GERMANIA Nº5 YEAR 1898

Rare Germania Nº5 typewriter, manufactured in approx. 1898, by Schreibmaschinenfabrik W. Elschner, in Berlin, Germany.

The Germania was the German version of the American Jewett machine. In fact, the parts were exported by the Jewett Typewriter Company and assembled in Germany, changing the trade name to Germania. In the first models the commercial name was Germania-Jewett.

Only a few units were manufactured in various models, with minimal differences between them, so we are faced with a rare machine, of low production and difficult to find on the market.

Like many machines from the late 19th century, the Germania Nº5 is a hidden writing machine. The typist couldn't see what he was typing because the guys hit the paper on the bottom of the roller. To see what is written we must lift the car. The type bars are arranged forming a circle that is popularly known as a "bird's nest", due to the similarity in its shape to a nest. It is a double keyboard machine, that is, it has a separate key for uppercase, lowercase or signs. To facilitate this task, the white keys correspond to lowercase characters and the black keys correspond to uppercase characters, signs or numbers.

It was made of cast iron enamelled in glossy black. The machine is decorated with blue and gold lines on part of its perimeter. It retains the company logo with an imperial eagle at the top, and the name of the manufacturing company and the town.

Aesthetically, the machine is in good condition. It has some typical scratches due to use and the passage of time, but the paint still maintains its shine. It doesn't hurt to polish and clean the chrome parts. The machine works correctly, but it is 125 years old so it is sold as a collector's item.

Age: 1898 approx.

Measures:

Condition: Good

Reference: 12437