Blickensderfer Desk Typewriter, Model No. 5, 1893-1896

01

Artifact Overview

George Blickensderfer's typewriters combined a user-friendly keyboard (rather than an index) with the lightweight technology of a cylindrical typewheel. In the 1890s, Blickensderfer's DHIATENSOR keyboard layout challenged the QWERTY layout, the layout of the first commercially successful typewriter, the Sholes and Glidden. DHIATENSOR, argued George Blickensderfer, avoided stuck keys and increased typing efficiency.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Typewriter

Date Made

1893-1896

Creator Notes

Invented by George C. Blickensderfer and manufactured by Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company in Stamford, Connecticut

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

59.63.13

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Metal
Wood (Plant material)

Dimensions

Height: 8 in
Width: 12 in
Depth: 6 in

Inscriptions

nameplate: NO. 5 BLICKENSDERFER TYPEWRITER STAMFORD CONN., U.S.A.
Blickensderfer Desk Typewriter, Model No. 5, 1893-1896