Smith Premier No. 10 Typewriter. USA, Circa 1910.

This curious typewriter is a collectors piece, a Smith Premier Nº10 made in the USA in the early 20th century (circa 1910). The most particular feature of this machine is undoubtedly its double keyboard, with the capital and the lower case letters separated by colors (black and white). The typewriters case is made of black-enameled cast iron and is in good condition. The machine works well and can be used to type documents. It preserves all its original component parts and is surely a curious and rare piece for its ancient age and particular design. The Smith Premier typewriters were produced by the L.C. Smith & Brothers gun factory in Syracuse, New York (USA). They were designed and created by engineer Alexander Brown: legend has it that Brown saw a Sholes & Glidden typewriter in 1876 and vowed he would improve the design. His employers provided him with a workspace and he started with the design, and in 1889 the company launched the first Smith Premier typewriter. The model nº10 appeared in 1908 and was the last of the legendary series, characterized by its double keyboard. The SP Nº10 is the only full-keyboard frontstrike typewriter ever built. This piece draws our attention because of its simple and nice design. The models name and number can be seen printed in golden lettering at the front of the typewriter, under the keyboard, together with the name of the city where the factory was located. Over the keyboard we find again the inscription SMITH PREMIER TYPEWRITER and just below, a brass plate with the engraved name of the original distributor (a store in Berlin, Germany). Over the chariot, the typewriters name is also printed in gold. The keyboard is composed of six rows of hexagonal pieces, white and black. To the right we can see four red keys with numbers 1, 2, 3 y This surprising SP Nº10 typewriter is a museum piece because of its peculiar design and ancient age. It will be the starring piece of any self-respecting collection.