Smith-Coronas: From Mere Typewriters to Inspirational Tools

Would you like to know why Smith Corona vintage typewriters remain so popular? Can you relate to the reasoning of those who still favor these typewriters over the digital alternatives? Chances are that you will, after reading through this article that will show you the appeal and history of the Smith Corona Typewriters!

A short history of Smith Corona typewriters

To understand the appeal of Smith Corona typewriters and how they’ve changed through time, you have to look back as far as 1886 when the Smith-Premier Typewriter Company was created. At a time when typewriters where just starting to become the standard writing tool for office professionals, the Smith Brothers owned a prestigious gun manufacturing business.

When their leading inventor approached the four brothers claiming he could use their understanding of gun manufacturing to create a superior typewriter, it was the beginning of a legend.

Over a decade, the group of kept experimenting with different designs looking to create their masterpiece. During this period, the Smith-Premier Typewriter Company had only one worthwhile rival: the Corona Typewriter Company, whose light-weight compact model Corona was recognized as the state of the art in mechanical typewriters.

Rather than fighting one another, both companies realized they could make a bigger impact by combining forces, and so they did; the Smith & Corona Typewriter Company was thus established in 1926.

For the better part of the 20th century, Smith-Coronas absolutely dominated the market; even now, their products are highly regarded by many enthusiasts and still widely used by professional writers.

What are the most famous Smith Corona vintage typewriter models?

Out of their earlier products, the best known are the Smith Corona Model No. 2 and Model No. 1, which are still very recognizable and even iconic. The numbering is a little misleading however, as Model No.2 was actually released first, in 1907.

Model No. 1 was released within a year and instantly became widely regarded as the best available tool for writing. These machines were years ahead of the competition and allowed the company to establish a solid foundation as the leading manufacturer of modern typewriters.

Throughout most of the 20th century, Smith-Corona stayed on top of the market in terms of sales as well as in research and innovation.

Their later models such as the Typetronic II and Ultrasonic were released around 1982, and until personal computers became widespread these vintage typewriters were regarded as the only serious tool for office writing as well as creative writing.

Famous writers who use Smith Corona mechanical typewriters?

Many modern authors still favor these cult products as their main tools of trade, including some highly influential names.

If you like the work of authors such as L. Frank Baum, Hemingway, Jack London, Mark Twain, Dr. Seuss and Douglas Adams, chances are the books you love have been written using one of the legendary typewriters developed by Smith-Corona.