1953 Royal HH #HHE-5188675
Status: My Collection
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
Created: 12-29-2024 at 04:31PM
Last Edit: 12-29-2024 at 05:13PM
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Description:
This typewriter was dropped and this broke the front frame crossmember (last two images). I lugged it home for the parts. Then I started looking at this crossmember bit and was curious how it was pinned and if you could get it out without taking the main frame casting apart. So the broken one came out easy, obviously, and it looked like a good one could be swapped in from a rusty 13 in carriage machine. So that's what I did and accounts for the slight color difference.
A testament to how well they were built because this thing was smacked hard. The owner jammed some cardboard into the break so they could get the spacebar to clear and kept on rolling. The only thing that was amiss was the tab levers were a little tweaked.
Arguably the peak of manual typewriter engineering before the electric comes to dominate the market and quality starts to slide for the non electric standards.
They were so good HHs were still being sold at dealers in the late 70s. The rebuilt prices consistently outpace their contemporaries. In 1964 $10 was equivalent to $100 today, so asking $20-40 more for an HH vs an Underwood SX was significant.
Typeface Specimen:
Links:
Photos:
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
James Grooms's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 9875
As with many, the bug is back there somewhere due to an Underwood No. 5. My grandparents had a No 5. My parents had a yellow Royal Safari that I used to index card everything, including a beer can collection. Collection syndrome clue! A casual interest in typewriters started with a garage sale 3 bank simply because it said Underwood on it. Typewriters were found here and there , but I wasn't actively looking for them. The long dormant collecting tic was activated when my neighbors left a Remington Quiet Riter on the curb when they moved.
Typewriters are the perfect blend of using one's technical skills, history and functional purpose. My goal is type tested machines. My interests are not isolated to anyone area. For example, I am a big fan of Smith Corona electrics, mid century electrics and all things Royal.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Royal HH on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Royal Serial Number page and the Royal HH By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
