"Blickensderfer 6" typewriter, c. 1906

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The Blickensderfer model 6 was the the portable typewriter 2.0--an improvement over the Model 5 that had debuted at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. The Model 6 was made of aluminum, rendering it lightweight, and like its predecessor, contained a fraction of the parts that made up its desktop contemporaries. Its rotating type wheel allowed for a speedy change in typefaces. Dubbed the "Five-Pound Private Secretary," the Model 6 was portable and durable; the company touted it in advertisements as being, "in every way, a high class machine." Like our own laptop computers and tablets today, it helped revolutionize work and communication while on the go.

Details
Title
"Blickensderfer 6" typewriter
Artist Life
1850-1917
Role
Designer
Accession Number
98.276.279.1
Curator Approved

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