As many know, the Royal Mercury is my favorite compact portable typewriter. While it is not much larger than a Hermes Baby, it is far more comfortable to me. That being said, it reminds me of a Hermes Baby, in terms of its touch, and styling. Its styling reminds me of the first-generation Hermes Baby. I always think that this typewriter is what the Featherweight could have evolved into, had Paillard wished to design a larger-looking version of the Baby, with a one-piece ribbon cover.
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| Robert Messenger's Hermes Featherweight |
According to the original box that came with this typewriter, my Royal Mercury was originally sold by Meyers Jewelry, 424 S Georgia Street, Vallejo, California.
I have added advertisements from various newspapers.
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| From The Seattle Times, July 29, 1969 |
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| From The Seattle Times, December 10, 1967. It should be noted that Bartell Drugs has not changed their logo since 1963. |
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| September 10, 1968 |
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| This 1968 ad is from Royal's vast archives. (Image Courtesy of Darryl Bridson, Royal Consumer Information Products) |
