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Sholes & Glidden Desk Typewriter, 1874-1876

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Artifact Overview

Developed by Christopher Glidden in the 1860s and manufactured by the Remington arms company beginning in 1873, the Sholes & Glidden was the first commercially successful typewriter. Its adoption by large corporations kickstarted the typewriter industry and contributed to the speedup of American work life. The innovations of the Sholes & Glidden, particularly its keyboard layout, were widely adopted. This typewriter is why your computer keyboard reads QWERTYUIOP.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Typewriter

Date Made

1874-1876

Creator Notes

Invented by Christopher Latham Sholes and Carlos Glidden and manufactured by E. Remington & Sons in Ilion, New York

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

29.1524.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Remington Rand Business Service.

Material

Porcelain (Material)
Metal

Dimensions

Height: 14 in
Width: 17 in
Length: 12 in
Weight: 30 lbs

Inscriptions

front: THE SHOLES & GLIDDEN TYPEWRITER / PATENTED / MANUFACTURED BY E. REMINGTON & SONS ILION, N.Y. paper table with logo decal: KEEP THE MACHINE FREE FROM DUST / CLEAN ALL OF THE TOP RODS -- ESPECIALLY THE SHIFTING ROD WITH A GREASY CLOTH EVERY DAY
Sholes & Glidden Desk Typewriter, 1874-1876