Roberta X made me do it

I mentioned in the next previous post, More of this and that - early October, that unlike my new computer keyboard which forces use of the left index finger to input a "6/^", I had been accustomed to using my right index finger for that key. I asked what was "standard" touch-typing for that key. In her comment, Roberta X (RX, henceforth), wrote that her '1942 U. S. Navy touch-typing chart shows finger choice for the "6" key (only!) as "optional" for left or right index finger.'

RX rightly reminds me that, over the many years since Elder Brother and I bought our portable typewriter (in 1951 or maybe 1952, I'm not really sure), the upper case numeral keys have changed. On the 1950s keyboard, the upper case "6" (I have to re-input each of the 6s because my fingers aren't paying attention!) was an underline, "_".

Although I was unable to find the graphic that RX referenced, I did succeed in finding two touch-typing charts (images, below) put out by Smith Corona, the company that made EB's and my portable typewriter. I'm pretty sure that a similar chart was included with the typewriter, explaining my habitual use of my right index finger for the "6" key (yes, I hit the 7 key, AGAIN!)

 

Below is an image of a manual portable typewriter quite similar to EB's and my typewriter - down to the case. [Alert: The rest of this paragraph should be viewed as "not necessarily so". Please see ADDITION at the end of the posting. CC] The only real difference I see is that the label on our typewriter was "SCM" followed by the company name in script. I don't recall whether the company name was Smith Corona or Smith Corona Monroe. I can find photos of "SCM" logos online, but I can find no mention of the company's having gone by Smith Corona Monroe, so I suspect the label included the former of the two.

Thanks, RX!

ADDITION of a few hours later: SCM

So much for my memory. It is like scrambled eggs. Perhaps I would have made more headway in my SCM "research" had I not remembered (incorrectly) that the "M" stood for Monroe - one of the Smith brothers. The "M" was for Marchant. I found History of Smith Corona Corp. which provides the following information about SCM.

Smith & Corona became known as Smith-Corona in 1946 and in 1953 was renamed Smith-Corona Inc. During the postwar years, the company worked to meet the challenge of the newest technology, the electric typewriter, which began to dominate the market in 1948. In 1955, Smith-Corona introduced an electric typewriter for the office. The result of a decade of research, the new machine featured a scientifically sloped keyboard fitted to natural finger movements, more controls in the keyboard area than any other electric typewriter, and automatic repeat actions on all keys. Continuing to branch out into other areas, Smith-Corona merged with Marchant Calculators in September 1958; the resulting company, Smith-Corona Marchant Inc. (SCM), became world renowned as an aggressive and diversified corporation.

....

....In 1985 Smith Corona was incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of SCM Corp., and the following year, the London-based conglomerate, Hanson PLC, acquired SMC Corp. ....

Comments

[Ole Phat Stu]

Here in Germany, we have a bigger alphabet,
the standard is QWERTZUIOP and the Y is bottom left.
U Umlaut is to the right of P
To the right of L we have O Umlaut then A Umlaut
SZ which looks like a Beta is below the question mark.

During the Nazi era there were also separate keys for the SS and for the swastika.

[Cop Car]

Interesting, Stu. Were you to send me a graphic, I would add it to the posting. *hint, hint*

In the 1960s, a friend bought a bunch of shipping cartons in-the-blind. Of course, the price he paid was small, so he was taking a chance that the contents would be useful, or at least, worth re-selling. He ended up with a couple of dozen typewriters - for Hebrew. He asked me if I could come up with a way of reversing the carriage throw since the machines' carriages threw right-to-left. I'm not sure that I ever knew how he disposed of those typewriters. If so, I no longer recall.

[Joared]

I still have my Royal portable purchased in 1953 preparatory to my heading off to college. My key board querty is the same as Smith but with o over division sign as the last key next to p.
The numbers and symbols above are the same except the last one next to 0 is a 1 with - above.
I should get a ribbon and use my typewriter since am presently without working printer, but only have printer paper. When I graduated high school and typing class my rate was 100 WPM with 1 or 2 mistakes as I recall.

[Cop Car]

Ah, Joared, a photo of your Royal's keyboard (at least) would be another welcome addition to the above posting *another hint*; or, I might add a Part II posting. I don't recall whether any of the typewriters that I used in school had a separate "1" key; thus, I am intrigued by the placement of yours.

[Ole Phat Stu]

See http://www.savory.de/stus_blog_pix_2016/typewriter%20ringelnatz.jpg
and more generally http://www.mrmartinweb.com/type.htm

Stu

[Cop Car]

Great links, Stu. I'll add a section on the German language keyboard in my next typewriter posting, thanks. The museum website has a lot of interesting machines (typewriter and otherwise) to browse through.

[Joared]

I’ve gotten away from taking photos to transfer to my computer, much less put them on my blog, several years ago, as numerous tech changes for me and I just got tired of the time i was having to expend constantly, it seemed, having to adapt. Have some other timeline things going right now but will see. I don’’t know the actual year of my Royal — that was just the year I bought it..

I have another full size manual typewriter, not sure of mfg., that my dtr’s typing class teacher gave her from school the end of the year because they were going to be transitioning to computer keyboarding the next year. I can’t easily and readily access it.

[Cop Car]

Joared--Thanks for letting us know. I'm sure you had shared your waning interest in putting in the time and effort to keep up with all of the tech changes on your blog; but, I did not recall such. Certainly, many of us can understand. My new computer keyboard has scads of keys that will only be activated by accident. I didn't learn how to use the special keys on the keyboard that came with my 2007 computer, let alone for this latest round. I don't really care what they do - lol.

I'm somewhat surprised that your daughter's typing class teacher was allowed to give away school property. She may have had to submit a form, in triplicate, in order to do that. Surely, that was putting obsolete equipment to use!