The National Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia (mNACTEC) has acquired an 1875 Sholes and Glidden typewriter at an auction in Cologne, Germany.
The Sholes & Glidden, also known as the Remington No.1, is probably the most influential typewriter in history. It was the second typewriter to be produced for commercial use, and the first industrially manufactured model made available to a mass market.
The Sholes & Glidden marked the start of the use of the QWERTY layout still seen on today's keyboards. The original design of the typewriter emphasised aspects that were entirely innovative for the era, and remained in place until the definitive decline of these writing devices in the late 20th century, such as speed of typing or the possibility of using carbon paper to duplicate documents.
Exhibition about the typewriter collection
The Sholes & Glidden typewriter acquired by the mNACTEC will be featured in an exhibition dedicated to typewriters and scheduled for the autumn. The exhibition will be staged in the new "Treasures of the mNACTEC" gallery, and will also include other notable exhibits from the Museum's typewriter collection.
21 June 2016
