Three Typewriter Events

Woz Flint typewriting

It's been a fun week here in ABQ for typewriter events! Here at the ABQwerty Type Writer Society world headquarters, we've been busy with a littany of events intended to encourage the inner writer in all of us.


Matt writing on his Olivetti-Underwood Studio 44 at the Tony Hillerman Library

Matthew Bourchard, one of our key members, has been instrumental in arranging these Type Away events at local library meeting rooms. Rather than being social in nature, these are intended to offer a solid hour of nothing but writing via typewriter. On this day we had Matthew with his Studio 44, along with David who brought a Swintec 1186CM, which appears to be a 1980's era Nakajima machine, similar to my Olympia Report Electronic.


David on his Swintec

I brought the Olympia Splendid 33, one of my favorite small portables.


Joe on the Splendid 33

Because David had forgot to bring an extension cord, he had to sit at the far end of the rather long row of tables, close to an electrical outlet. Matthew and I found it rather humorous. Meanwhile, with David and Matt working on stories, Joe got caught up with letterwriting correspondence.


A ceramics booth at the Nob Hill street fair

Next up, on Sunday morning Joe attended a street fair in the Nob Hill district, across Silver Avenue from Michael Thomas Coffee and Limonata Cafe, two of my favorite places for coffee in that part of town. The reason for attending the fair was because fellow Burquena, author and typewriter aficionada Woz Flint would be there to typewrite poetry.


Wozs with a refreshing iced tea

After I perused the craft booths while waiting for Woz to finish talking with another client we had a good chat, and I gave her a poetry prompt. I went off shopping for crafts at the booths while she crafted the poem on her Smith-Corona.


Woz busy writing my poem

Finally I returned and she had finished the poem, based on a prompt I had given her about my funky boonie hat, covered in pins of various kinds.


Woz's hat poem

Finally I said my goodbyes and headed back uptown to Lala Cafe, where we were to meet for another of our Typewriter Pop-Ups, intended to be entirely social in nature, a perfect mix of typewriters and good company. In the process of planning this event, Matt and I had agreed that we both should represent the "sub-cult" of teal Olivetti Studio 44s! And represent we did!


Matt's Olivetti-Underwood Studio 44

Matthew's machine was made in Barcelona, Spain and branded as an Olivetti-Underwood, and has elite-sized type.


Joe's Underwood-Olivetti Studio 44

Meanwhile, my nearly identical Studio 44, also made in Barcelona, was branded as an Underwood-Olivetti and features a pica-sized type. Two nearly identical machines, made only a year or two apart from one another in the same factory, but with different brandings, indicative of the changing marketing strategies Olivetti were struggling with, after acquiring Underwood. Both machines feature a standard US keyboard, with the key caps on Joe's machine showing more wear from use.


Kevin's Royal P in Vogue

Meanwhile, not to be swayed by our Sub-Cult of the Studio 44, Kevin showed up with his Royal P in the legendary Vogue typeface, sporting a blue ribbon! Yes, despite our cultish ways, Matt and I were duly impressed!


David's Kmart 200

Not to be swayed by the show-offs across the table, David brought his down-to-earth Brother-made Kmart 200, which we dubbed the Blue Light Special, in keeping with the blue theme of the day. Despite its humble appearance, it was probable the most practical machine for on-the-go typing. David also brought his Canon Dial 35 half-frame camera, a hefty, solidly-built camera with selenium light meter and built-in extension handle for easier use.

This was a fun way to spend the weekend, with good friends and typewriters. I'm looking forward to next month's events!