1946 IBM Electromatic #138210
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Elisa Makoon-Singh (escribiramaquina)
Created: 02-20-2026 at 11:48AM
Last Edit: 02-20-2026 at 12:02PM
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Description:
This machine means BUSINESS.
Beautifully restored to working condition by Rick at Karl Business Machines in New Jersey.
When I first acquired the machine (in April 2025 from shopgoodwill in Minnesota) the description said that most keys worked. When I received it, it did not type although it powered on, indicating that the motor was functional still. The keys were jammed, probably because the power roller needed new rubber.
I feel like Winston Churchill when I type on it. That might be because he was famously gifted two of these typewriters by FDR "as a symbol of the strong bond between the people of America and Great Britain." This gift came after Churchill admired the type on a letter he had received from Lieutenant General McNarney in 1944.
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Elisa Makoon-Singh (escribiramaquina)
Elisa Makoon-Singh's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 721
I love to write and found that writing on a typewriter is the most enjoyable and distraction-free way of doing it. I started with an Alphasmart, then moved to a Royalite, then to an Olympia SM5. The Olympia kept me fully satisfied for a good seven years until I got the bit by the collecting bug. Now I am slowly amassing my own personal typewriter museum. Typewriters are like personal printing presses. My partner is an engineer who can fix and clean any typewriter, so we make a great team.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the IBM Electromatic on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the IBM Serial Number page and the IBM Electromatic By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
