1. Pellegrino Turri's Typing Machine Built for a Blind Countess in 1808
In 1808, Pellegrino Turri in Italy is said to have built a typing machine for a blind countess. [2] Another source names this countess as Carolina Fantoni, who was Turri’s friend. [1] The year of its creation is debated in sources, with some citing 1802 and others 1808, so it is safest to say it was the early 19th century. [2] The machine from 1808 is often considered the first typewriter confirmed to have actually worked. [2]
However, the idea itself is older. In 1714, Henry Mill of England received a patent for a machine similar to a typewriter, though that machine no longer exists. [1] What the records clearly show is only that it was intended for blind people. They do not describe how it was used afterward.
2. Rasmus Malling-Hansen's Pin-Cushion-Shaped Writing Ball of 1865
Rasmus Malling-Hansen, a pastor and principal of the Royal Institute for the Deaf and Dumb in Denmark, designed a machine in 1865. It featured 52 keys arranged on a brass hemisphere. Its shape is often compared to a large pin cushion. [3]
This "Writing Ball" was patented and produced in 1870. It is considered the first typewriter made as a commercial product. However, it was handmade in small numbers and was later overtaken in the market by mass-produced machines. [3] [2]
The German philosopher Nietzsche bought this machine in 1882 but reportedly could not use it well. That same year, he wrote, "Our writing tools are also working on our thoughts." This reflects the idea that tools can influence how we think. [3]
3. How Sholes, Glidden and Soule Patented a Typewriter in Milwaukee in 1868
In Milwaukee, USA, three men—Christopher Latham Sholes, Carlos Glidden, and Samuel Soule—received a patent for improvements to a typewriter on June 23, 1868. [4] The patent document describes the machine as a way to write ordinary correspondence using type instead of a pen. The keys are arranged like a piano, a carriage moves to space between letters and lines, and an ink ribbon is used. [4]
The Remington Company, a firearms manufacturer looking to change its business, took on this machine. It was made in Ilion, New York, and released to the market in 1874. The price was about $125, which was roughly the annual income of one person at that time. [5]
Sales did not grow quickly. By December 1874, only about 400 units had sold, partly because the price was high and there were many defects. After improvements, sales reached 4,000 units by 1877. Commercial success came after they outsourced sales in 1878. [5] The reason for the QWERTY key layout is covered in a separate note.
4. Mark Twain Typing His Letters and Calling It a World First
Mark Twain, the author known for *The Adventures of Tom Sawyer*, began typing his letters around December 1874. [6] He is also reported to have called the machine a "little mischievous creature that excites curiosity." [5]
Later, in his autobiography, Twain claimed, "I am the first human being to apply the type machine to literature." However, typewriter researcher Daryl Rea points out that the first book to be typed was *Life on the Mississippi* (1882), and Twain did not type it himself. [6] Therefore, the claim that "Twain was the world's first" remains his own assertion and cannot be written as fact. It is an example of memory or boasting conflicting with records.
5. Why Early Typewriters Were "Blind" and How Typing Became Visible
Early machines were "blind" types, meaning you could not see the letters as you typed them. [7]
The Doherty Visible of 1891 is considered the first mass-produced front-strike machine. In 1896, the Underwood Company commercialized Wagner’s front-strike design, and that machine became the standard for over 60 years. [7] The Remington No. 2 of 1878 added a shift key, allowing users to type both uppercase and lowercase letters. [7]
By this time, women who worked at typing were sometimes also called "typewriters." The machine and the job shared the same name. [2] This source only mentions the overlap in names, not the details or spread of the work.
6. Kyota Sugimoto's Japanese Typewriter and the Problem of Thousands of Characters
Japanese uses hiragana, katakana, and many kanji, so one key per character is not enough. Kyota Sugimoto (1882–1972) invented the Japanese typewriter and obtained a patent in 1915 (Taisho 4). [8]
The mechanism involved moving a tray of type characters up, down, left, and right to select the desired character, then striking it onto paper through an ink ribbon. Because the user had to look at the character tray to find the right symbol, it required great skill. [9]
The number of type characters is said to exceed 2,000, and handling them was a craft. Sources vary, citing between 1,000 and over 2,000 characters, so a single number cannot be fixed. [10] In 1985, Sugimoto was selected as one of the "Top Ten Inventors of Japan" for the 100th anniversary of the patent system. [10]
7. Why Japanese Word Processors and Computers Replaced Japanese Typewriters
As Japanese word processors became cheaper, Japanese typewriters disappeared from the 1980s onward. The Toshiba JW-10 was a product from 1978. [9] Production continued until May 1999. A 2018 article reported that they were still used in some government offices, such as in Makizaki Town, Kyoto Prefecture, and Yubari City, Hokkaido. [10] It is unclear if this is still the case today.
In the USA, computers, desktop publishing, and cheap, high-quality laser and inkjet printers spread, and typewriters were largely replaced. [1] A machine that started as a machine made for a blind countess can be seen as passing its role to the keyboard on a screen after about 200 years.
8. An Experiment: Copying a Diary Line With a Hiragana Chart
Try this experiment. Make a chart of the 50 hiragana characters on paper. While looking at the chart, trace and copy one line of a diary with your finger, one character at a time, and measure how long it takes. Next, add 5 kanji and do the same thing. Measure the time it takes to find the characters, then compare it with the time from before. By seeing how much the search time increases, you can experience a bit of the difficulty of the Japanese typewriter.
It might also be good to ask family or teachers if they have seen typed text on old documents. For Kyota Sugimoto, you can read the person introduction page at the National Diet Library to confirm his life and invention years. [8]