1963 Underwood Touchmaster Five #11-9045881
Status: My Collection
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
Created: 05-31-2024 at 02:07PM
Last Edit: 11-05-2024 at 02:54PM
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Description:
The last Underwood? Back when I had a more casual relationship with typewriters I'd see these things pretty much everywhere. I figured they must have been great because they sold so many. And I had a sentimental attachment to the brand.
Then I got my hands on a few of them and found this wasn't the case. So digging a bit deeper (Fortune, Forbes and Business Week), I was curious about this 'merger' with Olivetti. Well it wasn't anything like a merger. Olivetti had the controlling shares and bought Underwood for next to nothing just for the sales and distribution network. As it applied to the T5, it was a huge loss leader. They were desperate to keep the line running and leverage something out of the deal, so they undercut everyone on institutional accounts, i.e. school districts and flooded the market with them.
Some young historian should write a history of Underwood. There's multiple accounts on IBM and Underwood would be a great case study in hubris over decades.
"Hy Bane was Underwood—Gaze on ay Fate, ye Corporate Highty, and take Heed." Forbes. Vol. 92 (July 1, 1963) p. 15
Typeface Specimen:
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Photos:
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
James Grooms's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 12672
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 Underwood Touchmaster Five on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Underwood Serial Number page and the Underwood Touchmaster Five By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
