Including Travels in Africa, Asia, Australasia, America, etc, etc, from 1827 to 1832, published in 1834. Holman wrote, “The invention of the apparatus to which I allude is invaluable to those who are afflicted with blindness. It opens not only an agreeable source of amusement and occupation in the hours of loneliness and retirement, but it affords a means of communicating our secret thoughts to a friend, without the interposition of a third party; so that the intercourse and confidence of private correspondence, excluded by a natural calamity, are thus preserved to us by an artificial substitute. By the aid of this process, too, we may desire our correspondent to reply to our inquiries in a way which would be quite unintelligible to those to whom the perusal of the answer might be submitted. This apparatus, which is called the ‘Nocto via Polygraph’, by Mr Wedgwood, the inventor, is not only useful to the blind, but is equally capable of being rendered available to all persons suffering under diseases of the eyes; for, although it does not assist you to commit your thoughts to paper with the same facility that is attained by the use of pen and ink, it enables you to write very clearly and legibly, while you have the satisfaction of knowing that you are spared all risk of hurting your sight. It is but an act of justice to refer such of my readers as may feel any curiosity on this subject, to Mr Wedgwood, for full particulars respecting his various inventions for the use of the blind.”
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Friday 31 July 2020
Early 19th Century British 'Writing Machines’ (I): The Blind Traveller, the Scientific Historian and their Wedgwood Noctographs
Including Travels in Africa, Asia, Australasia, America, etc, etc, from 1827 to 1832, published in 1834. Holman wrote, “The invention of the apparatus to which I allude is invaluable to those who are afflicted with blindness. It opens not only an agreeable source of amusement and occupation in the hours of loneliness and retirement, but it affords a means of communicating our secret thoughts to a friend, without the interposition of a third party; so that the intercourse and confidence of private correspondence, excluded by a natural calamity, are thus preserved to us by an artificial substitute. By the aid of this process, too, we may desire our correspondent to reply to our inquiries in a way which would be quite unintelligible to those to whom the perusal of the answer might be submitted. This apparatus, which is called the ‘Nocto via Polygraph’, by Mr Wedgwood, the inventor, is not only useful to the blind, but is equally capable of being rendered available to all persons suffering under diseases of the eyes; for, although it does not assist you to commit your thoughts to paper with the same facility that is attained by the use of pen and ink, it enables you to write very clearly and legibly, while you have the satisfaction of knowing that you are spared all risk of hurting your sight. It is but an act of justice to refer such of my readers as may feel any curiosity on this subject, to Mr Wedgwood, for full particulars respecting his various inventions for the use of the blind.”
Wednesday 29 July 2020
Tuesday 28 July 2020
Life of a Typewriter Technician (Installment 6)
Monday 27 July 2020
Kurt Vonnegut Jr: Life Struggles on a Typewriter
Sunday 26 July 2020
Golfball Typewriter Jewellery
Saturday 25 July 2020
Yucky Hermes Baby Typewriter Makeover
David Lawrence of Eden Typewriters in Auckland, New Zealand, is probably the only full-time, fully-qualified typewriter technician left in the Southern Hemisphere. David not only services and fixes typewriters, he also sells them. Not so long ago he had a visit from a young lady looking to buy a portable, and she spotted a 1963 Hermes Baby (serial number 6012422) going cheap, because somewhere along the way it had lost its ribbon spool cover. “No worries,” said the lady, “I have a 3D printer, I can make one.”
The lady was so proud of her work she sent David photos of it.
But neither of us were terribly impressed, for a range of reasons, not least of
which is that the typewriter just looked awful. But lo and behold, David has now spotted the
machine for sale on TradeMe, New Zealand’s equivalent of eBay. Asking price: $500!!! This lady presumably thinks she's on to a good thing.
The seller says, “A lot of hours have been put in restoring
this good looking machine.” Which is not entirely true, since the machine was in
excellent working condition when it left David’s workshop. “It’s been
thoroughly cleaned inside and outside,” the seller continues. “No mouldy smell
or dusts like most other pre-owned typewriters!”
But
here is the clincher: “Custom designed top cover, platen knobs and feet to
replace the existing parts that were in poor condition (photos of the original knobs indicate otherwise). "3D printed the parts
with PLA plastic in olive green colour.” The colour, of course, being one of the main
problems I have with it – yucky, to say the least.
The
seller says, “Repainted with satin leafy green that matches the original green - feet and baseplate have been refurbished with new lining inside and anti-slip
padding.”
But
then comes the real punchline: “We can custom make typewriter parts as well.
Please check out our website below for more details.”