Rabbittown Races Sing My Song…..Doo Dah, Doo Dah……

Remington Rand Model 1
Remington Rand Model 1

A Remington Rand Model 1 portable typewriter……made sometime in the early-mid nineteen hundreds by the Remington Tyewriter company in Canada, I think after the Remington Typewriter Company had merged with the Rand Kardex Company to form Remington Rand (in the United States). Prior to all that, The Remington Typewriter Company was the company and name bought by the Standard Typewriter Manufacturing Company, Inc. from E. Remington and Sons who had got into typewriters (and also sewing machines) as an off-shoot of their arms business (ie.-Remington rifles and ammunition). Remington Rand went on to get into the computer business which pretty much laid to rest the typewriter business. However, typewriters are still used by those wit an appreciation for such things, which may be an appreciation for a slower more process oriented life.

I hadn’t thought much about it til a couple of years ago my good friend Tom asked me if I wanted this little gem in the picture. I said I did and took it and put it away meaning to go over it and get it working but didn’t. Until, that is the last couple of days. I had been thinking about the little typewriter from time to time and what use I might have for it. I mean a real purposeful use. Then, a few days ago I received my expected billing for my hand-set type. It was printed on really nice paper with a really nice letterpress printed letterhead with the details printed with a typewriter….as you can see in the pic below……

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………Bingo! — my real purposeful use! I’ve been doing invoices on the computer and it’s been a real pain in the backside — especially since I have no real letterhead (and me running a print-shop).

So, I decided I will design and print up some letterpress in the next little while, and in the meantime get the little typewriter working. Yesterday, I dug it out and cleaned it up and today I bought a ribbon for it. Now I have to get it working. It has an issue or two, but nothing that cannot be fixed. Then, I’m off to the races at the Rabbittown Race Track……although be it the ‘turtle races’ by today’s standards…..And that puts me at just about the speed I want to move…….