0 Typewriter Galleries » Hunter: Justin De Mello
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432 Points, Typewriter Hunter

I fell in love with typewriters when I was 13. I'm retired now. My first was a Corona #3 which I got free from a neighbor. Decades pass, life happened, and I lost interest. Then a few years back as a retiree I renewed my interest which is a bit of a happy obsession now. However, it's not just typewriters that captivate me; I love all types of old office equipment, too. I have a Dalton adding machine (which I've restored), several different working antique check writers, a Dictaphone, antique steno machine, business card press, postage stamp scale. I have a well equipped antique office that is spilling into all parts of my home. Most items are from the Machine Age: 1880's into the 1930's. Still, typewriters are complex and amazing pieces of machinery that I'm always drawn to.

Oddly my background and profession was in the computer industry. I worked in the banking business for 30 years developing systems for ATM,s, phone banking, then PC home banking. I started out in banking sorting mail in a mailroom, moved on to a hardware operator: keypunch card machines, huge IBM printers, printout bursting machines, tape drive and cathode ray tubes. I guess we have come a long way but typewriters have taken me back.