Antique Underwood 5 Typewriter. Spanish Keyboard. USA, Circa 1920

Antique Underwood 5 typewriter with Spanish keyboard, made in the USA circa 1920 and in fine condition. This typewriter is a real classic in the field of early-20th-century office antiques and preserves its powerful look, which turns it into a wonderful exhibition piece. On the other hand, the mechanism works fine and makes it possible to type documents; the ink ribbon is slightly worn, but still the machine is functional. The typewriters body is made of black-enameled metal, with a well-preserved shiny finish. It shows side and rear openings that make the typewriter lighter and let us see the complex mechanism. This charming design is a distinctive feature of many old-time models. At the front of the typewriter we can see the models name and number in golden lettering: UNDERWOOD STANDARD TYPEWRITER Nº 5. The decals are slightly worn but remain complete and legible. Over the carriage we can see the brand name and logo, a red shield with the anagram UT in blue and gold and the image of a typewriter. The Spanish keyboard is composed of circular white pieces with black symbols and nickel-plated reinforcement rings. At the rear, as well as some information about the manufacturing company we find a sticker with the name of a repairing business located in Barcelona, probably from the 1980s or 90s. The classic look of this antique Underwood 5 typewriter turns it into the perfect piece to decorate a stylish living room or study.Underwood Typewriters History The Underwood Typewriter Company was founded in 1895 by John T. Underwood. The family business made typewriter ribbon and carbon paper from 1874, but when some of their clients (such as famous Remington brand) started making their own supplies, they considered starting to manufacture typewriters. The first model produced was a design by Franz Xavier Wagner who showed it to J. T. Underwood: then, the Underwood No. 1 was born. The Underwood No. 5 launched in 1900 has been described as "the first truly modern typewriter". Two million had been sold by the early 1920s, and its sales were equal in quantity to all of the other firms in the typewriter industry combined. In 1959, Olivetti bought a controlling interest in Underwood and completed the merger in October 1963, becoming known in the US as Olivetti-Underwood with headquarters in New York City, and entering the electromechanical calculator business. The Underwood name last appeared on Olivetti portable typewriters produced in Spain in the 80s.