Category: Photo

Acquired 5 x 8 (Hunt Manufacturing Co., Lit-Ning Products Division)
8 5/8 x 5 3/4 x 4 1/8" exterior dimensions
putty color
This seemed like a nice way to enter the exciting world of 5 x 8″ index cards. 

A pittance of $5.00 at the local thrift shop also included a full set of Universal Paper Goods Stock No. 58-25 card dividers with both alphabetic and numeral printing.

A set of 1/5 cut tabbed 5 x 8 inch dividers with the UPG logo and the title Universal Paper Goods Stock No. 58-25. The visible tabs are labeled A 1, B 2, C 3, D 4, and E 5 which will allow for both alphabetic filing as well as filing monthly by date.

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.