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Feels Like the First Type: 1919 Underwood Standard #3

7/30/2019

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It seems only right to christen the inclusion of my typewriter collection and repair antics on this blog with the first machine I ever purchased, a 1919 Underwood Standard #3. This model features a 16" platen and an extended frame to support it... as such, it weighs about 60 lbs and is far from a 'portable' model. I received it in pretty decent shape, albeit with some dust, sticky keys, and a missing ribbon.

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The patent information printed on the back of these Underwood machines makes it easy to determine the age and model...
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...especially if it takes you a while before finding the serial number tag (right side of the frame, just above the ribbon selector lever from the front, or the ribbon-winding gear from the angle pictured here).
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The Pursuit of Loneliness - Philip Slater, 1976

7/19/2019

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From out the treasure chest that is the Little Free Libraries here in DC comes a surprisingly powerful read. I picked this sorry volume up after noticing its nakedness and disrepair, only to carry it around in the same state for weeks while poring over its pages. Finally, as I swept through the final chapter, I was overcome by the desire to return it to the wild in a better condition than I found it, and I hope whoever finds this volume next will consider my efforts a success to that end.
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The textblock has seen better days and is crucially acidified, moisture-stained, and torn. A friend who watched me pick this volume up begged me to leave it so, lest the story of the life it has lived be lost.
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​New protective endsheets added
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Japanese kozo hinge and spine liner added
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Boards cut
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Brown cloth case and title label recovered from the original paperback back cover. Nothing will stop the paper in this mass-produced volume from acidifying, browning, and eventually turning to dust, but until then, I can rest easy knowing that it has clothes enough to thrive in the hands and eyes of a few more readers.
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