Sholes & Glidden Type-Writer on sale

The first mass-manufactured examples of the Sholes & Glidden Type-Writer went on sale in the major cities of the United States on 1 July 1874. Looking very much like a sewing machine, complete with a foot-treadle to operate the carriage return, decorative flowers stenciled on its glossy black metal enclosure, and the words “Sholes & Glidden Type-Writer” etched in gilt, the machine was widely considered a mechanical wonder and drew large crowds at the fairs and exhibitions where it was demonstrated. Image: The Sholes and Glidden Typewriter. From Clarence Charles Smith, The Expert Typist (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1922), p. 4. This image is in the public domain in the United States as its copyright has expired.