1968 Perkins Brailler #C4260
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Brancaleone daNorcia (Brancaleone)
Created: 05-09-2026 at 02:42PM
Last Edit: 05-09-2026 at 03:04PM
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Description:
Perkins Brailler
Serial No. C 4.260
Manufactured in 1968
by Home Memorial Press
Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, Mass., U.S.A.
Designed by David Abraham
Ted wrote: "[Let's] discuss: is a brailler a typewriter? [...] I'm not sure I see why braillers *would* be typewriters [...], except that braillers take normal-sized paper and have all of the basic mechanical features of a typewriter in basic operation [...]."
My point of view is:
The Brailler is unequivocally a typewriter. It types the Braille alphabet, which allows for up to 63 different characters (to be precise: 64 including the blank), and which anyone with a translation chart or who can read Braille themselves can read unambiguosly and without dialect - worldwide.
Unlike shorthand/steno, the characters contain no personal characteristics, variations, or dialects. Each character has a clear meaning.
We also distinguish between typewriters with Latin, Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, and many other alphabets - therefore, Braille is just another universal alphabet. Accordingly, the Brailler is a typewriter that can type precisely this alphabet.
I could also pose the philosophical question the other way around: Is a Royal Quiet De Luxe a typewriter for a blind person who has learned to type on a Brailler but not touch typing on a QDL? I would say: absolutely! :-)
Thank you very much to Stephen Clancy for his interesting information concerning the serial numbering.
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Brancaleone daNorcia (Brancaleone)
Brancaleone daNorcia's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 1194
Fellow typospherians, may I introduce myself? I'm Brancaleone da Norcia, Typewriter Hunter and TWDB Patron from Germany. My main focus is collecting portable machines from the 1950s to the 1970s. I particularly appreciate good industrial design and durable construction. Many Olivetti and Erika models inspire my enthusiasm. Some might find it odd that my machines are usually uncleaned in the pictures. I only have very little time for my hobby, and it's very sporadic. Personally, I enjoy taking photos and working on the database much more than handling rags and brushes. But I admire it and think it's wonderful when someone brings a sleeping gem back to life. At last, I have a particular fondness for pangrams and palindromes, and I am always happy to discover new ones. Looking forward to get in touch with you, kind regards, Brancaleone.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Perkins Brailler on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Perkins Serial Number page and the Perkins Brailler By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
