At one point only the wealthiest Pittsburgh
families could afford a typewriter in their home. Eventually schools and
businesses caught on. Then, as the market expanded the trend exploded into
homes for personal use at virtually every income level. EVERYONE had a
typewriter. The typewriter evolved to the electric typewriter, which was
eventually replaced by the word processor- all became antiquated with the
computer age. For a while finding vintage typewriters was an easy task. All you
needed to do to acquire one was take a walk around town during garbage
collection night. Those days are gone. Typewriters remain a classy,
sophisticated remnant of an age of learning and educational expansion. This
very unique find is a Royal 10 Typewriter. Thomas Fortune Ryan founded the
Royal Typewriter Company in 1904. The company was headquartered in New York
City; with it’s factory in Hartford, Connecticut and became a major supplier to
Pennsylvania colleges and universities. Singular or dual glass panels on the sides,
heavy weight, black paint, and gold lettering can identify the Royal 10. Each
machine has an individual serial number, which can be used to determine the
year on manufacture. In 1914, the upright Royal 10
appeared. This was the classic model with beveled glass sides that would become
one of the market leaders. Early No. 10s had two windows through which the
machine's workings could be viewed, and later models had just one window. Like
other Royal models, this one is stylish almost as a bonus -- Royals were all
designed to be functional, reliable workhorses. In fact, the Royal Company even
organized publicity stunts in which their No. 10 typewriters were dropped out
of airplanes (inside crates) to show they could survive such a dramatic fall.
Yet people continued to appreciate the appearance of the machine just as much
as its reputation for strength. The value ranges vastly;
$150.00-$1,600.00 depending on condition. This one is on the rougher side, but
we think it has character.
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