The Typewriter Database News
Smith-Corona page updated Mon, 20 Jul 2015
Added a couple more years worth of extrapolation to the early Galaxies, and put in some data from the Color chart included in the 1964 5-Series Service Manuals. Interesting color names used by Smith Corona in the late 50's and early 60's suggest that the "baby poop brownish-green" we all love to hate is actually called "Sapphire Grey". Bizarre. :D
Royal Portables updated! Sat, 27 Jun 2015
Many updates to the section on Royal Portables. I've also re-classified, normalized and re-dated almost 300 galleries, so now the "Model by date/serial number" pages for Royal portables are now much more coherent and correct. (:
Japy page has been updated! Wed, 29 Apr 2015
Japy page has been expanded with new data from Source #24.
SIM/SimType/Montana/Oliver (Italy) pages updated! Sat, 18 Apr 2015
I've re-examined the sources in light of newest research compiled by collectors of these brands, and have finally made the connection that SIM and Montana were the same company. This realization causes a number of things to fall into place, and allows us to unify several disparate categories into a single serial number page that offers a concise and holistic view of the history of this particular manufacturing concern from 1931 to 1968. Whew! (:
Sub-brands now linked to top-level Brands in some searches. Thu, 02 Apr 2015
I've modified the queries that return results in the "Brand" searches so that if you search a top-level Brand (like "Brother"), you'll also get results from Brother's sub-brands (like Wedgefield, Mongomery Wards, Western Auto, etc..)
The inverse is not so, thus if you specifically search a sub-brand (like Wedgefield) you will not get results from the other sub-brands or the top-level brand.
This is meant to allow you to see the progression of model designs if you sort the result by year, and you get to see the machines made by that company but sold under different brands. It is primarily useful to me to visualize where models go in the timeline - catching misfiles and misdates is much easier in this view, as well as acting as a visual reference that helps to make the serial number pages a little clearer in my head. Hopefully you will also find it useful.
Underwood Model names mostly Normalized! Sat, 21 Mar 2015
Confused about why some of your Underwood galleries have had the model names changed? There's a reason for it, namely simplicity and clarity in navigation and logical grouping of like machines. Read about it in more detail below, there's much more coming down the pike...
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Say Hello to TWDB Mobile! Fri, 20 Mar 2015
When I set up this current layout for the Typewriter Database, my primary concern was optimizing for SEO, Desktop browsers and printers. Increasingly though, mobile devices are becoming the preferred devices for finding information, and so it's about time to take a stab at creating tools for accessing the TWDB elegantly on smartphones and tablets. The full realization of a mobile-friendly TWDB is still a ways off, but we'll call this a fairly useful first draft...
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Express Portable serial numbers now revealed! Sun, 08 Mar 2015
Thanks to Richard Polt for the translation of the relevant passage of the 1953 and 1962 Herstellungsdaten, we now have a short but complete guide to Express serial numbers, a short-lived bakelite portable produced between 1951 and 1954.
Typewriter Patent Database now online! Sat, 31 Jan 2015
Thanks to Richard Polt who sent over a copy of Dirk Schumann's Typewriter Patent Database DVD. It took some finagling of the data, but the Patentbase is now a part of the Typewriter Database, with patents linked to Google Patents. Enjoy!
Updated Corona 4 numbers Wed, 31 Dec 2014
In my continuing quest to make sense of the most senseless bits of the Smith-Corona page, the Corona 4 serial number list has been updated. Full story below.
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