Machines & Letterforms
Ongoing
For several years, I have been building a collection of vintage typewriters, focusing on machines with distinctive typefaces, which I regularly use for writing, correspondence, and creative projects. Presently, the collection includes about fifty manual typewriters with, altogether, about forty different typefaces. My current favorite is an Olivetti M40/3, made in Italy circa 1946, with a sans-serif typeface called Simplicitas. Nearly all of the machines are fully functional, though some I am still in the process of reconditioning. I previously trained and worked professionally as a typewriter technician for almost four years at Gramercy Typewriter Co.
Remington Model 5 (Streamline) portable typewriter, made ca. 1936.
A sample of Remington’s Pica no. 6, typed on a Remington Model 5 (Streamline), made ca. 1936.
Type Samples
Ongoing
This archival project, exploring the history of type design for manual and electric typewriters, involves assembling a collection of typewriter-related artifacts with type specimens. The collection includes dozens of typewriter catalogs, pamphlets, advertisements, and other items showing typefaces once offered by typewriter manufacturers. The growing collection includes hundreds of type samples.
Table from Olivetti Typefaces (British Olivetti Ltd., London), an undated pamphlet.