Every Writer Should Celebrate International Typewriter Day
Did you know that June 23 is International Typewriter Day? June 23 marks the day when three men received a patent in 1868 for what would become the typewriter that we know and love today. Let’s take a deeper look into this literary history, and why every writer should care about International Typewriter Day. And more importantly, how we can celebrate.
Who Invented the Typewriter?
As a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it brings me great pride to share that Christopher Latham Sholes, and his fellow typewriter inventors, Carlos Glidden and Samuel Soule were living in Milwaukee when they received the patent for their type-writer machine in 1868. Granted, there had been other machines that had been invented that printed letters and numbers on paper, but it was Sholes, a newspaper editor and publisher, who continued to iterate on the design even after 1868 and came up with the prototype for the typewriter we all know and love today, which includes the QWERTY keyboard used on all English language typewriters and now computers.
This is an early example of a Remington typewriter.
Who Invented the QWERTY Keyboard?
Fun fact, the QWERTY keyboard was invented by Sholes as a means to help people type faster.
According to a CNET article on the history of the QWERTY keyboard. “the original key layout, with the second half of the alphabet in order on the top row and the first half in order on the bottom row, led to some problems. The keys were mounted on metal arms, which would jam if the keys were pressed in too rapid succession.
Sholes' solution was separating commonly used letter pairings, such as "ST," to avoid these jams, effectively allowing the typist to type faster, rather than slower.” And thus the QWERTY keyboard was born.
The first commercially successful Sholes and Glidden Typewriters were produced by a company called E. Remington and Sons, which we all know as the company that eventually made and popularized the Remington typewriter. (The Remington company also made sewing machines and guns, but let’s not dwell on that.)
The Rise and Fall of the Typewriter
One of the early adapters on these new fangled typing machines was Mark Twain, who was reportedly the first American writer to submit a typewritten manuscript to a publisher.
In 1935, IBM popularized the first commercially viable electric typewriter, even though technically Thomas Edison invented an electronic typewriter in 1872 but it was too big, bulky and expensive to be reproduced or useful. Typewriters, both electric and manual were actually a billion-dollar business and their popularity persevered until the 1980s when they were slowly but surely pushed to the edge of extinction by computers.
Typewriters are Cool Again
According to trend watchers and Tom Hanks, typewriters are cool again. Yes, you can cheer. Thanks to well-known celebrities like Hanks, who is a major typewriter collector and fan, and the basic ‘everything old is new again’ cycle of life, typewriters are having a moment in the 21st century. As proof that the typewriter is officially back in vogue, I submit the portable keyboard you can buy for your computer or tablet that looks and feels like an antique typewriter keyboard. I admit, when I saw one, I was immediately obsessed!
How to Celebrate International Typewriter Day
Obviously, the best way to celebrate International Typewriter Day is to pull out your typewriter and write something amazing with it. A poem. A short story. A letter to your best friend. Or, you can watch this lovely documentary called, California Typewriter about typewriters and the people who still use and love them. (Spoiler alert: Sadly the California Typewriter shop profiled in the film was forced to close in 2020).
I am so lucky that in my former home city of Philadelphia, there are two amazing typewriter shops that are committed to not only selling and repairing typewriters, but also fostering a supportive community for typewriter enthusiasts. There’s Philly Typewriter and my local shop, Words Per Minute in the eclectic Mt. Airy neighborhood. The W.P.M crew are the ones responsible for fixing up my precious Remington typewriter and getting him spiffed up and ready to move to Spain. (Thanks, W.P.M.)
Even if you don’t live in Philly, you can still subscribe to the Philly Typewriter newsletter and see what kind of exciting events and initiatives they have going on and show your support that way.
One other option to celebrate International Typewriter Day is to go ahead and get that typewriter inspired tattoo you’ve been thinking about for years. Go public with your love!
I Love Typewriters
Did you know it was being gifted a typewriter when I was eight years old that made me fall in love with writing? Today the two loves remain intertwined. Me personally, I only have two typewriters in my collection, and one is a Lego typewriter. (Real talk though, I love my Lego typewriter.) So, maybe in honor of this special day, I’ll go hunting around the second-hand shops and antique stores for a new typewriter to add to my collection. I’ve never had a Spanish typewriter before. Maybe I need one. I just love typewriters that much.
How will you celebrate International Typewriter Day?