Following a lose thread from the last set of updates, specifically the designs of W. P. Kidder, there’s a few new links forged in that chain, starting with the Noiseless:
The Portable numbers are an educated guess, since there were only about 6500 made over about 2 1/2 years between its introduction in Nov 1921 and the merger with Remington in March 1924. The 1924 ADBM says that the Portable was still being sold through Remington (presumably back inventory units, like the leftover No. 5’s that became “Remington Noiseless 5″s) so collectors be on the lookout for one of those few Noiseless Portable 3-banks with a Remington brand on it. (:
The early numbers for the model 1-3 are conflicted. Sheridan just suggests date ranges and puts a high start on the first No. 3 serial, while ADBM is more specific about the starting serials and suggests that the No. 2 didn’t even exist. I have yet to see a No. 2, so that could be right, but figuring out which source is right will probably require getting some examples with serial numbers and features documented to really nail it down.
Regarding the photos, the Model 1 is a machine whose serial number suggests it’s a Model 1, while the 3 and 4 are from ads that ran in the middle of their production runs, so I’m guessing they are correct, but I have no feature descriptions for the 1 and 3, and I can’t see any major physical differences between any of the Models 1-4, so I have no real idea how to tell them apart other than serial number. The paper table on the Model 4 photo might just be an anomaly or an optional feature – I can’t imagine why it would only appear on the 4 and then not on the 5. The Model 5 has a couple extra keys, so that’s easy.
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And then, the Kidder chain led to his final project, the Rochester:
Now that was another one where I went to the books first, spent a few hours finding and digesting info and actually building the page out before I thought to check the internets, to of course find that Robert Messenger had been there first and had done the grunt work of clarifying and correcting the many, many inaccuracies noted in the book sources. One day I’ll learn, I swear. :D
The old TWDB entry had a reference to the “Legatt”, which is not actually a typewriter, at least that I can find. It’s a misspelling, as is the form noted in all the book sources, “Leggatt”. This is prolly a reference to one of the men involved in the venture (Leggett), but isn’t an actual machine, so I removed the page reference entirely rather than correct it, so minus one manufacturer from the TWDB and plus one, because “American Pocket” wasn’t there at all.
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I suppose this means that Wellington is next in the chain. Enjoy! (:
OzTypewriter is the ultimate source of typewriter knowledge on the face of the Earth because of Mr. Messengers outstanding journalist and research abilities. I still find new things from years ago in his blog that detail incredible finds. I challenge you to get the Sun page up to snuff next!
Challenge Accepted! I do have a packet of Sun ads and ephemera that Richard Mohlman sent. An excellent excuse to avoid the Wellington page, which is sure to be a monster. :D
You’re on a roll!!
But don’t forget to check back issues of ETCetera. Ed Neuert’s article on the Noiseless in #81 is excellent, and there’s a one-page easy guide to distinguishing Noiseless models.
ok, got it – working on update now.. Thanks! (:
I have a Remington Noiseless 6 and can’t locate the serial #. Can you tell
me where to find it on the typewriter ?