You've Come A Long Way, Baby

"The first typerwriter proven to have worked was built by the Italian Pellegrino Turri in 1808 for his blind friend, Countess Carolina Fantoni da Furzzono." The Writing Machine, by Michael Adler, 1973

In the US successful commercial production began with "writing ball" of Danish pastor Malling Hansen. (1870)

see http://site.xavier.ded/polt/typerwriters/tw-history.html for further information if interested.

This morning I had to stop at Conover-Seeley Office Supply. While I was waiting for my credit card to be swiped, I noticed a display case that contained some old typewriters. I've never seen anything like this first one. Notice that there are only 3 rows of keys. (If you go to the website mentioned, you'll see a really primative typewriter that looks like a pin cushion)

Technology certainly has "come a long way, baby"--which is an extreme understatement when you think about the ipods used to communicate today.

This next gadget is also in the office supply store. It's a paper-cutter, still being used by the employees.

This evening I visited a friend whose daughter, Erika, son-in-law and new baby girl were visiting from Savannah. I haven't seen Erika in many years--somehow in the interim she grew up and started a family of her own. Her family is just one of several who we used to camp with when the kids were little.

This is my friend Lori, who takes advantage of any/every opportunity to hold a baby.

(I think I didn't do a very good job of color correcting these people images, but it's late and I don't feel like working on them right now.)