1941 Groma S #140311
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Javier Vazquez del Olmo (Javi)
Created: 09-28-2016 at 11:13AM
Last Edit: 10-12-2016 at 04:08AM
Description:
I need help with this one.
I spotted this huge beast several months ago, and last week it was my birthday, so I thought it would be a great auto-gift. So far so good.
The monster arrived inside a dense package, extremely well protected. Flawless shipping, and thatĀ“s no small feat for such an enormous typewriter which is almost 90 cm long (3 feet!). So far, so good.
It works fine. It needs cleaning, oil and a new ribbon, but it definitely works pretty nicely. ItĀ“s ultra stable and reliable. So far, so good.
But here comes trouble...
I donĀ“t know what typewriter I am looking at. IĀ“m just guessing this is a modell S by looking at the dates, and that leads me to the second problem I have:
I canĀ“t find the serial number.
And I canĀ“t find anything about standard sized Gromas. The only thing IĀ“ve found is at Scott KernaghanĀ“s blog (see links), and there it says IĀ“ve bumped into HitlerĀ“s typewriter. Well, a typewriter of the same model as the one found in HitlerĀ“s bunker. ThatĀ“s good for giving it a bit of... I donĀ“t know what. I guess I can put it next to my Adler 7, which was the typewriter model they had at the first nazi party headquarters in the 30Ā“s... (fact taken from a British WWII encyclopedia)
But the real problem is that there seems to be very little info about larger Gromas. This is a typewriter I know nothing about, and any kind of help would be much appreciated.
--- UPDATE ---
Finally found the s/n with the aid of a flashlight and a magnifying glass. And typeface added, of course.
Typeface Specimen:
Links:
Photos:
Hunter: Javier Vazquez del Olmo (Javi)
Javier Vazquez del Olmo's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 6476
The first typewriter I saw was my grandpa´s Olivetti Linea 98 at the office. It was just a curio for me. Then I was given a Nakajima, which I didn´t use and my grandfather took it from me because it was easier to handle than the bulky Linea 98. Now I own that typewriter, and I started a little collection in Valladolid, Spain. The Nakajima, which is "my" typewriter only returned home in 2017, almost 20 years later, when he wanted a better typewriter.
A collection that started small grew into something bigger, a nuisace for my family and a great source of satisfaction for me.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Groma S on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Groma Serial Number page and the Groma S By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.