1931 Smith Corona S-C Gorham Sterling #1004131S
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Alan Seaver (Olivander)
Created: 07-12-2014 at 11:01AM
Last Edit: 06-29-2017 at 11:23AM
Description:
The launch of the combined LC. Smith & Corona company's first all-new portable typewriter included a window display for dealers that featured a version of the new machine silver-jacketed by the Gorham Manufacturing Co. Estimates vary as to the exact number of these made. Originally, Smith-Corona contracted with Gorham for 175 units. However, demand for the silver model quickly exceeded that number. A few contemporary sources, such as the New Yorker Magazine, claimed that over 1,000 silver models were built. However, a letter written in the 1980s by a former Smith-Corona vice-president of sales stated that only 184 were made.
The sales pitch made to dealer for the window display included the suggestion that the cost of the display could be recouped by selling the silver machine in a regular housing and selling the silver-jacketed panels to a silversmith for the market value of its silver. This may explain why so few examples have survived.
Side note: the model was originally intended to be gold-plated, until the stock market crashed and countries began to abandon the gold standard, making gold less appealing.
Typeface Specimen:
Hunter: Alan Seaver (Olivander)
Alan Seaver's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 228
Located 20 minutes into the past in the penthouse suites of Oliver Towers, overlooking the heart of downtown.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Smith Corona S-C Gorham Sterling on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Smith Corona Serial Number page and the Smith Corona S-C Gorham Sterling By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.