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Details of object number: 0078
Title:Stoewer Record
Object name:typewriter
Production date:1909
Description:Stoewer Record typewriter, type lever model, produced between 1905 and 1930. Red and black colour ribbon, shift and lock keys. Back: bell indicating line break. Black with gold lacquer trim.
The designation “STOEWER RECORD” appears on the front and rear sides, each with four overlapping medallions featuring figures and inscriptions, namely awards from trade fairs and exhibitions: “MANCHESTER INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION 1910”; a horse-drawn carriage with Russian lettering; OCIETA ART LETTATORIE NELLA SCUOLA GRANDE DI S. GIOVANNI VENEZIA / BERLIN STOEWER / STETTINO”; “AMSTETTEN 26.-29. Sept. 1908”; “MANCHESTER 1910 Industrial Exhibition / GOLDMEDAL / BER(HARD) STOEWER / STETTIN GERMANY” (gold lacquer, painted); representation of figure with no legend.
The designation “STOEWER RECORD” appears on the front and rear sides, each with four overlapping medallions featuring figures and inscriptions, namely awards from trade fairs and exhibitions: “MANCHESTER INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION 1910”; a horse-drawn carriage with Russian lettering; OCIETA ART LETTATORIE NELLA SCUOLA GRANDE DI S. GIOVANNI VENEZIA / BERLIN STOEWER / STETTINO”; “AMSTETTEN 26.-29. Sept. 1908”; “MANCHESTER 1910 Industrial Exhibition / GOLDMEDAL / BER(HARD) STOEWER / STETTIN GERMANY” (gold lacquer, painted); representation of figure with no legend.
Hist. crit. notes:Writing was originally an individual handicraft in the truest sense of the word. Although it had always involved repetition and standardisation, as the characters on the paper had to be recognised as such, the writer’s handwriting would also allow for individual variations in the individual characters. This first changed with the spread of letterpress printing around 1500 thanks to the individual, uniform production of cast letters. Printing began to replace handwriting, at least for the reproduction of books.
The typewriter was the next evolutionary step in this story. While Gutenberg’s letterpress would only reproduce books, the typewriter marked the beginning of the use of printing for text production by the author in person. The hand was no longer used to form letters or characters, but instead transmitted commands to produce letters to the machine by means of individual, sequential finger movements. The introduction of the typewriter saw writing transformed from a manual to a mechanical process.
Although typewriters began to be introduced in the second half of the 19th century, it was not until the beginning of the 20th century that they finally became established as an everyday writing tool, at least in the public administration, the military and in company offices. The 1911 curriculum of the Public Commercial School and Commercial Training College in Bozen includes “typing” in the list of “non-compulsory subjects” taught, with the following aim: “Some familiarity with the use of typewriters of various common systems. General explanation of the operation of existing typewriters with universal keyboards. Paper insertion, carriage shift, vertical spacing, standard fingering; instructions on maintenance of typewriters. Exercises on frequently occurring letter combinations, words and sentences. Punctuation marks and numbers. Exercises in writing envelopes, business letters, invoices and bills. Pupils to be taught in groups.”
Stoewer, a successful company based in Stettin (then in the Prussian province of Pomerania, now Szczecin in Poland), originally made sewing machines, from 1893 also making bicycles. In 1901 the company started making typewriters: the first model appeared in 1903. Model no. 5, the Stoewer Record, appeared in 1909, with over 95,000 produced until 1930. The Stoewer Record from the Museum of Everyday Culture in Neumarkt/Egna last belonged to Ignaz Grandi, a clergyman born in Neumarkt in 1909. During his time as a co-operator in Kurtatsch/Cortaccia and Laas/Lasa and as a priest in Partschins/Parcines, he wrote (unpublished) plays on this typewriter until the 1960s.
Source:
Curriculum of the Public Commercial School (and Commercial Training College (Bozen 1911), p. 35 ff.
The typewriter was the next evolutionary step in this story. While Gutenberg’s letterpress would only reproduce books, the typewriter marked the beginning of the use of printing for text production by the author in person. The hand was no longer used to form letters or characters, but instead transmitted commands to produce letters to the machine by means of individual, sequential finger movements. The introduction of the typewriter saw writing transformed from a manual to a mechanical process.
Although typewriters began to be introduced in the second half of the 19th century, it was not until the beginning of the 20th century that they finally became established as an everyday writing tool, at least in the public administration, the military and in company offices. The 1911 curriculum of the Public Commercial School and Commercial Training College in Bozen includes “typing” in the list of “non-compulsory subjects” taught, with the following aim: “Some familiarity with the use of typewriters of various common systems. General explanation of the operation of existing typewriters with universal keyboards. Paper insertion, carriage shift, vertical spacing, standard fingering; instructions on maintenance of typewriters. Exercises on frequently occurring letter combinations, words and sentences. Punctuation marks and numbers. Exercises in writing envelopes, business letters, invoices and bills. Pupils to be taught in groups.”
Stoewer, a successful company based in Stettin (then in the Prussian province of Pomerania, now Szczecin in Poland), originally made sewing machines, from 1893 also making bicycles. In 1901 the company started making typewriters: the first model appeared in 1903. Model no. 5, the Stoewer Record, appeared in 1909, with over 95,000 produced until 1930. The Stoewer Record from the Museum of Everyday Culture in Neumarkt/Egna last belonged to Ignaz Grandi, a clergyman born in Neumarkt in 1909. During his time as a co-operator in Kurtatsch/Cortaccia and Laas/Lasa and as a priest in Partschins/Parcines, he wrote (unpublished) plays on this typewriter until the 1960s.
Source:
Curriculum of the Public Commercial School (and Commercial Training College (Bozen 1911), p. 35 ff.
Material:Stahl
Technique:lackiert
Dimensions:
- length: 28 cm
width: 35 cm
height: 27 cm
height: 39 cm
Physical description:Stahl, lackiert
Institution:Museum of Popular Culture
Inscription:Type: name of the product
Position: Vorderseite
Content: STOEWER RECORD
Position: Vorderseite (Umschriften der Medaillons)
Content: MANCHESTER INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION 1910 / (Pferdefuhrwerkdarstellung mit russischer Schrift) / OCIETA ART LETTATORIE NELLA SCUOLA GRANDE DI S. GIOVANNI VENEZIA / BERLIN STOEWER / STETTINO / AMSTETTEN 26. -29. Sept. 1908 / MANCHESTER 1910 Industrial Exhibition / GOLDMEDAL / BER(HARD) STOEWER / STETTIN GERMANY
Position: Vorderseite
Content: STOEWER RECORD
Position: Vorderseite (Umschriften der Medaillons)
Content: MANCHESTER INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION 1910 / (Pferdefuhrwerkdarstellung mit russischer Schrift) / OCIETA ART LETTATORIE NELLA SCUOLA GRANDE DI S. GIOVANNI VENEZIA / BERLIN STOEWER / STETTINO / AMSTETTEN 26. -29. Sept. 1908 / MANCHESTER 1910 Industrial Exhibition / GOLDMEDAL / BER(HARD) STOEWER / STETTIN GERMANY