Once considered the back-office workhorses of businesses of all shapes and sizes, these machines have a nostalgic yet functional appeal to today’s users.
Royal, one of the companies who has not yet forgotten the typewriter’s legacy, still continues this tradition and sells nearly 20,000 new electric typewriters a year! Despite their undeniable obsolescence, mechanical typewriters outsell electric ones by more than a factor of two, Royal tells us. These machines retail between $300 (£238) and $400 (£317). Replacement ink ribbons are inexpensive, running about $5 (£4).
Even as technology continues to advance and amaze, for many people, there is a comforting aesthetic connection to the past that comes with using a typewriter. Lisa Floading, a devoted typewriter enthusiast, shares her affection for the device:
"There's something very inviting about a typewriter waiting with paper in it." – Lisa Floading
For some, like Woody Jarvis, the typewriter's simplicity and reliability remain unmatched:
"For me, it works because I know how to make it all work." – Woody Jarvis
Anjali Banerjee, another aficionado of this mechanical marvel, describes the sensory experience that accompanies its use:
"You hear the energetic clack-clack-clack of the keys as you work away. You might even detect the musty aroma of old offices or maybe long-faded cigarettes." – Anjali Banerjee
Banerjee further explains how the typewriter influences her creative process:
"I have to keep moving forward. The story moves faster, if that makes sense." – Anjali Banerjee
The typewriter’s undeniable charm. The typewriter’s charm isn’t confined to personal use. Businesses love their simple effectiveness. Woody Jarvis emphasizes the clarity and simplicity typewriters bring to his work:
"Our contracts are very legible and easy to understand." – Woody Jarvis
While IBM no longer actively markets typewriters, they occasionally sell these machines on rare occasions:
"On very rare occasions, IBM still sells typewriters." – IBM Spokesperson