1955 Underwood All-Electric #E I2-7721637
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Javier Vazquez del Olmo (Javi)
Created: 10-02-2015 at 01:06PM
Last Edit: 10-02-2015 at 01:11PM
Find on Ebay #AD
Find on Etsy #AD
Description:
This one is going to need heavy repairs, but I´m confindent it will survive.
I bought it assuming it was dead as Napoleon´s grandma, but what was my surprise when I plugged it and it started roaring. The motor sounded like GRRRRRK TRUNKLE TRUNKLE TRUNKLE, but I hope it´s because 3 decades of dirt settling in. Everything is extremely dirty, but there is some serious potential here.
As for the technicals, it is also quite promising. I expect this monster to be my best electric typebar machine. Weighs like a million tons, so it should be extremely stable. Something I find very useful is a system of easy platen removal. You can keep it clean with no effort at all.
On the aesthetic side, I find it quite nice. It looks like a Finger-Flite on steroids, and the keyboard is a true winner. I love the layout with the tabulator and the return keys.
Finally, speaking about history, I´ve been told these were used here in Valladolid at one of the largest (and few) factories we have. They had an army of them, and I bet all of them have marched in formation to the junkyard.
If I manage to repair it, I´ll submit a typeface.
Typeface Specimen:
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 Underwood All-Electric on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Underwood Serial Number page and the Underwood All-Electric By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
