L.C. Smith and Corona Super Speed No. 11 Typewriter: Artifact Friday

Diversity within every field of work cannot be overlooked, whether it is objects or who your viewer is. Though we are an air and Military museum, we have many pieces in our collection that are not outwardly based on military use. For example, we have an L.C. Smith and Corona Super Speed No. 11 typewriter that was made in the 1930s. While this artifact is not necessarily a military artifact, it still holds its own unique history and use that we can draw upon. This typewriter weighs about 34-36 pounds and is made of pure solid iron and steel. This typewriter was made for white-collar fast and continuous writing. Used in many offices and newsrooms, many workers found it to be reliable for handling the heavy workload that many of these workers faced. A typewriter such as this could have been used to write columns in the newspaper on World War II and historical movements. This typewriter was able to be made due to a 1926 merger of two companies: the L.C. Smith Bros and the Corona typewriter company became one and were able to combine heavy office machines with portable flat-topare its mechanics designs. Jack Kerouac, the famous writer of On the Road, used an L.C. Smith Bros. typewriter while traveling and writing his book. The version he used predates the merger of the two companies, but it shows the design and impact these typewriters had on literature and their maneuverability. Some parts of what makes the Super Speed No. 11 different is the mechanics of it. It features a ball-bearing track carriage movement for smooth operation and a velocity control mechanism that prevents key issues and provides all-around better movement of the device. It has multi-line spacing, a tension adjuster, and a two-color ribbon selector of red and black. The functions of the typewriter made it largely reliable, and it kept its reputation as such for decades. Artifacts such as these allow for much thought and appreciation for all aspects of history that we don’t think about on a day-to-day basis. Come check out not just our Military artifacts but ones you may never expect to see.