1954 Royal Quiet De Luxe #RA-2803578
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Mei Travis (meilynne)
Created: 03-18-2021 at 12:44PM
Last Edit: 05-17-2021 at 12:34PM
Description:
This is my fourth RA-model Royal Quiet De Luxe, and the 2nd one from Indianapolis, IN. I'm smitten with this particular style of typewriter because it was my first American machine. The minor adjustments I've done on each machine were intuitively easy enough, and so I keep finding myself desiring more of the same models I know how to tweak and love how they type. This era of RQDL are quite possibly the ugliest models they ever made, but the earthy colorways of the 1940s & 50s are growing on me, especially since the bright candy colors are considerably more expensive nowadays. Lots of collectors complain about the skipping and escapement issues of the RQDL, but I've had good luck so far with these RA-models that have the speed control like the Royal HH. Perhaps the few years that these were produced were the pinnacle years of high-quality workmanship on the assembly lines of the Royal QDL.
Typeface Specimen:
Links:
- Royal HH Manual (carriage speed control on pg. 5)
- Royal Quiet De Luxe manual (1952)
- Royal Futura (line meter on pg. 15)
- 1953 Royal Quiet De Luxe owner's manual from Machines of Loving Grace
Photos:
Hunter: Mei Travis (meilynne)
Mei Travis's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 1265
During the quiet summer of 2020, I longed to use a typewriter again. After some online research and browsing, two Brother machines landed on my doorstep. A 1971 Montgomery Ward's Signature 511D and a creamy 1985 Sears ultraportable both ignited a fire I haven't felt in a long time. I quickly found Ted Munk, the Facebook groups, and the rest of the typewriter online community, where I learned how to fix them and appreciate them. By summer's end I had collected 20 typewriters to cure my pandemic blues. Now I'm obsessed about the different styles, the mechanics & repair, and their important history. Typewriters are an endless source of fascination as a literary medium, for creativity, a tinker-fest for machine geeks, and they still contribute to the economy. I truly enjoy learning how to bring mid-century or later typewriters back to life, even the electric ones, while completely in awe of the unique antiques that folks brilliantly restore. It warms my heart that there are others, and here we are sharing the same passions about typewriters together.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Royal Quiet De Luxe on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Royal Serial Number page and the Royal Quiet De Luxe By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.