This great magazine’s publisher, John R. MacArthur, says Paper is Still Relevant–and he keeps a loaded typewriter on his desk! He also believes writers should be properly paid for their work and points out this doesn’t happen when everything is free. Obvious, but rarely said so well. If you’re not a Harper’s subscriber–now’s the time. (of course JRM’s no fool–you can subscribe online Subscribe to Harpers )
Greetings, Mr. Steven Huang, co-producer of this past Sunday’s Type-IN NYC, took time to make some good photographs from the event.
Find them HERE.
Geekadelphia was nice enough to mention us TWICE on their website,
First, the Type-IN Jr. (SAT., Dec. 8th) — at Fergie’s Pub, 1214 Sansom St., 1pm-5pm.
( should you Wonder What Exactly Happens at a Type-IN, Click HERE! )
BUT ALSO, they mentioned the following week’s OBSOLETE DEVOTION Analog Holiday Sale (Dec. 14-15-16, Fri-Sat-Sun) — which is what you do when you wind up with way too many pieces of Tech Classic. (typewriters, Rolodexes, Polaroid Cameras, Filofaxes and Etc.) You sell some so you can make room for more…
That happens from 6-9 p.m. This Fri-Sat-Sun. at Trophy Bikes University City, 3131 Walnut St., Philadelphia
(special note for Fountain Pen fanatics–sorry, we now only have a few, new Lamys for sale)
Or click below for the video version…
NEWS for events/calendar/feature and obsolete technology editors:
contact: phillytyper@gmail.com
3RD ANNUAL TYPE-IN BRINGS THE CLICK-CLACK BACK TO PHILADELPHIA
Sat. December 8th. 1-5 p.m.
Fergie’s Pub 1214 Sansom St. Philadelphia PA
FREE (with manual typewriter OR stamped envelope!)
info: www.phillytyper.com
Remember that cheery click-clickety-clack, -ding! ? That meant someone was tapping out a letter, or a term paper, or even a novel on a manual typewriter. On Saturday, Dec. 8th, the sounds of analog writing return at the 3rd Annual Type-IN. Dust off* that old Remington, Olivetti or Smith-Corona; tote it to Fergie’s Pub in center city Philadelphia for this “Jam session for manual typewriters & the people who love them,” as organizer Michael McGettigan dubs it.
Back in 2010, McGettigan invited manual typewriter fans to Bridgewater’s (a classic Philly pub) to display their classic writing machines, take part in a speed typing challenge, bang out some letters and maybe even have a beer. That first Type-IN got national media attention; since then, dozens of Type-INs have popped up around the US, and more recently in Italy and Switzerland.
As in past Type-INs, there will be a speed typewriting competition “with chintzy prizes” McGettigan notes. Bring loved-ones’ addresses for a holiday letter-typing session (free stationery and postage provided). The event will wrap up with a typewriter swap–bring an extra machine (working only, no electrics, please)or two to trade.
The event is free (with manual typewriter –or stamped envelope) and open to all ages.
pdf follows, feel free to print it out and stick it up at your local thrift store or coffee dive:
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The Recipe:
About 6 or 8 of our typewriters, easy. Maybe more. Sure, Martin Remy (Remington Portable #1), you may come with us–ditto Herr Doktor Olympia S.M. Nein, and Oli Lettera 32. Who else? Well, we’d better bring a Quiet-Riter so things don’t get too Nois-Ee. I suppose that at this kind of high-class do, a Socialite would certainly be welcome–but we’d better bring that square, Mr. Smith-Corona Classic 12, as a chaperone. Beyond that, it will be potluck.
One long “church picnic” table, since we said “potluck.”
A portfolio stuffed with regular typing bond, nicer stationery, envelopes, stamps, and the Speed Typing document–up till now a carefully-kept secret (even from myself!) — it’s a selection from Ernst Kreuder’s novel, The Attic Pretenders — an escapist fable and the first book published in Germany after WWII.
A little tripod and a few various (yes, digital) cameras. A small stack of event programs, sure to increase in value if stored properly.
Two typewriters as Grand Prizes for the Speed Typing Competition. Some lesser, er, “typoswag” for the runners-up.
A couple of short, type-written Radio Commercial scripts (one for our bike shop, one for the US Postal Service) that I am going to try to get some lucky people to read at our Station Breaks. Any variety show worth its salt must have the traditional “Word From Our Sponsor”, right?
A comb–since CBS Sunday Morning says they’re bringing a TV crew!
Ah, I know there’s something else, but it will be on a list somewhere–just have to find my map which has all my lists marked on it.
A Personal Appeal: If you are planning to come, do please RSVP to phillytyper@gmail.com, so we’ll now how many deviled eggs to bring!
— thanks for typing, and just as important, reading what others type.
cheers
–mcget/phillytyper
We're expecting you....
Freezing rain & snow, with a few locusts mixed in, made for a miserable Saturday & nearly iced the Type-IN. But the day was saved by a few folks who escaped meteorological house arrest. A Mr. Jon Roth astonished all (well, the barmaid and myself) by arriving first, from far-flung Cape May, NJ. Mr. Roth, a writer and editor, packed a Royal Aristocrat. Cape May has a wealth of Victorian architecture, but no apparently no typewriter repair shops whatever. Jon checked out some of the machines, especially mcget’s (er, mine) Olivetti Lettera 32 and Olympia SM9 and cried out, “Crikey, this is so easy!” and promptly had an epiphany (which the bar maid didn’t even blink at–as these happen in Fergie’s all the time, she said) which we have reproduced in part:
Second machine on deck was a French-made Hermes 3000, purchased (twice) by Philadelphia Inquirer movie writer Steven Rea. Bryn Mawr College had not one, but two Jens representing them: web-designer Jen Yuan, again with her Olivetti Valentine and Jen Callaghan, who runs a writers’ program at the school. Trophy Bikes mechanic and devout cyclist TJ Seningen stopped by to complete the group. I had no clue when scheduling the Type-IN that Feb. 5th was also World Nutella Day–but Ms. Yuan, better-informed, unpacked a jar of this high-calorie chocolate spread, along with bread and knives so that we essentially were celebrating two events in one, as well as an extra day’s intake of carbs. A pair of writers from Geekadelphia were also on hand and refrained from remarking on the hazards of mixing Nutella and manual typing–we hope their story will be discreet about this practice.
The small field precluded a Typing Competition, though we did see several letters completed. No one opted for a splash of Clinique’s budget “Happy” fragrance–so this mailing was totally scentsless! (sorry) Finally, we did perform a Typewriter Roller Call. This involves a sheet of paper starting in one typing machine, where its owner (or whoever is sitting in front of it at the time) types the make and model, their name and perhaps a sentence or two. (as shown here) Then the page goes from machine to machine, with each person typing a line or two, in that machine’s particular typeface… till the page is full.
This page travelled through several typewriters--and survived!
Now, what would be interesting is to see a few Typewriter Roller Calls, single-spaced, so as to get a lot of typewriter fonts onto a single sheet….
Thanks to all, and now it’s time to get clacking on some letters for International Typewriter Appreciation Month. Why, yes, I can be reached at the address below! :
Michael McGettigan
c/0 Trophy Bikes
3131 Walnut St.
Phila. PA 19104 USA
Footnotes:
Mr. Roth is an editor at Exit Zero, a well-done online guide which will make you want to go to Cape May sooner rather than later.
Ms. Yuan has hacked cats into dogs and shows how here.
Fergie’s Pub is run by Fergus Carey & would be a wonder just for their newspaper ads which (truthfully) declare: “NO TV!”, but they don’t stop there, making sure to have plenty of craft beers on hand, as well as good food & really sturdy tables.
phillytyper 