Recently I was inspired to do something I had been thinking about for a long time, and that was to buy an old fashioned typewriter. I had been watching a few on Ebay for a while (surprised at the variety available), and very nearly purchased an old vintage Imperial in red enamel, and another equally as old. But, given that the ribbons for the older machines are very hard to find, and are themselves ‘artifacts’, and also that I wanted the machine for practical purposes as well as aesthetic, I plumped for a 60’s portable Smith-Corona Calypso in Teal, with white and red keys. The seller (Mark Law) was very helpful, and included instructions on where to get new ribbons and respooling. It arrived today, and it’s fabulous.
Like most women of my generation, I learned to type at school, in a big room, with about 40 other girls, all typing very badly to music (which got faster and faster, causing much hilarity) on big old black and gold Imperial machines. You had to be strong to thunk those keys down, and I remember the A/a always being so faint on the paper. We were being taught ‘touch typing’, and the ‘a’ key is assigned to the little finger of the left hand. Ironic I always thought, that the most used key is assigned to such a weak little finger!!!
I always have enjoyed typing (therapeutic in many ways), and loved the old machines. One of my earliest memories is going to my mothers office and being allowed to have a go on her typewriter. I loved bashing away on it as fast as I could, copying my mother (as she could type, then and now, faster than I can form words). When I was older I was given a small Petite typewriter for my birthday (which was gold coloured), and I was so proud of it. As I got older I had many others, and I think the last one I owned that I typed my first dissertation on, had a ‘golf ball’ mechanism.
Anyway, I have looked forward o my teal coloured Calypso arriving with great anticipation, as has my little girl, and envisage lots of fun showing her how to use it. So, look out for more hand typed entries…
If you are interested in purchasing any original pieces, postcards and prints then please visit my ART SHOP.
I’m so happy that you have your own machine – and a lovely blue one no less!
Hi there Janine…
Yep, really thrilled and the little one loves it to bits, I don’t think the novelty is going to wear off very soon. Though it looks more turquoise/blue in the images, it’s actually closer to teal, one of my fave colours. I have the bug though, am keen for another!!
Hi Lorrie
We used to have three typewriters – three different languages…
This one is a beauty 🙂
Enjoy
Talia
Thank you Talia and….three?!! My gosh, what languages? Let me guess..umm, Hebrew, English and…(off the top of my head) French??
Oui ! Exactement !
But…no one was pretty as yours.
Wow, I got it right! I must admit, I chose it as much for the colour as the design, I have a particular fondness for teal/turquoise, and I thought the colour was offset beautifully by the white and red keys.
When I was learning to type (on my grandmother’s clunky black typewriter from the ’40s)… I developed my own style, using only my strongest fingers (2-3 per hand).
Later in elementary school, the teachers were strict about proper finger positioning, but I never did manage to type as fast (or as accurately) as I can using my method.
Although my friends tease me mercilessly when watching me type, because it looks odd to see my little fingers jumping around?! LOL
Of course, even weak fingers can use a computer keyboard…. but now it has become a habit. And does it really matter? ;P
Hey Tara…
No, it doesn’t, I think you should do whatever works for you. I never use my little fingers now. I use both thumbs, four fingers of left and right hands, and I am not entirely sure I am using all the correct placings, pretty much but not exact, hard to say without being observed. However, I do touch type (in that I am looking at the screen and not my hands) and have a very fast speed, I can type pretty much as fast as I can speak. Having said that, not nearly as fast using the type writer, as I am having to apply so much more pressure….boy, do you have to thunk those keys hard. Orla loves it, and is almost too hard.
I hope you’re still enjoying your little Calypso a couple of years on from this blog post. I thought you might be interested in a little history. What you have there is the last in the line of the mechanism that started life as the Smith Corona Skyriter. The UK version was made in the factory that started life as Salter, then British Typewriters and eventually Smith-Corona. It was a long-running mechanism and reasonably reliable. They suffered a little from paper curl due to the tiny platen, and the ribbon vibrator suffers from a broken spring quite commonly. Looked after though, the live a long time.
Never buy a typewriter based on ribbon availability. Of the dozens once-common sizes, only two or three are still made. However, most are 1/2″ wide, so as long as you retain the spools, you can always wind a new ribbon onto them. It’s missing spools that are the main problem these days, so NEVER throw the old ones away, which will guarantee the future usefulness of your little typer 🙂
Enjoy 🙂
Graham
Thank you Graham. I really appreciate you dropping by and the information you provided. I do still enjoy my typewriter and shall appreciate it all the more now. Yes, it still has the original spools and I believe that the gentleman who sold it to me had wound on a new ribbon.
Many thanks.
Lorrie
Hi I have recently purchased on of these. Would you be kind enough to let me know where the best place to get ribbons from is please?!
Many thanks x
Hello
I just bought one of these same typewriters and it arrived today, but I just realised there is no 1 or 0 keys, so I have been searching the internet trying to find out what’s what and came across your post about your very same typewriter. I see yours also doesn’t have a 1 or a 0, are they hidden somewhere, like do you have to press certain key combinations or something? Thanks for any help
Elle
Capital ‘o’ for zero, and lowercase ‘L’ for 1 😉
Many thanks Graham
Lorrie 😉