Antique Underwood Typewriter Working Very Well. New York, 1913

Wonderful Underwood Standard Nº5 typewriter in excellent condition and working order. This piece was made in the USA in 1913 and in spite of being one hundred years old it looks as beautiful and functional as when it was manufactured. The machine keeps the original solid wooden base and metal sheet cover, with the shutting locks and the carrying handle. With a solid and functional design, this typewriter has successfully gone through decades of use and now is full of charm and personality. The first Underwood was designed by Franz Wagner and produced by John Underwood, son of a typewriter ribbon manufacturer (and who gave his name to the model). It was launched in 1895 and was the first totally reliable 4-bank frontstrike typewriter in the market. The Underwood Nº5 appeared in 1901 and is probably one of the most successful typewriters in history: it kept on being produced for three decades. Its great design and reliability turn this model into a great success, and millions of units were made and sold. The Underwood Typewriter Company was located in New York and kept on producing models until 1963, when it merged with Olivetti to form the Olivetti-Underwood. This particular typewriter is very well preserved, with the black-enameled finish and the golden decorative details in great condition. Over the carriage we can see the word Underwood printed in big golden lettering. This word is also printed in capital letters under the typebars, while at the front of the piece (under the keyboard) there is another decal that reads UNDERWOOD STANDARD TYPEWRITER Nº5. At the back of the machine we can see the models patents and the name and city of the manufacturer company. The black-enameled cover that protects the typewriter and lets the user carry it shows some signs of the trace of time and use, but it preserves the market name clearly printed in the metal and also a circular sticker with the name of the original distributor in Barcelona. Because of its excellent condition and lovely design, this classic typewriter will be an essential piece in any self-respecting collection.