This 1940s Royal typewriter was my original desktop. Purchased in the early 1980s from a neighbor of my cousin, it served me well through college and a little bit beyond. With a fresh ribbon, and a stack of onion skin paper, along with an eraser, I banged out most of my college papers on this machine.

The action was always solid and dependable. This typewriter started off as a true office machine and has the dates of service inscribed on one side, all from the early 1940s.

As I understand it, the neighbor who I purchased this from was the one who actually used it in the office and was allowed to purchase it for home use. By the early 1980s, she was ready to depart with it for the sum of $40.00, which I gladly paid.

In the late 1980s, I had the platen resurfaced which cost (as I recall) another $80.00, but otherwise, this machine worked reliably, and still does. The current ribbon is a little dried out and the backup one I purchased about 10 years ago is looking a little sketchy. But the machine itself still types reliably with that solid, tactile feel of hitting the keys and using the return.

Alas, in keeping with letting go of older technology, now is the time to let this one move on and into other hands. We donated it to an eager new owner this week, and while it was a nice reminder of the past, it feels good to let it go.