Tampa business owner shows off variety of antique typewriters from collection

Before the current format of typewriters became the standard, the machines came in all shapes and sizes over a century ago.

"Some of the neatest machines you can find, I have a very big passion for them," Tampa Typewriter Co. owner Jack Armstrong said.

Armstrong has been collecting and repairing typewriters since 2017. While most of his collection features recognizable pieces, he has an affinity for the odd-looking failures from the early days of typewriters.

Tampa Typewriter Co. owner Jack Armstrong has been collecting and repairing typewriters since 2017.

Tampa Typewriter Co. owner Jack Armstrong has been collecting and repairing typewriters since 2017.

One vintage typewriter from Germany is called the Mignon. Users would move a metal stylus-type selector and point it to a specific character before pressing down a rotating element with characters on it.

The Mignon typewriter, produced in Germany.

The Mignon typewriter, produced in Germany.

"You could change language, typeface, anything you want, in mere moments. This was designed for versatility, essentially," Armstrong said.

Another failed relic, called the Practical No. 3, is in the shape of a circle, with individual characters located on the outer circumference. You would rotate the wheel to select a character and press down.

The Practical No. 3 came in the shape of a circle, with individual characters located on the outer circumference.

The Practical No. 3 came in the shape of a circle, with individual characters located on the outer circumference.

"Despite what the name suggests, they were absolutely not practical. Later on, they became exclusively for toys," Armstrong said.

Index typewriters were also a popular choice. They were cheaper, more portable and only made of around 30 parts. The index was a semicircle on the back, with all the characters on it. Pressing a lever would push the index to print.

Index typewriters were a popular choice. They were cheaper, more portable and only made of around 30 parts.

Index typewriters were a popular choice. They were cheaper, more portable and only made of around 30 parts.

Many of the failed machines were the competition for what became the dominant-style typewriter, the Underwood. The keyboard mirrors what a standard computer keyboard looks like today.

The Underwood became the dominant typewriter and is the style that's most widely recognized.

The Underwood became the dominant typewriter and is the style that's most widely recognized.

"They tell a story," Armstrong said. "When you look at the development of the cell phone, you see a lot of unique designs, especially when it came to flip phones. Later on, the iPhone came along and destroyed everything. That's what these machines are."

For more information on Tampa Typewriter Co., click here.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

Tampa