Users of the Royal HH typewriter included: William Buckley, Charles Bukowski, George Burns, Herb Caen, Truman Capote, Bruce Catton, Patty Chayefsky, Don DeLillo, Alice Denham, James T. Farrell, Paul Fussell, Hugh Hefner, Elia Kazan, Sterling North, Robert B. Parker, Sylvia Plath, Mario Puzo, Robert Penn Warren, Eudora Welty, and William Zinsser.

including photos via https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/typers.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kdswdg/outer_limits_zanti_misfits_what_machine_is_this/

The Outer Limits episode (season 1, episode 14)

https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/typers.html

Users of the Royal FP included: Herb Caen, Peter De Vries, Stephen King, Melissa Ludtke, Frank O'Hara, and Morley Safer.

https://www.atticpaper.com/proddetail.php?prod=1958-royal-future-typewriter-ad-two-pages

The character Radar O'Reilly apparently had an early model Royal standard typewriter in MAS*H.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kb71ni/fixed_typewriter_plus_a_new_one/

Found a silver plate with a black letter "G" inside a Royal H.

https://typecast.munk.org/2023/02/17/1967-womda-typewriter-typefaces-royal-fonts/

https://youtu.be/TwAJO7uDwJg?si=UfRBFcai-IgZDG4B&t=120

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074119/

via https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1iucu6i/you_guys_wouldnt_know_what_typewriter_is_used_in/

Replacing the Carriage on a Royal Portable Typewriter by [[Marty Morren]]

https://www.m-morren.nl/product/17071027/royal-bearing-guide-ball-feeder-tool

David McCullough on His Typewriter by [[C-SPAN]]

Man shed for writing with a single room of 8' x 12' with 800 books, Royal KMM typewriter, and 2 filing cabinets. He's written every book he's ever done on his Royal KMM.

"It's got 750,000 miles on it."

reply to u/Novembree at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1hfncyz/had_a_typewriter_for_awhile_could_use_help/

Welcome to the Royal KMM club! Seems like lots of these have been posted in the last day including one by u/betternatured and another by u/the-other-gusta along with a very similar Royal KMG by u/Jacki-san.

The serial number puts yours down as a KMM with an 11 inch platen manufactured in 1945. Cross reference: https://typewriterdatabase.com/royal.72.typewriter-serial-number-database

Manual: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/RoyalKMM.pdf

These were really popular and ubiquitous, standard (large desktop) typewriters in the mid-century that were the workhorse of many offices. Because they were so common and so heavy, they only go for $5-25 in the used market in either unknown or marginal condition. If they're cleaned up and well-serviced they can go for more with a cap of around $300-400 depending on the level of restoration. Some with special features (like special typefaces) or provenance may go for more.

The Royal KMM was known to have been used by writers including: John Ashberry, Harry Ashmore, Russell Baker, Ray Bradbury, Richard Bratigan, Richard Brooks, Pearl S. Buck, Johnny Carson, Norman Corwin, Frank Herbert, Ken Kesey, G.W. Lee, Harper Lee, Ursula K. LeGuin, David McCullough, Margaret Mead, Grangland Rice, and Dorothy Parker. This was also the model famously used by Angela Landsbury's character on the TV show Murder, She Wrote.

Depending on your level of typewriter knowledge try out some of the following short films which will also provide some tips, tricks, and maintenance advice common in the era of your machine:

• Basic Typing: Methods. Vol. MN-1512a. United States Navy Training Film, 1943. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztyzGit1dTI
• Basic Typing: Machine Operation. Vol. MN-1512b. United States Navy Training Film, 1943. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-REJEArnjE
• Advanced Typing: Shortcuts. Vol. MN-1512c. United States Navy Training Film, 1943. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUJfCfqgsX0
• Advanced Typing: Duplicating and Manuscript. Vol. MN-1512d. United States Navy Training Film, 1943. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ve5JnTUzvo
• Maintenance Of Office Machines. Vol. MN-1513. United States Navy Training Film, 1943. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocdxgkxKAKo

Happy Typing!

Typewriters - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood by [[Fred Rogers]]<br /> episode 1083<br /> https://www.neighborhoodarchive.com/mrn/episodes/1083/index.html

"I was very much interested in letters." -- Fred Rogers

via u/Old_Interaction_9009 at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1fqxmt0/what_type_of_typewriter_did_i_buy_got_an_estate/lpt196b/

Snarky reference to "Royale with Cheese" from Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (Miramax, 1994)

Recorded Live - Flesh Eating Film Reels (1975) by [[S. S. Wilson]]

Idea of artificial intelligence using a typewriter to communicate. Cross reference HAL and Mr. Typewriter (Royal advertisement).

https://patents.google.com/patent/USD144165S/en?oq=USD144165S

Filed August 2, 1945

Successful Secretary Presented by Royal Office Typewriters. A Thomas Craven Film Corporation Production, 1966. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If5b2FiDaLk.

Script: Lee Thuna<br /> Educational Consultant: Catharine Stevens<br /> Assistant Director: Willis F. Briley<br /> Design: Francisco Reynders<br /> Director & Producer: Carl A. Carbone<br /> A Thomas Craven Film Corporation Production

"Mother the mail"

gendered subservience

"coding boobytraps"

"I think you'll like the half sheet better. It is faster." —Mr. Typewriter, timestamp

A little bit of the tone of "HAL" from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). This is particularly suggestive as H.A.L. was a one letter increment from I.B.M. and the 1966 Royal 660 was designed to compete with IBM's Selectric

This calm voice makes suggestions to a secretary while H.A.L. does it for a male astronaut (a heroic figure of the time period). Suddenly the populace feels the computer might be a bad actor.

"We're living in an electric world, more speed and less effort."—Mr. Typewriter<br /> (techno-utopianism)

I just got a 1950 version of this KMG this week in medium rough shape too. (My 7th Royal and my 2nd Standard)

Looks like a Royal KMG with the Henry Dreyfuss glass tombstone keys in Gray Frieze paint. https://typewriterdatabase.com/Royal.KMG.72.bmys

Mine has some minor carriage issues that I'm hoping clear up with some cleaning. Otherwise it may need some tools and internal repair work and/or parts. If yours is generally working, a good cleaning and oiling should get you going: https://boffosocko.com/2024/08/09/on-colloquial-advice-for-degreasing-cleaning-and-oiling-manual-typewriters/

Diagram of parts: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/RoyalKMGdiagram.jpg

Manual of the prior model KMM which preceeded it, so the functionalilty should be almost exactly the same: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/RoyalKMM.pdf (Royal Standard internals were almost exactly the same from the Ten (1909) through the FP/Empress (1966).)

Home Study Course in Typewriter Repair and Service: ca. 1959, published by the Typewriter Repair School in Little Falls, New Jersey. Focuses on the Royal KMM among others: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/homestudycourse.pdf

See also:<br /> - https://typewriterdatabase.com/manuals.php - https://typewriterdatabase.com/1968-Ames_Standard_SVC.royal-repair.manual - https://typewriterdatabase.com/1960-Ames_Gen_Cat_10-March.royal-parts-01.manual

Searching on YouTube for cleaning and repair advice should help out a lot. Phoenix Typewriter has some solid videos on related models (search also the Royal X (ten), KH, KHM, KMM, KMG, HH, FP, and Empress which are all roughly the same internals with slightly different body styles.)

If you need some basic typewriter 101, try: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJtHauPh529XYHI5QNj5w9PUdi89pOXsS

reply to u/MajesticWear5478 https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1g1i440/tips_for_cleaning_and_fixing_a_1949_royal/#lightbox

The November 1952 issue of Boys Life had an advertisement for contest for a gold-plated Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter.

timestamp

Needs exact sourcing, but Ian Flemming had a gold-plated Royal that he paid $174 for in 1952 and which sold in 1995 by Christys' for $89,229.

timestamp

Origin of Royal's Vogue by [[x over it]]

reply to u/NoDoctor4602 at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1fjrjns/ive_spent_a_few_days_searching_for_any_concrete/

In the mid to late-1950's and after several typewriter manufacturers made limited runs of gold plated typewriters for special anniversaries or for bonuses to salespeople. They're uncommon, but not rare. I've seen at least 6 or seven pop up on auction sites in the last 6 months. If you really want one, watch the lower end of Facebook Marketplace, ShopGoodwill, Craigslist, et al. where one will assuredly pop up for a much more reasonable price. I'm not sure if it was this one or another I've seen since April, but one of these went up for sale on ShopGoodwill.com recently and sold for about $600. A week later it was listed on eBay for several thousand just like this one. Given the timeframe, I doubt they spent any time cleaning, oiling, or adjusting it in any fashion—it was a pure flip. I've also seen this recently with Royal typewriters with a less common, but highly collectible Vogue typeface: a Royal P sold for about $900 there and was listed on eBay shortly after for over $1,500 with no indication that it was cleaned or adjusted. (If you watch some of the sites carefully, you can pick up a Vogue machine for under $100 easily enough depending on the type and condition.)

In my mind, as a collector, I'd try to find one in the wild and clean it up or I'd want it in stunning restored condition for over $2k. You might be just as well off picking up a working model for $100-$150 and gold plating the pieces yourself. It would probably be cheaper in the long run and you'd have a better machine in better condition. Some sucker with money to burn will eventually buy a Gold Olympia SM3 for over $2,000.

Here's a vew posts/videos as examples of gold plated machines:<br /> - A video of another Gold Olympia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnUHgyABjw0<br /> - Royal QDL https://typespec.com/weve-got-gold-in-them-thar-hills/<br /> - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kasbah-mod-typewriters_n_1453776

If you're looking for something great that you'll use, I recommend visiting a repair shop that has some stock to try out some machines to see if you'd like their touch/fee/aesthetics first. Visiting a type-in or two might give you some experience with a wide variety of typewriter models as well. Then try to find a rare or exceptional version that's worth putting some money into. Why put so much into an Olympia if it turns out you're an Olivetti, Royal, or Smith-Corona person? https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-repair.html (I desperately love Royals, but Smith-Coronas and Remingtons are much more forgiving of my mediocre typing technique, a fact which pains me dearly and cost a few hundred dollars and some sweat equity in cleaning and tuning machines to discover). Incidentally, I'll mention that for about $2,000 you could easily purchase a wide variety of about two dozen machines (even with shipping) and be able to get something truly exceptional in terms of condition and function.

Incidentally, the higher prices of $250-600 for repaired/refurbished/restored machines being sold by repair shops are usually what Harry Beercan is using as a pricing guide when he's selling his grandmother's musty, broken, old typewriter online not knowing that several hundred dollars in labor and parts has been calculated into the selling price.

Did it work prior to replacing the ribbon? If yes, then perhaps remove the ribbon and replace again. See page 19 of the manual here: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/RoyalKMM.pdf

YouTube also has tutorials for how to thread these. (Also search for the No. 10, KH, KHM, HH, Empress, FP, etc. which also used the same general ribbon spools and set up if you can't find a KHM.) I can*t tell 100% from the photo, but the ribbon looks like it's spooling on clockwise on the right (and vice-versa for the left) and you want it the other way.

Is it not advancing regardless of which direction you have the ribbon going? Usually just one side is not working. You can use this fact to compare the typewriter bilaterally. Watch what's going on with the side that does work and compare it with the side the doesn't. What's wrong on the non-working side?

Often times the spindle on one or both sides is frozen up with dried up grease, oil, dirt, or dust. A small quirt of mineral spirits or lacquer thinner (or other degreaser) will free it up. (Here we use the mantra, a typewriter isn't really "broken" unless it's clean and broken.) See: https://boffosocko.com/2024/08/09/on-colloquial-advice-for-degreasing-cleaning-and-oiling-manual-typewriters/

reply to u/UltimateAiden98 at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1f0nzt8/my_royal_kmm_ribbon_is_t_advancing_what_should_i/

Portable Typewriter Relabeling...how and why by [[Will Davis]]

https://willowcreektypewriters.com/products/well-never-be-royals-short-sleeve-unisex-t-shirt

We'll Never Be Royals

Royal KMM FPE HH KH 10 T1 B64 Typewriter Ribbon Install Rewind Respool Replace by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

The spools for the standard Royal typewriters (KMM, FPE, HH, KH, etc) have a custom metal mechanism for their auto-reverse. The spools are known as the T1 (which is the same as General Ribbon part # T1-77B , T1-77BR, and Nu-Kote B64.) If winding on universal ribbon onto them, remove the eyelette which isn't needed and may interfere with the auto reverse.

The function of the mechanism is fairly similar to that of the Remington, but the mechanism is on the spool itself rather than on the spindle.

If necessary, Ribbons Unlimited carries these metal spools: https://www.ribbonsunlimited.com/6N064-Royal-Standard-Electric-Ribbon-64-p/6n064.htm

Royal HH & FP typewriter shipping help by [[Typewriter Justice]]

Advice for how to package a heavy standard typewriter for shipping. Two heavy rubberbands to hold the margin release buttons to protect the escapement. Then plastic wrap to keep the carriage from moving during shipment. Then protection for the knobs and carriage return levers put into a first box. Then packing peanuts in a second box, fill to completely full and tape closed.

Given my current r/typewriter flair ("typewriters + card index = magic"), I couldn't help but appreciate that Lucas Dul features a 3x5" card index (aka database) of typewriter typefaces in a recent video on the 1896 Williams 3 typewriter: https://youtu.be/T1zzXwB3Xh8?si=K4FeiS-V_aev9_SZ&t=506. Those who have been following along on the typeface front will recognize some of the samples from this small index having been featured in a video on typewriter typefaces at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scrguKgDNIY.

I'm reminded of a similar card index (or Zettelkasten if you speak German) database of type I saw last year via the Letterform Archive article at Schriftenkartei [Typeface Index], 1958–1971 and a related Flickr version of it at https://www.flickr.com/photos/letterformarchive/albums/72177720310834741/

Lest you think these sorts of analog office pairings are completely obsolete, I feel compelled to mention that I've recently noticed that Pam Beasley's character had both an IBM typewriter and a metal 1970s/80s era two drawer metal card file behind her desk in the TV series The Office (NBC, 2005-2013).

If typewriters and card indexes are your sort of thing, I've got a small personal collection as well as some research and writing about them which can be found at https://boffosocko.com/research/zettelkasten-commonplace-books-and-note-taking-collection/#Boxes

If you follow my collections and work, you know I'm not beyond pairing up a nice typewriter with a card index (or two).

Image of a 1948 Royal and a matching Steelcase card index.

Syndication link: https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1e5u5z3/era_appropriate_database_for_typewriter_typefaces/

Nabokov began teaching at Cornell in 1948 and must have been relatively financially well-off enough to afford the roughly $95 ($1,248 in 2024 dollars) for a brand new Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter.

The typewriter is pictured at the top of the article in a photo from a 1958 photo shoot. Presumably he bought it contemporaneously, though may have gotten it used after its release in 1949. The model changed in mid-1950.

https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/nabokov.jpeg via https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/typers.html

This photo, similar to others in the Carl Mydans series for LIFE Magazine is surely from his September 1958 photo series, though I couldn't find an original from the LIFE archive.

Nabokov, reading off of index cards in his zettelkasten, dictates to his wife Vera who is typing on what appears to be a 1949 or 1950 Henry Dreyfuss Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter.

Notice metal strip on the back of the typewriter with small rectangular blocks. This is the Royal's tabulator set up which distinguishes the Quiet De Luxe model from the Arrow model.

The body styling of this typewriter changed in 1950 from Dreyfuss' original 1948 design. Because it's light gray it has to be from '49 or '50 as the '48 original was a black body with dark gray highlights and didn't have chrome across the front as this one does in an alternate angle.

https://images.google.com/hosted/life/2bff56953d14c9d9.html

Nabokov, reflected in a mirror off camera, dictating his writing from index cards to his wife Vera who is typing on what appears to be a 1949 or 1950 Henry Dreyfuss Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter.

Notice the chrome on the front of the machine which is sitting in its bottom case shell.

https://images.google.com/hosted/life/8d0b2f02ac27973e.html

Nabokov dictating his writing from index cards to his wife Vera who is typing on what appears to be a 1949 or 1950 Henry Dreyfuss Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter.

Carl Sundberg’s European-made Remington Portable Typewriters by [[Robert Messenger]]

The anniversary gold plated Royal QDLs included gold plated type points, levers, and even set screws on the platens.

Anne Sexton used a Royal Quiet De Luxe (beige)

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/196139225

[[Shawn Gilmore]] in On the Page: Paul Sheldon's Typewriter in Misery (1987) — The Vault of Culture<br /> on 2022-06-15

TYPEWRITER TOUR: How I ended up with 17 typewriters (story time)

California Typewriter got Sara into collecting.

She names her typewriters.

She likes the consistency of the Corona Pacemaker, the IBM Selectric II, and the Olympia Electric.

• Smith-Corona Corsair Deluxe Aqua/Blue Travel
• Royal Futura 800