May 2025 Cherry Hills Library Type-In

Fingers on keys

Our spring 2025 typewriter event was once again at Cherry Hills Library, located near the foothills of the Sandias in northeast ABQ. Myself and Matthew Bouchard set up the event and brought a total of 23 machines, only one of which, a Hermes 10, was electric. There were a few other people who also brought their own.

We ended up having over 40 participants, many of whom stayed and typed for an extended period of time. In particular was a mother with three kids, who were very enthusiastic -- as it seemed this may have been their first time experiencing a typewriter. The lady was gratified that one of her daughters said she wanted to be a writer!

As is often the case after these events, we rushed to pack up and leave before closing time, but I made sure to collect as many of the typed sheets left behind as I could. The following images are writings culled from my found harvest of creative work.





















Of course, I also took photos of typewriters, in my recent style of close-ups of hands on keyboards, as a way to preserve people's privacy.


Remington Ten Forty

Underwood Portable


Underwood 6


Hermes 3000


Olympia SG3

Olympia SM


Underwood Universal


Royal O


SCM Galaxie Twelve


Princess Exemplar 300


Olympia SM9


Triumph Norm 6

Part of the preparation for these events happens behind-the-scenes at home, where I print out and cut to size the half-sheet typing papers, information handouts and contact information sheets. Also new for this event was I made up some "Tyepwriter 101" sheets, including a diagram showing the controls of a typical machine and how to thread paper, set the margins and get the machine ready to use. We also had available sheets of typing prompts. All of these sheets get placed on each table for participants to take and use.

Matthew was very helpful in having brought his laptop so he could sign up newbies to our distribution list, right on the spot. This helps ensure nobody gets lost in the shuffle, as we want people to be notified of upcoming events.

Putting on these events is a labor of love; we love typewriters, typewriter people and writers, but the labor is in hauling several dozen heavy machines, moving table and chairs and setting up the rooms, then tearing it all down again after. Luckily I've had help these last few years, but changes are coming to our local typewriter society. Matthew will be leaving us at the end of June, and Kevin is moving out-of-state. Then at the end of July I go in to get my other hip joint replaced. This means that the events we had scheduled in August will have to be cancelled, and I won't be able to haul around typewriters for at least several months after. In the meanwhile I hope to find another assistant who can help share the burden of putting on these events, someone who is enthusiastic about typewriters and writing.

I hope by posting these articles showing a bit of what goes on to hold one of these events, that you will be encouraged to put on your own events.