1959 British magazine advertisement
Here is a range of some of the Imperial portable typewriters, from Wilf Beeching's Century of the Typewriter:
Of these, I have the Model 1 (although it was not called that, but simply the Good Companion, after a J.B.Priestley book, see below), the T (sometimes referred to as the Model 2), 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Messenger (naturally), Signet and 200 (the last two made by Nakajima in Japan). I will post on the Models 1 through to 7 at same later date.
The Concord looks very familiar, too, an awful lot like the Beaucourt Message-Japy Gazelle.
The Model 1000 is, I think, the same as the Royal Skylark. As well as these, there is the Safari and the "Model 220" (both seen below), the latter more familiar as the Royal Sprite and Fleetwood, among many other names.
I believe Richard Amery also has a rare Good Companion 8, which he bought in New Zealand a few years ago. This is an unusual Good Companion 5 I bought in New Zealand and gave to Richard some years back:
New Zealand is a good hunting ground for Imperials, because, due to import restrictions, New Zealanders could not buy American, Continental European or Japanese typewriters until the mid-1960s.
Richard Amery, left, and I admiring a smattering of Richard's IGCs
The Good Companions went from a brilliant shiny black (No 1 and some early Ts) to an increasingly lifeless, battleship grey. From the No 4 onwards, however, they usually came in metallic green, but Richard Amery has a few in cream (see above), most of them from New Zealand, as well as the No 5 in red. From memory, Rob Bowker also an IGC in cream, a No 7?
Here is Beeching's estimate of the years of production:
Here is Beeching's estimate of the years of production:
Why Beeching doesn't include the IGC 5 and 8 is beyond me. Maybe they were "export-only"?
Here is a woman assembling IGC keyboards in Imperial's Leceister factory:
Nice article on this Imperial with amazing design. The part about Imperial's history finally made me clear what my Royal Signet is. Thank you! By the way, the book finally arrived, without any problems. Florian
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to add: Priestley's third typewriter is a Hermes 3000, but it's the second, metal design.
ReplyDeleteI think the models 4 and 5 are very pretty (and so is the streamlined metal case one sometimes sees for the 4). I have a 4, and have not found it to be "unquestionably" excellent, but I think it's a good typewriter. After reading about the model 5 on Rob Bowker's site I've been wanting one; I understand that's a truly different design with basket shift (based on the basket-shift Torpedo?). I would love to have a red one like the one you gave to Richard A.
ReplyDeleteit sure looks fine, and mysteriously doom.
ReplyDeleteI bought a Good Companion 4 in first class condition and working order (complete with case lock keys on a thread round the handle) for £8 in Scarborough, a seaside town on the north-east coast of Britain 2 years ago. I am delighted to be the proud owner of a fine English-made machine and it works every bit as well today as it did in 1959.
ReplyDeleteThank you Florian, Richard, Georg and David. Richard, I keep promising to do a full series on Imperials, starting with the Mead, and will get to it soon. I have found at least one earlier version (a T or 3 I think from memory) that has a basket shift.
ReplyDeleteYes, David, as I showed with my post on Elizabeth Murphy's Hull factory gifted IGC 4, these were made to last and did.
Thank you Florian, Richard, Georg and David. Richard, I keep promising to do a full series on Imperials, starting with the Mead, and will get to it soon. I have found at least one earlier version (a T or 3 I think from memory) that has a basket shift.
ReplyDeleteYes, David, as I showed with my post on Elizabeth Murphy's Hull factory gifted IGC 4, these were made to last and did.