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Thursday 23 June 2011

Robert Messenger at the Australian Typewriter Museum, Canberra, typing on a Remington 2 on Typewriter Day 2011

17 comments:

Rob Bowker said...

Bravo!

Ted said...

Happy Typewriter day, Robert! I can think of no better place to spend it than in your typewriter museum. Sadly, it is halfway around the world from me. :D

Robert Messenger said...

Thank you Ted and Rob. I very much enjoyed watching both of your videos - I left a message on your YouTube post, Ted. Very nice setting. Made me feel like I wanted to be there ...

notagain said...

what a funny carriage return! Nice video

mariaandfranco said...

Hi Robert, we are interested in your museum. We have been collecting typewriters for nearly 30 years and have about 80+ in our collection. Is your musuem open to the public? If it is nd it is open over the next week we'd love to visit. Can you let us know. We will be travelling to Sydney from Melbourne so can easily pop in to Canberra. Franco and Maria

Robert Messenger said...

Hi Maria and Franco. Sorry it has taken me so long to reply. There isn't much to look at at the moment, but it would be a shame not the catch up with fellow Australian collectors if the opportunity arises. Can you contact me at oz.typewriter@gmail.com

Speleo said...

I'm happy for you to use my typewriter images on your Blog, Robert.

Cheers, Bill
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spelio/6073252212/

Unknown said...

Robert Messenger, I would appreciate your assistance in my find of an Underwood Portable Typewriter. I recently found and purchased it at an antique store in New Jersey, USA. Please email me at cazzie1429@gmail.com.

Barry Marshall said...

Hi Rob, sorry to bother you but can I ask who can source me some springs for a TP2 long carriage office Facit . I need about a dozen keyboard springs and the springs for the ink ribbon rollers - one of the normal style and two which I think are like horseshoes. My granddaughter grabbed the machine from he recycling centre and I paid $10. I enjoyed reading your blog again.
Barry

Mj said...

Hi Robert,
I have just read with interest your article on Remington Rand Chartres.

My father was apprenticed to Chartres (Sydney)as an Accounting Machine Mechanic before WWII. He enlisted and spent five years in the Middle East and New Guinea, Tarakan and Borneo before returning to his apprenticeship!

You said you didn't know much about the Chartres family and I'm afraid I can't help there, except to say that 'Old Mr Chartres' was very kind to Dad who as you can imagine, found settling back into everyday working life difficult at times. Mr Chartres told Dad to just take some time-out if he needed it. Dad always wondered if he or another family member had had difficulty dealing with the ordinariness of life after serving in WWI. I remember hearing the name Frank Chartres but I don't know if that was 'Old Mr Chartres' or a younger one!

Dad eventually went into business on his own, still servicing and re-building Remington machines! Thankfully he retired before computers changed everything!

MjE

Robert Messenger said...

Thank you MjE. You will find the full history of the Chartres family in other posts on this blog. You may be interested to know I caught up with former Chartres apprentice Warren Ingrey a month or so ago. Warren is back living in Sydney after some years on the Central Coast. He started with Chartres aged 15 at the end of 1953, if memory serves me correct, and worked there for 28 years, so he may well have known your Dad. I can put you in touch with Warren if you like.

Mj said...

Thanks Robert. I am sure he would have been there - I don't remember exactly the year Dad started in his own business but I think it would have been the very late 1950s. Dad did country service with Chartres, in other words, people with Remington accounting machines would have a regular service and Dad would make a round trip to carry out whatever service was required in various towns around NSW.
If Warren is interested, I'd be happy to be put in contact.

Thomas Kahler said...

Dear Mr. Messenger,

a couple of week ago I bought a Remington Noiseless Portable Typewriter in very good condition on a flea-market in Vienna/Austria. It has a dealers address on it: "Henley Typewriter Co 6771 Hollywood Boulevard". I found on your blog a picture of a Mrs. Henley using a Remington Typewriter. Is there a connection to this Hollywood based company? The Remington Typewriter that I have was probably used by an austrian emigrant leaving Austria in the 1930ies who came back after WWII to Vienna. Unfortunately the antique dealer who sold me the typewriter had no further information. Do you know whether there is a connection between the australian Henley family and the Henley company in Hollywood and if so, is there an archive or any documents left to find out to whom the typewriter I own belonged.

With best regards, Thomas Kahler

Bob Gegerson said...

Robert, My name is Bob G.. Rose Fritz was my great aunt and I'm the oldest of the grand children with a memory that goes back to the late 30's. Aunt Rose was also an accomplished piano player which contributed to her dexterity. She never spoke about her abilities. She never had any children and loved us all. She passed the week of my college graduation in 1959. We still have an uncle ( my mom's brother) who will be 96 this year and many fond memories.

Unknown said...

Hello from Mexico My Moother owns a typewriter manufacturated by STANDARD TYPEWRITER CO GROTON N.Y. U.S.A. PATANTED MARCH 8 1904 FEB 8 1910, She is looking for a collector that may be interested to buy it, I will really apreciate if yo cant get us in touch with a Collector or with a directory of collectors if you are willing to help us, mi name is Juan Carlos MeroƱo and my Mail is juancarlosmerono@hotmail.com Thanks in advance for Your kindly Help.

Mike said...

Hi Robert,

I couldn't find an email address for you so this is the next best thing. I have mentioned you several times in today's blog post on the Lettera 22 and old typewriters in general. We are a photography site in London but I have a passion for typewriters and I have been a frequent visitor to Oztypewriter in the past few months. You can find the article at the top of the blog today (December 21) at macfilos dot com.

Mike Evans | Editor
mike@macfilos.com

Peak in Darien said...

Hello Robert,

I am in possession of an Adler (my grandmother's in fact) - it is probably a 60s model judging from its appearance and my grandmother's life trajectory.
The case is not in good condition because it's been in a basement for years, but the inside is good. I am happy to give it away to good home. Do you know someone who would be interested?

Thank you and regards,
Catherine Doherty, Canberra