1964 Penncrest (SCM) Caravelle #P5A101111
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Steven Blake (FloydGondolli)
Created: 12-02-2021 at 06:33PM
Last Edit: 03-21-2022 at 03:43PM
Description:
Originally sold by US department store chain JC Penney under a private-label agreement with Smith-Corona, this machine was purchased from an online marketplace and shipped unlocked, upside-down in it's case, and with no protective padding inside or out. Yet this terrific little typer needed nothing more than a thorough cleaning in order to become one of my favorites. Just like it's SCM-branded 5-series siblings, it's an excellent example of mid-Twentieth Century quality American manufacturing.
UPDATE: A little research with the JC Penney catalogs from the mid-1960s suggests that this Penncrest Caravelle was sold by Penney's in late 1964. In Penney's 1964 Spring/Summer catalog no Penncrest model was offered; rather JCP sold Smith-Corona's 5-series portable on which the Caravelle was later based. The Caravelle makes its first appearance in Penney's 1964 Christmas Book (photo image below), but the following year the new Penncrest "Caravelle 10" and "Caravelle 12" models were offered after Penney's added a 12-inch carriage model to the lineup. I've included links to the 1964 and 1965 JCP Christmas Books below.
SECOND UPDATE: Corrected the serial number.
Typeface Specimen:
Links:
Photos:
Hunter: Steven Blake (FloydGondolli)
Steven Blake's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 492
Lawyer and recently acknowledged typewriter addict. It all started with an IBM Personal Typewriter, followed by a Smith-Corona Galaxie Deluxe, an Adler Universal 20, and then, well, you know the rest.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Penncrest (SCM) Caravelle on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Penncrest (SCM) Serial Number page and the Penncrest (SCM) Caravelle By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.