What Was the First Typewriter Called?

Origins

• The first typewriter was called the "Sholes &Glidden Type Writer." Christopher Latham Sholes invented the writing machine in 1868. Five years later he brought his idea to gunsmiths E. Remington &Sons in Ilion, New York.

Significance

• Sholes believed his invention would provide important opportunities for respectable women to work outside the home. The earliest models closely resembled sewing machines, a piece of equipment with which women were well acquainted. The typewriter allowed women to enter the office world previously dominated by men.

Misconceptions

• The first typewriter used the QWERTY keyboard arrangement, which is still the standard today. It is a myth that the QWERTY keyboard was invented to slow down typists because early typewriters jammed easily.

Difficulties

• The typewriter was not immediately successful. The Sholes &Glidden had many problems and was frequently returned for repairs. Also, some had difficulty adjusting to the idea of a printed letter in an age when the handwritten letter was standard.

Fun Fact

• The first "typists" were called "typewriters." So the office worker who used the typewriter was also referred to as a typewriter. A classic joke started with a businessman writing a letter to his wife that began "I'm sitting here with my typewriter on my lap...."

Success

• Only two typewriters were available in 1880. By 1895 there were literally hundreds. Many inventors tinkered with new designs with varying degrees of success. The oddest models had up to eight rows of keys, some arranged in a curve or circular format.