The Typewriter Database News
Hermes Page updated with New Details! Sun, 05 Jan 2025
I went through the technical information in Trevor Brumfield's (TB Writers Plus) file library and gleaned quite a bit new detail for many Hermes models, including Hermes 2000/Media, Baby/Rocket, Ambassador & Ambassador Electric, 808, Hermes 10 & Standard 8 & 9. Enjoy!
Varityper-Hammond page Updated with Models available in 1940 Sun, 05 Jan 2025
From a 1940 Varityper Catalog from the collection of Erik Bruchez, we can fill in the Varityper model designations for the 1940's. We can now say that in the 40's, Varityper used model designations consisting of a Letter or two indicating the number of escapement spacings the machine could do, plus a number indicating the carriage size. Very illuminating. Hunters with entries in this category should examine their machines and determine the best model designation for them based on the data collected. I did a cursory re-naming of indicated models based on visual cues, but that could use fine-tuning by the machine owners.
Dankers, IMC/Engadine, Halda/Facit, Ideal, Japy, Juwel and Mercedes Age Lists Updated! Sat, 09 Nov 2024
Another batch of updates from source #14, via Otto Koponen. One more batch coming up! (:
AEG, Cardinal, Commercial, Demountable. Rheinmetall, Stoewer, Titania, Urania and Consul Age Lists Updated! Sun, 27 Oct 2024
Otto Koponen pointed out some pages from Source #14 ( Leonhard Dingwerth, Kleines Lexikon Historischer Schreibmaschinen) with new information for a number of manufacturers. In some cases the updates are minor, but in others, there are a lot of new ranges available. I'm not quite halfway through, so stay tuned! (:
20K Galleries This Week? Wed, 27 Mar 2024
It looks like we'll be hitting 20,000 active Typewriter Galleries in the TWDB this week! You guys have collectively created what is almost certainly the *largest* collection of detailed and sorted individual Typewriter reports ever assembled, so give yourselves a hand. What's it good for? Well, besides the Typewriter Porn aspect, these properly filed and sorted reports, now that the number has grown so large, allow us to see in detail what changes occurred at what times for most popular models - information which informs the updates of the main Age Lists for manufacturers and makes them ever more precise and comprehensive. It only gets better, so here's to the next 20,000! :D
Oh, you want to see how that number has grown over the last 11 years since we started collecting galleries? Here's a quick readout:
https://typewriterdatabase.com/gallerycount.php
Contin serial numbers expanded and updated. Wed, 20 Dec 2023
A new French source popped up in Georg Sommeregger's collection which expanded on later Contin production and clarified at least 2 years that previous sources were less clear on. The data also highlighted certain years where production of Contin standards appeared to have stopped entirely, but having this clarified pointed out that these years coincided with Polish production of F.K. and F.K. Mala, so it would make sense that these missing years are accounted for with a production focus on Polish made machines.
Continental and Erika Updated! Fri, 11 Aug 2023
Reviewing Source #25 and updated/expanded the Continental age list with new and better info. The Erika part of the S&N age list also updated and clarified to show proper serial ranges.
Optima Age List Updated Sun, 06 Aug 2023
Typewriter Hunter Otto K. sent me a copy of Source #25 - which was used by Dirk in a lot of pages, including the Optima age list, but not a document I previously had access to. I studied it this weekend, hacking through the bits of German to gain context, and then discovered that Dirk had apparently only read half the article from "Schreibmaschinen Und Bureau-Zeitung"'s 1999 issue. Otto had pointed out that the article had more info, but he didn't let on how much more, for Optima, anyway. I'm still not all the way through it myself, but I've got Optima updated except for the Electronic Wedges. Looks like Dirk had compiled the Robotron part of that source in the Robotron age list, but there's still the Optima part to go. Probably be some changes to Erika soon too.
Rooy updated with new data from Source #24 Thu, 29 Dec 2022
Another case of just nobody having looked at Schramm 1962 in context to a page built from the Source #13 1956 edition. I usually find these discrepancies when someone uploads a machine without a solid date that logically would be covered by existing data, and doing a date check leads to a deeper look at the sources. (:
Smith-Corona, Messa and Siemag updated Thu, 13 Oct 2022
A few new models and expanded ranges for others from Source #30
