September 9, 2013

"Has the typewriter remained in use because of me... or am I still around because of the typewriter?"

Obituary for a typewriter repairman. Manson Whitlock was 96.
Posted by Ann Althouse at 8:17 AM
Tags: ,

5 comments:

Peter said...

Most of us who once owned typewriters do not have fond memories of them- we remember the unpleasantness of typing carefully enough so that there would be few enough mistakes so the work would not need to be re-typed.

There is a reason why large companies usually had "typing pools" where those with adequate status could get others to do the typing.

The only good thing about typewriters is that they are simple enough (like a bicycle) so that if something goes wrong, one doesn't need to know all that much to at least be able figure out what has gone wrong.

BTW, has anyone ever written a typewriter program for PCs? It would print each character immediately as it was typed onto any attached printer, and would make the characteristic typewriter noises while doing so. Perhaps it could show an image of a typewriter platen and flying type bars.

9/9/13, 8:31 AM
PH said...

As a young adult, I feel my age forces me to ask: "What is a typewriter?"...

9/9/13, 9:31 AM
MadisonMan said...

I paid someone to type my masters' thesis. But by the time I was doing the PhD -- word processers on a PC! That was great, but it put typists out of work.

Required Leroy Anderson link.

9/9/13, 10:36 AM
Tim Wright said...

Typewriters are fun, but then I got pretty good on them as a reporter. Cambridge Typewriter in Arlington MA still does repairs on manuals. I have three refurbished Hermes, including the 3000 I bought for my freshman year of college in 1965.

It's the original all-in-one digital word processor!

Tim

9/9/13, 11:42 AM
Anonymous said...

The typewriter is still in use because the Russians don't want to be snooped by the NSA.

9/9/13, 4:38 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)