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Home » Harris » Visible 4 » 1914 #110252
1914 Harris Visible 4 Serial # 110252 1914 Harris Visible 4 typewriter, Serial # 110252 Stephen Clancy's 1914 Harris Visible 4 typewriter. 2020-01-16 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of Stephen Clancy: 1914 Harris Visible 4 Serial # 110252 Fully functional Harris Visible No. 4 that was gifted to me by Lucky Lane in Texas, but the machine came out of Michigan. Still have a good deal of cleaning to do (as you can tell by the type sample) and have now made feet as the machine was received without any. Thank you to Will Davis for his research paper on the Harris company. The right platen knob rubber cushion is still with the machine, but the left side has long since rotted away......perhaps a rubber exhaust "donut" will serve as an acceptable replacement.
Surprisingly, appears that based on the serial number, my typewriter (110252) was made on the same day as one of the other two Visible No.4's in the database. That particular machine was manufactured 17 units later (110269). This typewriter is currently fitted with a black-red ribbon which is incorrect as it is a single color machine. Thankfully, I also received from Lucky Lane an original Tower Marvello black replacement ribbon in its original tin (Sears Roebuck and Company stock numbers 4666 M2442R).
Basing the production year as 1914 based on the research of Will Davis as the serial number appears to be toward the end of he production run in Fon du Lac, and it is not known how far the production of the Harris extended into 1915 (if at all).

1914 Harris Visible 4 #110252

Status: My Collection
Hunter: Stephen Clancy (navyldolcdr)
Created: 01-15-2020 at 09:23PM
Last Edit: 01-16-2020 at 08:10AM


Description:

Fully functional Harris Visible No. 4 that was gifted to me by Lucky Lane in Texas, but the machine came out of Michigan. Still have a good deal of cleaning to do (as you can tell by the type sample) and have now made feet as the machine was received without any. Thank you to Will Davis for his research paper on the Harris company. The right platen knob rubber cushion is still with the machine, but the left side has long since rotted away......perhaps a rubber exhaust "donut" will serve as an acceptable replacement.
Surprisingly, appears that based on the serial number, my typewriter (110252) was made on the same day as one of the other two Visible No.4's in the database. That particular machine was manufactured 17 units later (110269). This typewriter is currently fitted with a black-red ribbon which is incorrect as it is a single color machine. Thankfully, I also received from Lucky Lane an original Tower Marvello black replacement ribbon in its original tin (Sears Roebuck and Company stock numbers 4666 M2442R).
Basing the production year as 1914 based on the research of Will Davis as the serial number appears to be toward the end of he production run in Fon du Lac, and it is not known how far the production of the Harris extended into 1915 (if at all).

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:

Left front and side
Left front and side

Front straight on
Front straight on

Rear
Rear

Serial number
Serial number

Underside with new feet and before cleaning
Underside with new feet and before cleaning

Key buttons with logo
Key buttons with logo

Partial key view with CAP lock lower right and Shift Release mechanism at top
Partial key view with CAP lock lower right and Shift Release mechanism at top

Patents Pending decal
Patents Pending decal

Right platen knob rubber cushion still intact but cracking
Right platen knob rubber cushion still intact but cracking

Top and front before key slug cleaning and with incorrect ribbon as this was a single color only
Top and front before key slug cleaning and with incorrect ribbon as this was a single color only

Carriage return spring winder and release lever (back and left side respectively)
Carriage return spring winder and release lever (back and left side respectively)

Hunter: Stephen Clancy (navyldolcdr)

Stephen Clancy's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 1436

Retired in June of 2015 and relocated from IL to NC (no more snow and cold but unfortunately, no more Portillo's Chicago dogs either). Missed my old manual typewriter and went on the hunt for a replacement. My first find was a 1920 Royal Model 10 (second design with the dual side glass) . Have always been very fond of typewriters, from the old portable that my mother used, to my first typing class in 1967, then on into the Navy where, as a Communications Yeoman, I worked on the AN/UGC-6 with the 28 ASR (automatic send receive) teletype machine as well as the IBM card punch machines in use at the time. I guess you can say that from 1967 onward, I have been typing on one machine or another, and now have started collecting as my little part in the preservation of the great machines of he past.



RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Harris Visible 4 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Harris Serial Number page and the Harris Visible 4 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.