1942 Olympia Robust #413436
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Plante and Doole-Fisher Typewriters (venneburgtypewriters)
Created: 07-09-2019 at 07:52PM
Last Edit: 07-10-2019 at 03:37AM
Description:
A machine of infamy. Perhaps there is no other machine as controversial, save for others born with a rune.
This Olympia came to me from Austria, via eBay. One of these was on my grail list for years; I did not care if it had the rune, or the military case, I simply wanted an example as a simultaneous typewriter and militaria collector. Every single one has provenance, given they were military specific machines for the German Army.. and a few nefarious other splinters of the German war machine.
It is exactly what you would expect from a machine built to military specifications. It has no chrome, save for on the typebars. Everywhere else, it is black enamel or gun blue, and this I suspect was to reduce any possibility of gleam or shine that would give away the position of the user from the air. It is also painted in a matte battleship grey, which in this situation was shined in an ironic but unsurprising way: With boot polish.
Aside from their previous owners, the Robusts are very fine typewriters in their own right, with the added benefit of being a bit more oriented for less than ideal typing situations... Like when being shelled. They are exactly what they were meant to be: Reliable, portable, and of excellent quality.
I should point out that this one was modified with a replacement keytop and the rune was replaced with the corresponding ampersand. This was a post-war and very professional alteration, and the case appears to be from an early Voss; It is my theory that the case & typeslug were applied at the same time, and judging by the wear it served the previous owners well.
- Sean
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Plante and Doole-Fisher Typewriters (venneburgtypewriters)
Plante and Doole-Fisher Typewriters's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 2509
This gallery represents the machines owned by good friends Dirk Plante and Sean Doole, who reside in British Columbia, Canada. Together they have established Venneburg Typewriters, a partnership that to date has seen over 400 typewriters since 2009. Here you will find the machines that are currently still in possession or that have come and gone since December 2017.
***As of July 2020, this collection now also represents pieces from the collection of Troy Krahn!
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Olympia Robust on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Olympia Serial Number page and the Olympia Robust By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.