Early Typewriters

Welcome to the pre-computer era: the discovery of QWERTY keyboards, carriage returns and black ribbon. Early Typewriters presents 20 antique typewriters from the 1880s and 1890s, and explores the remarkable designs and ingenuity of the world’s first typing machines.

The advent of the typewriter was meant to solve the problem of fast and accurate communication methods for businesses expanding in the late 19th century. Their diverse designs and mechanisms catalogue the many ingenious techniques devised by mechanical engineers to type letters onto paper.

These different styles and varieties of typewriter are showcased in this intimate exhibition, drawn from the renowned collection of Torontonian Martin Howard, the largest of its kind in Canada. From a rare 1885 Columbia 2 - Index to turn-of-the-century Remington models, see how this simple machine revolutionized modern communications.

To see Mr. Howard’s collection, please visit antiquetypewriters.com.