A web log, an æthereal scrap-book if you will, with a somewhat vintage flavour. News items, occurrences, experiences, thoughts and opinions related to Victoriana through to Fifties Americana can all be found here.
I wrote the above typecast back at the beginning of April, which shows just how much life intervened that I am only just now able to get round to posting it here! Those 78s will have to wait for another day, I think, as instead I intend to focus on the aforementioned Empire Aristocrat - as well as a couple of more recent arrivals. Sprinkled around them will also be some more typewriter-related news stories that I hope will be of interest.
Let's have a closer look at this first little typer that I bagged at the beginning of the year from a local garden/ antiques centre. I clocked it almost as soon as we went in (my typer-sense is now well-honed enough to spot even the smallest of machines sitting among the usual vintage/ antique fare!) even though its case was in place and therefore the machine itself not visible. It may have been the £20 price tag that piqued my interest further and on removing the lid I felt it more than justified the sum. A quick Google seemed to confirm it so after a brief test (as always seems to be the case in these instances) I passed over the lolly and returned home a happy chap. As mentioned I've found it a lovely little thing, with just one or two little foibles since discovered (such as a slightly recalcitrant spacebar) that I hope to iron out with practice over the coming year.
To show how behind I am with the posting of interesting articles, this one has been sitting in my drafts since February 2021 (and that's not even the oldest one - there are some going back to 2020 that I need to get round to posting!). Still, the subject suits this post and I am sure the young fellow mentioned in it is still repairing typewriters in the Tamarac, FL area and continuing to plough his own furrow as an "old soul at heart". Here we see again a phrase I'm sure we're all more than familiar with and which no doubt has been directed at ourselves more than once, along with the feeling (whether through our own emotions and actions or ascribed to us by others) of somehow being a reincarnation or just "born in the wrong time". In any event, this has led to (the by now) 20-year-old Patton Horton already being a de facto professional typewriter repairman judging by this news item. To take on a 100-year-old Oliver 9 as one of your first jobs shows a great deal of promise and kudos must also go to the Our Backyard Museum (which looks well worth a visit!) for having the faith and open-mindedness to let the plucky lad take on the challenge of fixing it. I hope he makes a success of what is obviously a passionate hobby for him and that he continues to find pleasure and enlightenment in the vintage lifestyle that he has chosen to pursue.
The future maintenance of typewriters (plus early PCs and laptops) in Lansdale, Pennsylvania seems assured if this next article is anything to go by, featuring another teenager who has been bitten by the typewriter bug and looks to have the skills necessary to ensure their survival. It is splendid to read of Max Wein's enthusiasm for his hobby - which I am sure, as he says, will become a lifetime's interest - his appreciation of its tangible link to times past and how he manages to successfully integrate it into his schooling. Stories like this continue to show that typewriters, not to mention early computers, still have a purpose and can be used as they were intended. I salute young Mr Wein and wish him well as he starts his journey into the world of typewriters and related "obsolete" technology.
Type-ins are still going strong across the Pond - or at least in Albuquerque, NM, where the brilliantly-named ABQwerty Type Writer Society holds regular events at a local library according to this article. One of the founder members, Joe Van Cleave (a well-known name in the typosphere, I believe), is the main subject of the piece and once again it is clear that we are dealing with a true typewriter enthusiast. A splendid collection of typers adorns Mr Van Cleave's home and judging from things he has been a driving force behind the local type-ins and the resurgence of typewriters and typecasting on the Internet in general. Long may he continue to be so and I look forward to hearing more of his influence, both in New Mexico and further afield, as we are sure to do.
We're I ever to attend a type-in in the UK (and believe me, if I knew of any within striking distance I would be off like a shot) I would now be somewhat spoilt for choice of which machine(s) to take along, as my collection of portable typewriters has doubled in this year alone thanks not only to the Aristocrat but also two more that both came into my possession within days of each other. That they are both the same model would, I fear, be something only really understood by true collectors(!), although the lay-person should notice some differences as well.
To start at the beginning I have always been what I call an "Imperial Man", inasmuch as I tend to focus my attention (so far!) on typewriters manufactured by Imperial Typewriters Ltd. of Leicester. I suppose this is because the first typer I encountered was the 1956 Model 66 that Dad brought home from work one day when the company was going to throw it out as being "beyond economical repair". It has always been a part of my life and started me on the road to being... well, I suppose a collector(!), so Imperials have always been my first passion. That they are sturdy, well-made British machines (even the portables!) that epitomise the style and mechanical design of their 1930s heyday merely adds to their appeal for me. Thus is my affection for British-made Imperials of the 1930s-50s. However, with space even in a 3-bedroom house at a premium and my strength not up to hefting weighty desktop models about, my focus recently switched to the portables and in particular the "Good Companion" models of the '30s & '40s. Having done some research I established that, over the years from its introduction in 1932 to its final iteration in 1957, the original Model No. 1 went through several changes during its lifetime. Clearly one could go overboard collecting versions from every single year and easily fill one's home with Good Companions and nothing else, so I decided early on to keep it simple and get an early model with white keys and a later one with black keys. I bided my time and kept my eyes peeled at local vintage fairs and on eBay. On the latter I missed out on several examples (as one does) but my hopes remained buoyant and one day two weeks ago my perseverance paid off and a deal was struck on eBay for a black-keyed No. 1 in good condition, complete with some original accessories including cleaning brush, oil can, cleaning fluid bottle (empty), ribbon tin (with a "dead" ribbon!) and leather carry pouch (so dry and cracked I feared for it, however liberal applications of lanolin and leather restoring cream have managed to bring some life back to it). The machine itself seems to be in working order but in need of a good clean and what service my little knowledge can provide. New ribbons have also been procured and await fitting.
You'll notice I put "ribbons". Well not two days after I had sealed the deal for the first one (and before it had even arrived), the very second one I was after crossed my path in one of those serendipitous events that sometimes makes you wonder about a Higher Power. On a fleeting weekend outing to Rochester, Mrs P-P and I were returning to the car when we passed a charity shop that we had clocked at the beginning of our visit. A lovely, typical old chazza that is now sadly becoming all too rare (an Aladdin's Cave-cum-Tardis of items - that now tend to be the preserve of specific vintage emporia - slung all over the place) its siren call made us want to stop in even though our parking ticket was on the point of expiration. And there, just inside the door and partly hidden behind some wooden packing cases and a fencing mask (so as to discourage [little ]people from playing with it, so the lady behind the till informed me (and a not unreasonable idea as I'm sure many collectors will know), was an early-model No. 1 with white keys!). Following a quick request to test it out (and the removal of the aforementioned impediments) and an equally quick zoom around the rest of the shop to check it out and have a think, the decision was made, money changed hands, the wife ran off to get the car and my quest was complete. Two 1930s Imperial Good Companion No. 1s - one with black keys and one with white - were mine!
If anything the second one - a 1933 example according to its serial number - is in even better condition than the first (undated as no serial no. is visible - a common occurrence on some later examples I understand - but I would guess at late '30s, maybe 1939-ish). It could still use a freshen-up and definitely a new ribbon but, regardless of their conditions, the fact that I can now tick off this particular typewriting wish (and perhaps shift my focus to other portables!) makes me a very happy chappie and I am very much looking forward to putting them to use. Watch this space! (Although I won't be using them on my lap any time soon, I can promise you that - they still weigh a flippin' ton!)
My own collection of typers now numbers a total of six - the Imperial 66, the two Good Companions, the Empire Aristocrat, the Litton-Imperial 200n and the Corona Model 3 (not to mention my wife's two desktops - types unknown - that are apparently still somewhere in the loft at my in-laws!) - so I still have some way to go to match Mr Van Cleave. We both have a looooong way to go, though, to catch up with Mr Everett Henderson of Austin, TX, the subject of this next item and who has over 100 machines and counting in his collection. As with Joe Van Cleave and his fellow Albuquerquian collectors so has Mr Henderson helped to set up a series of local type-ins with a like-minded friend under the title of Austin Typewriter, Ink group. That same desire to share the tangible, mechanical experience of using a typewriter is equally as evident in Texas as it is in New Mexico and it pleases me no end to know that there is another enthusiastic restorer and fellow collectors out there connecting with each other, both physically and virtually, to help keep the enjoyment of typewriters alive.
The final typewriter-related news in this now-gargantuan post (and then, you'll be pleased to know, I shall probably disappear again for another couple of months) takes the form of this recent video report from the Irish Times detailing the work of typewriter restorer Leo Molloy. There's really nothing I can add to what he says, so I'll just sign off by leaving the last words - words that we typosphereans know so well - to Mr Molloy.
Dear me, has it really been three months since my last post? I suppose there's no getting away from the fact that I've had something of an impromptu blogging break, but here I am - like the proverbial bad penny - turning up again and I must say it's already beginning to feel like I've never been away. Let's hope I can sustain that feeling, get back to a post every once in a while and not become stuck in another rut!
So, what has caught my vintage eye (I actually have two you know) in the last few weeks? Read on to find out!
In my local seaside town, no less, came the discovery at the end of May of a part of the hugely important and super-rare coding machine used by the Germans in the Second World War - the Lorenz encryptor, bigger and even more complex brother of the famous Enigma machines. Discovered, in of all places, eBay! Misidentified as a telegraph keyboard, and up for auction at a mere £9.50, it was only sheer luck that the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park came across it - sitting in the seller's garage under a pile of junk! Surely this must rank as one of the ultimate eBay "finds"?! Well done to those eagle-eyed museum chaps for spotting this important part of computing and Second World War history, even if it is incomplete. Proof, if proof were needed, that there are still treasures to be found on that site - and on that note, while we're all searching around for that next bargain, keep an eye out for the Lorenz's motor, which is still yet to be found.
In related news a Second World War messaging post, one of 30 set up at the behest of Churchill in the face of the expected invasion of Britain in 1940, has been given listed status following its rediscovery in a disused Norfolk country house in 2012. One of only twelve so far discovered, it was sadly damaged by fire in 2014 but with this latest news and the encouraging noises being made by Historic England (previously English Heritage) one hopes that it can be restored and opened to the public as a museum detailing that pivotal point in our nations history and the important part these "In Stations" and there civilian operators would have played had the worst happened.
One man doing his best among hundreds to ensure the worst did not happen was Czech fighter pilot Emil Bocek, who trained as a teenage ground mechanic in 1940 before going on to earn his wings and fly Spitfires in combat from 1944. Later rising to the rank of General and now aged 93, he returned to Biggin Hill last month to fly a dual-control Spitfire over the skies of South London - the first time he's taken the controls of that wonderful aircraft in 70 years. Dobré pro vás, General Bocek!
Work continues apace on the reconstruction of Eric, the world's first functioning robot (as previously reported here). It sounds as though both the Science Museum and the chap building the replica are unsure of just how things will turn out, so it sounds like the plans that have been found are either incomplete or not detailed enough. Nevertheless I look forward to hearing of Eric's reawakening, in what will no doubt be the closest form to the original that the existing information will allow.
This last article is an absolute pip, just the kind of feel-good vintage news story I enjoy featuring on the blog. In this four-year centenary of the First World War there have been - and no doubt will continue to be - many such stories of descendants of Great War combatants uncovering fascinating accounts or honouring their relatives in some way (and rightly so!). This story of two brothers recreating the very aeroplane their grandfather flew in the Royal Naval Air Service during the Gallipoli campaign is a particularly stirring example and I'm delighted to see them make a success of it in time for a local air display. A more perfect way of honouring their grandfather's memory and providing an important glimpse into his life and exploits in the RNAS I couldn't imagine. Well done chaps!
That's me done for this post, then, but I sincerely hope and intend it not to be my last for another three months! I'm looking forward immensely to getting back into this blogging racket and with stories like these to choose from I certainly shouldn't be short of inspiration. Until next time folks, tinkerty-tonk!
Well hello, everyone! Sorry I've been a bit quiet this weekend; as I said I had a couple of posts lined up but I felt quite run down last week so I ended up spending the whole May Day weekend at my parents', recharging my batteries. A very relaxing three days were spent lounging in the garden, doing the charity shops in Leigh and popping into the local bi-monthly vintage fair (not much resulting for me, sadly, although the latter had a couple of good stalls with some nice jackets and waistcoats at decent - for these days - prices so I've noted the seller's details with an eye to checking out her own shop in the future).
It was in The Children's Society shop that I found my only score of the weekend, a Marks & Spencer St Michael brand silk tie in what I felt was a pleasing '90s-does-'50s pattern. It didn't ring any other bells so I paid the 99p and thought no more about it. When I got back to the folks' place I put it next to the two or three ties I'd bought with me from home and it was only then that I noticed something remarkable about this new one compared to one of the others. See if you can spot what it is... (cue eerie music)
New tie, right, versus old tie, left
I couldn't believe it - no wonder I liked it so much, I already had one very much like it! But not exactly the same, you'll notice. The first tie I'd bought from a charity shop at least ten, if not fifteen, years ago and was originally from well-known men's outfitters Burton. Now to the best of my knowledge M&S has never owned Burton, although I'm sure they've had Burton concession shops within their larger stores - either way I can only assume that through a strange quirk of fate they've ended up using the same pattern. Perhaps it was a popular design? Strange for me to have come into possession of them both over the space of 10+ years, though!
Now, moving on to the second part of this post - "ooh, how is he going to be well-heeled?", I hear you wonder. Well, this was not a chance for me to be well-heeled but it is a chance for you, ladies!
I'm not often given to advertising on this blog, especially vintage-style ladieswear because obviously I don't have such things. But mother does! Shoes, to be precise, in a spiffingly attractive brogue heel design. Alas, despite being in her size (UK 5½, EU 39) they no longer fit her comfortably so she is reluctantly getting rid of them. "Oh, the girls who read your blog would like these, will you mention them on there?", I was asked, and I was happy to oblige! Egads, I'd have had 'em if I was a 5½ and looked good in heels!
Mater's just put them on Ebay today, so they're fresh from the wardrobe. The main details (on the listing but I'll repeat them here): produced in Italy for Jones the Bootmaker, so really well-made (the soles still look to have a lot of life left in them, and the overall quality's top notch); 3-tone brogue design (two shades of tan/light brown - mum's put the dark colour as black, I wouldn't swear to it not being dark chocolate brown but it's hard to judge); 2½-inch heel.
Mother's described them as "vintage style" and we can both see them really suiting a 1930s, '40s or '50s bookish look - perhaps with a tweed suit/skirt, maybe? So if you're a size 5½ why not high yourself over to the E of Bay for a look? They deserve to go to a good home!
Right, enough hawking. I hope to return ere long with stories featuring Spitfires, Mosquitoes and steam trains. In the meantime I hope you all had a splendid May Day holiday and I look forward to catching up with all your posts!
Back at the end of 2010 I took the liberty of telling you all about a vintage eBay store run by my aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh. Of interest to all nostalgia aficionados, it is a full-time job for them both now as they continue to travel around Pennsylvania visiting estate sales and clearance auctions uncovering rare and unusual items - items that are available to buy! All sorts of things, much like this blog a selection of interesting ephemera - including books, clothes, hats, jewellery and everything else in between, all usually with a story to tell.
Well now I am pleased to announce that VintageRoyalTreasure (there are no monarchical connexions, I'm afraid - Royal just happens to be my uncle's name!) has opened on Etsy! And in keeping with Etsy's status as the doyen of the online vintage shopping scene, some of their best finds will feature in their shop. You can see an example of some of their stock above and I have put a little widget on the left of this blog which will take you through to their Etsy shop (as well as the one for their eBay store, which can still be found at the bottom of this blog).
It's still early days for them in the world of Etsy but already they have some spiffing items up so do pop over and have a look if you want. If any of you with a greater knowledge of Etsy, or even a shop of your own, would care to proffer any advice that I could pass on then by all means please leave a comment below - it would be greatly appreciated, I'm sure! Thanks for reading and I hope you like it!
Shameless plug time again, but knowing my female readers' penchant for vintage frocks and their general handiness with the needle and thread, one that you might all appreciate.
My American Auntie - whose vintage eBay store I have mentioned previously and which appears at the bottom of this blog - has some items that you may be particularly interested in. Are you ready?
These are just a few examples of the sixteen patterns currently available in the store. I know next to nothing about these things, of course, but I felt it only right to give you a heads-up in case you're interested.
An aunt of mine who has lived in Pittsburgh for the last 16 years has recently taken to visiting estate sales (or house clearances, as they are known here) in west Pennsylvania. Many of my readers - mostly in America, where it is more commonplace - will be familiar with the concept; there's often a bargain or two to be had at these things, so I understand. I wish we had more events like that here in Britain, some of the things my aunt has found are amazing!
Anyway, this aunt has got quite adept at spotting many a great find at these clearances, so much so that she and her gentleman friend have set up shop at both eBay and Amazon. By all accounts the venture is a roaring success and most days find them travelling up and down the state attending various sales. This has resulted in an eBay store that in a way is a bit like this blog - a variety of articles of a vintage nature. Great care has been taken to research the history of each and every item and descriptions are accurate and detailed; needless to say everything is fair and above board.
Now, this blogger is not above a little bit of harmless nepotism (!) and it occurred to me that many of the items featured in the store would appeal to my readers. So from now on if you scroll to the bottom of the page you should see a little widget (or blidget, or eejit, or whatever these things are called) detailing a few items and linking to my aunt's website. Or just click on the picture at the top of this post.
There are a whole host of items that, as I said, you might find really tempting. Even I have to restrain myself when browsing - but don't worry, my favouritism doesn't extend to having things "kept back" for me(!). It's all fair here! Highlights for me include this portable wind-up gramophone (right) and this tea and coffee pot set (above) but there really is something for everyone. Hatsand jewellery for the ladies, razors and cameras for the chaps, and a whole host of other items in between!
So whether you're after that something a little different for a Christmas present or, like me, just enjoy browsing places like eBay for vintage and longing for half the items that get thrown up, there's now another store for you to look through. Thanks for reading!
