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Royal Royalite typewriters
In 1954, Royal McBee corporation purchased an emerging typewriter manufacturer from Holland, who only made small portable typewriters, which were known as Halberg Travelers. Very few Halberg-labeled...
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Prewar Royal Portable typewriters
In 1926, Royal introduced their first portable typewriter. It was offered in both solid colors and two-tone paint schemes. It was slightly redesigned for 1930, and came in blended "Duotone" paint...
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The Royal Futura, 1958-1962
In 1958, a new typewriter was designed by Laird Fortune Covey. Called the Futura, it was offered in several different levels--400, 600, and 800. The 400 was the cheapest, and lacked a tabulator, and...
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Royal Precision Portables
In the 1970s, there were two models of Royal Portable Typewriters that were sold under the name "Precision Portable." These models were the Sabre and the Custom III, both of which are based on the...
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The Futuristic Royal Signet and MacDougall's
In 1962, the future was predicted with such memorable designs as the Space Needle. However, even typewriters got a futuristic look, from the IBM Selectric to the Royal Signet. The Signet was introduced...
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1968 Royal Custom II
This Royal Custom II was manufactured in 1968. It is identical to the Royal Sabre, but has the added feature of a paper bail. Below is a 1968 Seattle Times advertisement for the Royal Lark and Royal...
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1967 Royal 890 portable
The Royal 890 is a direct descendant of the Royal Futura. Notice the "Magic" column setting buttons behind the keyboard. The 890 was a lower priced Royal Portable (note the lack of a 1/! key and the...
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Royal Mercury History
The story of the Royal Mercury began in Tokyo, Japan in 1965. A knitting-machine company, called Silver-Reed had designed a typewriter, with the help of a leading industrial design firm, called...
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Royal Royalite, Second Generation, 1959-1963
In 1959 Royal changed the color of their low-priced Royalite from jade green to a modern two-tone gray color scheme. Gone were the flat green keys that were left over from the Halberg Traveler:Halberg...
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E.W. Hall, 1111 2nd Avenue
E.W. Hall was Seattle's largest office machine dealer during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1938, Hall's moved from the Burke Building (now the site of the Jackson Federal Building) into the Taft Building, at...
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University Book Store
The largest dealer of Royal Portable Typewriters in Seattle was the University Book Store, at 4326 University Way Northeast. In fact, it sold so many Royal Portables that the Book Store had a large...
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My Model O may be from Frederick & Nelson
It should be noted that the "NRA" mentioned in this ad was the NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION(Not the National Rifle Association)The Dvorak keyboard was developed in Seattle by a University of...
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1938 E.W. Hall ad
From The Seattle Times, September 29, 1938The typewriter shown is the Deluxe Model O.
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Silver-Reed Typewriters from Japan
Pictured above is a name variant of the Royal Mercury. While the name is different, it is the same typewriter. However, this is the original name which it was sold by in Japan and other parts of the...
View ArticleSears Tutor Serial Numbers
Here is a table of the serial number ranges for the Sears Tutor portable typewriter. These numbers were provided by Jay Respler of Advanced Business Machines. The Tutor was introduced in 1966, and...
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Royal Skylark Portable Typewriter
The Royal Skylark is one of those typewriters that can get two vastly different reviews by two different people. For instance, I like its keyboard feel, which Consumer Reports describes as "slightly...
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My First Portable Typewriter and the Royal Telstar
In 2003, I bought my first typewriter at a thrift shop for $5. It was a light blue Royal Safari, much like the Royal Telstar that I have posted below, but with automatic margins, and two extra keys...
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Sears Tutor Portable Typewriter
In 1938, a new compact portable typewriter was introduced by the L.C. Smith & Corona Typewriter Company. Called the Zephyr, it was designed to fit under a train seat. It was discontinued in 1942...
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