Wednesday, January 28, 2009

A to Z Challenge: the Letter U

This meme comes from Martha at Menagerie. The idea is to shoot a photo (or more) for each letter of the alphabet; we move on to a new letter every two weeks, more or less.

Today = U
(Click on the photos for an unparalleled view.)

I searched a few antique and junk stores until I found the perfect ...




Yes, Virginia, there really were manual typewriters back in the good old days.





They were heavy and noisy and if you made a mistrake mistake, before the days of WhiteOut, you had to try to erase it or start all over.


The ribbons were messy and had to be changed frequently. They did offer two colors: red or black. But only one font, similar to Courier. Maybe it even was Courier. Whatever, it wasn't very attractive.



I think a little maintenance is in order for this one.


If you typed very fast, sometimes the keys would jam together and you'd have to untangle them. Then you'd have ink all over your fingers. If you wanted multiple copies you used carbon paper, also messy.




.

9 comments:

June said...

Haven't seen one of these in a long time! I didn't have to use them long, but did get to for a while...really developed your finger muscles. Now lets talk about carbon paper! :-)

Terri said...

And mimeograph! Oh I can still smell it. ewwwww.

Karen Funk Blocher said...

Wow, these are terrific and evocative photos, just perfectly composed and beautifully shot and edited. I wrote my first serious fiction (the first few pages, anyway!) on my mom's manual typewriter. I think it was a Royal. I forgot there was such a thing as a "tab stop" key, and had to think about what it did and why. Thanks!

Jientje said...

This brings back memories!!! Especially trying to fix mistakes you made!

Serena said...

I do have to tell you that I told my husband the other day that I missed my grandmother's old typewriter. I think it made me consider the words I wrote more carefully because who wanted to erase it all and try to reposition the paper in the right spot to type it over?

I did love the feel of the ink on my hands though.

Great shots!

Martha said...

What a great and thoughtful job you did on this entry! Remember when we thought things coudn't get any better when we got the electric typewriters? LOL!! Wow, we've sure come a long way! :-)

Julie said...

Wonderful shots, I think I still have my old one in the basement. What memories.

Liz said...

This reminds me of my 2009 computer
Only goes to show nothing really cahnges!Ooops!
super photos great entry.

Linda :) said...

This is a great entry for U!! :)

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I've been retired since November, 2008. I've been spending lots of time taking photos, singing, and writing. Currently working on a historical fiction novel.. I highly recommend retirement!