Category: Photo

What is the prettiest typewriter typeface?

Typewriten sample of 7 typewriter typefaces on the same page including an art deco Royal Vogue, a slightly italic, san serif and smaller Professional Elite No. 41, a san serif Hermes Epoca, a serifed Italic Pica No. 31, a blocky serifed Congress Elite No. 84, a crisp, san serif Clarion Gothic, and a computer-esque, san serif Numode No. 61.

I often see typewriter enthusiasts “debating” over which is the prettiest or best typeface, and often, they’re making their judgement on one machine they happen to have or really wish they had. Rarely are these judgements made with multiple typefaces on the same page for easier direct apples-to-apples comparison, so I threw together a small sample from a few in my own collection. 

Gut reaction time: Which of these is your favorite?

I watched the fascinating documentary Best of Enemies: Buckley vs. Vidal (Magnolia Pictures, 2015) last night. An hour and thirteen into the picture, William F. Buckley Jr., who is known to have used a Royal HH and an Olivetti Lettera 32, can be seen abusing what appears to be a Hermes 3000 portable typewriter.

William F. Buckley in a white shirt with a sweater over it and wearing his signature glasses begins a new line of writing on a Hermes 3000 typewriter

Bill Buckley typing on a Hermes 3000 typewriter at the end of a line.

Bill Buckley's fingers typing out an article on the mint green keys of a Hermes typewriter

Smith-Corona Marchant (aka SCM) not only made typewriters, but they also manufactured index cards! They apparently had an office supplies group in Marion, Indiana.

I can’t wait to take some of these for a spin in my Sears Cutlass.

A pack of 100 3x5" index cards with the corporate logo SCM sits on top of a burgundy Sears Cutlass typewriter.

Close up of a LEGO version of Wednesday Addams dorm room at Nevermore featuring a tiny black LEGO brick typewriter

For fans of the Juwel 3 typewriter that appears in the Netflix series Wednesday, there’s a tiny little simulacra in LEGO set 76781 Wednesday & Enid’s Dorm Room. 

Back of a LEGO box for Wednesday and Enid's dorm room showing the interior contents.

With the recent drop of the second season and Halloween around the corner, I was surprised to see the set on clearance at Target for about $30.