Would you like a typewriter calendar?

Recently, Joe Van Cleave's post has given me the idea to create a typewriter calendar. It'll be a nice photography project for me, and something pleasant to grace your walls with. W and I already bought our 2015 calendar (because it's the best non-typewriter calendar ever), but there's no reason to not make a typewriter one, too. Perhaps it's a bit late in the year to be starting a project like this, but I think it ought to be ready to order by Christmas!  I'd prefer to be able to design the calendar from scratch rather than just insert photos into an online template, but I'm looking into various ways of going about making this.

So what do you think? Would you be interested in buying a typewriter calendar this year? I'm not thinking of giving it a specific theme, other than including only pre-WWII portable machines as a general rule (with exceptions for a few that fit the theme but were made in the late 40s or early 50s). I will be taking all-new photos for the calendar.  Have a look through my collection on the typewriter database. What do you want to see on your wall during the upcoming year? Would you rather see detail shots, full views, or a mix of the two? Let me know in the comments!

In the meantime, here are the first two parts of an aborted four-part photography session for my collection that I took this previous summer. I arranged them by year of manufacture so this covers 1920 through 1956. They're pretty outdated at this point, with machines I've sold, and missing machines I've since bought.

Typing Masterclass (with Seidel and Naumann)

I've finally found myself an Erika M. While waiting for some metal polish to arrive by mail, I've taken a few black and whites that really show the beauty of this machine. There is something altogether more grand and stately about the M compared to the 5, even though they share the same frame and housing.

A first for me—I've made a narrated video after thinking very strongly that I wouldn't. In it, the margin release, marginator, tab set/clear, and spaced writing are inspected and demonstrated. It's not perfect, and I feel like my voice sounds a little annoying, but I spent a few hours on it and I think it is more effective than a typecast. (Although, after I get the keys polished up and this properly photographed, I will do a blog post about it)

Can anybody who reads German cursive tell me what this dealer is?

Italic opportunity

1965 Sears Citation 2 6A2S-118888

the serial number is one of the best; 118888

Sent from my new Sears Citation 2

Sleek and strange black wonder

1951 Voss 51 26596

When I got this it looked nice, but it didn't shine. An (I won't say quick because it took me an hour) application of oil to the smooth surfaces brought the true beauty back to this machine.

A Voss question—I have noticed both with this and the gullwing Voss I owned a few years ago that when using a brand new well-inked ribbon, there is some smearing of ink on the page. I do not experience this problem with very many typewriters using my ribbons, but it plagued both Vosses I've owned. Is this a known thing?

Sent from my new Voss 51

Vancouver (part 3, Optima Humber 88)

1961 Optima Humber 88 1958030

Post-war Erikas 1949-1965 (I've added some new photos)

This is the only Optima Humber 88 I have seen. Any search online just brings up this exact typewriter, plus one other listing in Delhi, India although that has been taken down and I can't find a photo it.

Has anyone noticed Blogger over-saturating images uploaded? I've noticed it on my past few posts.

(Tip: if you notice your post doesn't show in the blogroll, just revert it to draft and then republish it.)

Sent from my new Optima Humber 88

Another look at the Everest Jolson

Basically, the ideal situation would be increase the height of part A, but that is also the hardest thing to get to. The platen can't be easily removed to access these parts (the right knob unscrews, but the platen won't come out without disassembling the sides of the carriage) and adding height would be a pretty tedious thing to do. The other main thing would be to file down part D that ratchets the toothed wheel, but that wouldn't be following the original design. I don't want to make any mistakes since this is rare, but I also want to be able to type at full speed with it.

I have tried adjusting a couple of the little bits in the ratchet mechanism that can be adjusted, and they only help to make the linespacing work at 1 line sometimes, rather than a proper complete solution, so the only choice is A through D.

The photographs are actually pre-nameplate alteration, but light wasn't good enough to take a few more pictures tonight. I've cleaned out the little brown bit under the "t".

Sent from my Everest Jolson