I brought my 1950 Royalite Typewriter in for repair - and it was a real treat. Lowell Plum is kind of famous in the world of Typewriter Repair Men - a legend of sorts, even made the paper. Visiting with him, and reading his article reminds me of why I have a thing for these old machines.

When I first met Lowell (who I kept calling Loyd), he wanted to know the history of my typewriter…and after re-reading his article, I understand that knowing the history is part of his draw. “A lot of time I wonder who typed on them or what was typed on them. This one was built in 1912. Was this a newspaperman’s that typed a story about the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 or the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson? Who knows? Have I ever brought a ghost in the house with a collection? If typewriters could only talk, and tell their own stories.”

I bought my little Royalite from a woman down the street who was trying to save enough money to pay for a Yoga Teaching Certificate. I’m not sure it’s history beyond that, but next time I see her, I know what I’m going to ask. I’m not sure what was once typed on it’s keys back in the day, but these days, I feed good knowing that the messages it’s used to types are all positive, and full of love.