Antique Stoewer Typewriter. Germany, Circa 1910

Sober antique Stoewer typewriter made in Germany circa 1910, in good condition and fine working order. This piece boasts a sober, powerful and stately design that turns it into a very decorative item. The mechanism is in great working order and makes it possible to type documents with the charming lettering of turn-of-the-century typewriters. The keyboard is composed of white circular pieces with classic chromed-metal reinforcement rings; some keys are slightly darkened by the trace of time and others are turned, but they are all in perfect working order. The typewriters body shows rear and side openings that make the item lighter and let us see the inner mechanism. It is made of metal and is covered by the original black enameled finish. Over the keyboard we can see a golden decal with the brand name STOEWER RECORD flanked by several medals awarded to the maker. Over the carriage and in golden lettering too we can see the name STOEWER again, this time in great condition. If we lift the typewriter, attached to its base we will discover a metal plate with the engraved serial number 67982. Classic and stylish, this antique Stoewer typewriter still fulfills its duty, being also a highly decorative piece.Stoewer Typewriters History In 1858, Berhnard Stoewer founded a sewing machine company named Nähmaschinenfabrik Bernhard Stoewer A.G. The factory was located in Stettin, Germany. The first years were quite difficult for the business as in those days sewing machines were almost unknown. In a few years the business started to grow and in 1833 they had already produced 18000 machines. Then they decided to expand the business and start making typewriters, so they hired the engineer and designer Paul Grützman and in 1903 launched their first model. The company made office and portable typewriters and produced around 135000 in all. The outbreak of World War I caused the decline of the business; moreover, the competitions strong growth and the Great Depression of the 1930s really affected the company. The firm closed in 1933; then, Rheinmetall took over the production of their portable typewriters.