Tidying Up the Typewriters
On the morning of the typewriter exhibition opening, I allowed myself to be "exposed" in print when publicity photographs were taken at the entrance of one very untidy cave of typewriters, one of two storage units at Fyshwick.
If I haven't been doing a lot of posting and responding to comments and emails these past two days, it's because I have been sorting out another storage area: in my home in Phillip. My sons and I have moved more than 200 typewriters in containers downstairs, where they have joined probably another 200 odd typewriters already stored there. Where the 101 typewriters that are in the exhibition will go when the exhibition ends in the middle of next month, I do not yet know.
*Fret not, the skip in the photo above is NOT for throwing out typewriters!
I had to "make" room downstairs for this weekend's shift and I can't see where there's any space left now. One way I was able to fit in the extra 200+ typewriters from upstairs was by giving away an awful lot of machines. While Peter Brill was here from Western Australia for the exhibition opening, for example, I must have given him 10 or 12 typewriters, including four IBMs, to take back to Perth with him in his car. I knew there was another green one there somewhere for him, but couldn't find it among the typewriters upstairs. When you can't locate an IBM buried among other typewriters, something is seriously wrong. It had to be sorted.
There are now only 15 typewriters left upstairs in a sort of "transit lounge", or holding area. These are mostly typewriters I am working on or plan to use for posts and typecasts in the next few weeks. Among them is the Palestine banking Bijou which Scott Kernaghan will, hopefully, pick up when he can make it down to Canberra for the exhibition. There are some Consuls, Torpedos and Tom Thumbs I am hoping to "get to" soon, as well as a beautiful old Adler I will post on next. Also there is the Blick Ninety to be posted to Richard Polt in the near future. Someone might be able to spot the "Polt Challenger" downstairs.
Keeping an eye on the typewriter upstairs is Charlie the Cat, my typewriter guard.
Is that a "My First Typewriter" in that colorful box? That's hysterical!
ReplyDeleteAnd that is not even half of your collection there...quite impressive. Do you keep the cases for these in another location? Or are the ones in the bins without cases?
Thanks for sharing. That is true dedication, right there.
If it is helpful I can give you my address to send excess typewriters to ;)
ReplyDeleteDaunting! This is the sort of thing that makes outsiders think that typewriter collectors are insane. Which of course we're not !!! Hahahahaha~!~!!!!~!@@!@!@!!!
ReplyDeleteI need to show this to my wife! Thanks for sharing, that's a very impressive collection.
ReplyDeleteAnd here I was complaining that my 40-something typewriters were too many... I'm amazed, amused, and pleasantly surprised!
ReplyDeleteI spy a green IBM Selectric III, a Corona 3, and several Smith-Corona electrics; those are the ones I can readily recognize.
That looks like the thrift store of my dreams :D
ReplyDeleteIf I only had a cargo plane at hand to fly over to Australia and help you out...
ReplyDeleteShould I look at this as inspiration, or a warning?
ReplyDeleteWOW! Next time the boss complains about my 15 sitting in the radio room and the other 5 or 6 in the garage I will show her your collection.
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful collection and
you still have plenty of room for more. I did not see anything piled to the ceiling.
That room looks like more fun than is legal. I'm jealous to the bone.
ReplyDeleteNow that is some typewriter porn!
ReplyDeleteits like a typewriter orgy!
most excellent!
I want I want I want!!!! how nice if I can get one glass keys typewriter from you. It will be a dream come true for me....
ReplyDeleteHo hohoooo, it almost looks like a crazy Christmas full of presents, and every present is a typewriter.
ReplyDeleteSalutes to your epic collection!