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Thursday 9 August 2012

Never Too Young to Use a Typewriter


Some time ago I gave workmate Aaron Hall a Remington Monarch portable typewriter for his little daughter, Siobhan. After receiving it, Aaron told me that from time to time Siobhan would ask Aaron or her mother Erin for the typewriter to be taken down from the closet so she could use it. Given she was showing so much interest in it, I began to worry that the typing action on the Monarch was a little too heavy for someone of her age. So I suggested giving her something lighter to type with, such as an Olivetti Lettera 32.
Just after my typewriter exhibition opened at the Canberra Museum and Gallery, Aaron and Siobhan visited it and I handed her the Olivetti.
Aaron takes up the story: "After receiving a lovely lightweight Olivetti from Robert Messenger, Canberra's Siobhan Hall takes it for her first test drive at home. The five-year-old has since figured out the carriage return lever and has been using the little aluminium machine to write short stories using the latest words she has been learning." 

10 comments:

L Casey said...

Look at you bringing joy and typewriters (my word for 'joy') into the lives of children.
Great story!

notagain said...

Very cool story. She's hard at work building a back story for that typewriter for the distant future.

Richard P said...

Delightful!

shordzi said...

Excellent!

Jasper Lindell said...

I couldn't agree more

A.R.M.S. said...

Wonderful! Way to bring the next generation into the fold!

Nat said...

Awesome!

maschinengeschrieben said...

Great work!

Scott K said...

That's awesome. I've had a few kids over my place in the last month, and a couple of them have started to ask me if they can play on my typewriters even before the set foot in my door.

Best things for kids ever.

Bill M said...

That is great. Just wait until her little hands are no longer too little to proper learn to touch type.

Very pleasing to watch her type.

Excellent gift Robert.