Blog Archives

Feels Like the First Type: 1919 Underwood Standard #3

7/30/2019

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.

The patent information printed on the back of these Underwood machines makes it easy to determine the age and model...

...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.

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.

New protective endsheets added

Japanese kozo hinge and spine liner added

Boards cut

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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