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What would modern business do without the common typewriter? It all started with a machine designed to quickly print numbers. Christopher Latham Sholls added mor keys and linkage to include letters at the suggestion of a friend. It wasn’t the first typewriter, but the first one that worked. Building on existing models that embossed paper, and were heavy and cumbersome, Sholl came up with is design in 1869.
Friends Carlos Glidden, and Sam Schuel helped with ideas. They came up with a keyboard arrangement, even the method of using a platen and hammers to strike the paper through an inked ribbon. All are familiar to us today in the world of word processors and computer printers.
Marketing the machine wasn’t without its troubles. Could it be too heavy? Can the parts be made less complicated? Financial stresses caused partners to fall away from the project. Despite the improvements and advancements, critics still had complaints. Is the machine ready for mass production?
