General Information

Serial #

11677

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Enamelled body typewriter with metal shield affixed to wooden board.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

38.0 cm

Width

35.8 cm

Height

25.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Printing

Category

Typesetting

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Columbia

Country

United States of America

State/Province

New York

City

New York

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

Presumably used after its time of production after 1895 and owned until the time of donation around 2008.

Canada

This particular typewriter was used in the Desjardins Pharmacy located at the corner of Clarence and Dalhousie Streets in Ottawa, Ontario. Five generations of the Desjardins family have run the pharmacy since it was opened in 1871. The pharmacy also had a small medical museum in its entrance.

Function

A typewriter is used to mechanically print letters, numbers, punctuation and other characters on a piece of paper in a quick, legible fashion. By depressing keys on a keyboard, users actuate typebars to hit the ink ribbon and the platen, printing the chosen character on the paper.

Technical

The Bar-Lock family of typewriters were invented by Charles Spiro of New York who patented the design in 1889. The typewriters derived their name from the series of pins used to guide and "lock" each typebar as they arrived at the printing point, ensuring the alignment of type. The typewriters used a double keyboard for printing both upper and lower case characters without the need for a shift key. The Columbia Typewriter Co. claimed that the Bar-Lock typewriter was the first machine employing a hard rubber composition and the first keyed visible typewriter on the market. Inking was by ribbon and the typebars swung down for a vertical position in the front of the platen, enabling the user to see each character as they typed, provided they sat straight upright as they used the typewriter. The Bar-Lock model No. 4 typewriter's most prominent feature is its ornate, pressed copper, curved front shield. It served as a cover for the typebars and inking ribbon. The North American model had 78 keys while the European model offered 86 keys.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Embossed on the front of the shield: " BAR LOCK /. TYPEWRITER /. NO. 4 "

Missing

Appears complete.

Finish

Typewriter has a black enamelled body with a black and cream coloured qwerty keyboard. The top of the typewriter has a silver metal shield with bronze discoloration. The typewriter is affixed to a brown wooden board. The typewriter has silver metal mechanisms hidden behind the shield as well as a silver metal roller and knob.

Decoration

N/A