The Great Depression was a hard time for the big companies and the regular folk alike. In order to stay afloat, the typewriter manufacturers had to figure out a way to sell their product to a public that had little or no money. Out of necessity was born a class of stripped-down, no-frills typewriters that all but the poorest could afford. Most of these can be found coming from the years 1932-1935, but some were made right into the early 1940s. They were typically marketed euphemistically as "student" or "children's" typewriters, for no one wanted to be reminded that they were poor. This family of portables were generally made in small quantities and as cheaply as possible. Thus, not many have survived to today. These machines provide a tangible connection to a very difficult time in our nation's history.
The Junior was also available in a Model S which included a backspace feature, but was otherwise identical. |
The Cadet was a late entry in the field--this one was built in 1939--but it's a direct carryover of other no-frills Depression typewriters like the Remie Scout and Remington Junior (as we'll see, "Junior" was a popular name for this class of machine). |
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Note that even though the lack of a lower-case "L" forced the inclusion of a "1" key, there are still only nine number keys. Zero was sacrified, with the user expected to substitute the letter "O". |
Following the same market as the Signet, the Junior was Royal's later model aimed at Depression-stricken Americans. Like the Signet, there is no tab, backspace, margin release, ribbon color selector, or left-hand platen knob. Mounted in the center rear is a single left margin stop, eliminating the need for a right-margin bell. The shell is made of the thinnest sheet metal, easily pliable with your bare hands. Side-by-side comparisons made by myself and fellow collector Richard Polt give strong evidence that the Junior is a direct evolution of the Signet Senior, as their internal workings are virtually identical. Collector Herman Price has recently come upon the so-called "mising link" that would seem to prove this: a Junior in the body of a Signet Senior, with Royal's standard glossy black enamel and a slightly modified spool cowel. Some Juniors have a squared-off shell more closely resembling other Royal products. Serial numbers suggest that the rounded design seen here came first and evolved to the squared design around 1935.
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Although marketed as a lehrmittelschreibmaschine, or student typewriter, the tin and aluminum 1927 Bing was clearly aimed at a financially-reeling public that could afford few luxuries. |