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| 1929 Underwood Standard Portable 4B222405 |
*and also so-called dead keys
On inspection, the keyboard appears to have been modified after production (and quite thoroughly too because 6 typeslugs and keypapers had to be changed from the standard layout). This probably explains the oddities of the special characters not always matching up!
Sent from my new Underwood Standard Portable
Not unheard of to have multiple slugs modified on a machine. John was telling me a little while ago about how he had been asked to change the entire typeface. Man, I would dread trying to re-solder all 40 or so keys on some typewriters. Sounds incredibly painful to me.
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine what could have been important enough to have that kind of a modification made… you'd think for the labor costs alone you could just buy the typewriter you want with the right typeface, even if it's rare and valuable, if you're just patient.
DeleteThanks for the mini-disquisition on languages. It's one reason I check xoverit every day. That, and the beautifully selected, cleaned, and presented typewriters and the thorough research and _its_ presentation.
ReplyDeleteThe Czech saying is an deeper amplification of the German one I am fond of quoting,"Wer kennt nicht eine fremde Sprache, kennt nich seine eigene."
And, N., I think your attitude toward the use of English here is the healthiest I have heard (not that you're the only one who holds it). Thanks for making it so simple and clear.
== Michael Höhne
And thank you for your compliments. Usually I'd just try to brush them casually off, but I do try my best to make the output of my blog beautiful, interesting, and balanced, and of course I'm always wondering how others think of it, so your comment means a lot to me.
DeleteA very true saying your German one is… my month of intensive Russian study revealed to me almost as much about English as it did Russian. (well, not quite! but new discoveries were being made every day)
There's a lack of balanced, reasonable outlooks here in the US; people are so inclined to get inflamed about issues and not approach them objectively from a distance. The illegal immigration issue really twists the language issue even more, but it is essential to separate the two because it gives well-meaning legal immigrants unfair treatment, and hostility towards other cultures (that are not hurting you, of course) that you have allowed to freely settle in your country is unreasonable.
Very insightful observations about languages -- and thanks for clearing up the Czech-Croatian distinction.
ReplyDeleteI have an Underwood just like this with a Ukrainian keyboard which I was looking at yesterday, comparing it to a slightly later machine with the "UT" ribbon spool covers. There are many differences, including a much quieter carriage return on the later model.
I did notice that the carriage return was quite loud on this, but I hadn't thought to compare it with my slightly later ash woodgrain one.
DeleteI don't really have the time to take on another project, but a useful thing would be a comparison between the 20s and 30s Underwood 4 bank portables.
I love that Czech proverb. And completely agree with Michael and Richard's comments.
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