Monday, August 24, 2009

The Speegle Curse

I need someone to blame, after all. After she sort-of badmouthed the Olivetti line, Strikethru found herself in possession of one and renounced her ways. And secretly I might have been smirking at Mr. Speegle's lavish affection for la signore and the attention she garners when he takes her out in public. And now it's my turn for a comeuppance, as this little script (yes, script) Lettera 32 followed me home from lunch. The clerk and I looked the case and typewriter over for a price tag lurking somewhere under the cobwebs and hair (?) and bird scat (!) with no luck, so she finally just said:

"I don't know... how does $5 sound to you?"

It sounds lovely, thanks.

This is another mostly-metal machine, not the plastic Underwood/Olivetti machines that I've bought and passed along. I think this one will be a keeper. No photos yet, for she and I are both ashamed of her condition right now. She's got the heart of a poet, though, I can feel it. This little gal didn't sit under a dust cover and type casserole recipes before she was cased up and forgotten. I think she's got a Significant Story lurking inside. And she's blue, like so many of my other machines... I think I may have an accidental collection "theme" going now.

Update: I meant Lettera 32, not 22.

7 comments:

Monda said...

Never let a little dust and ickyness stand in the way, Mister. We need pictures!


WV: witti - what I'm not, right now.

Olivander said...

I'm not to blame this time?? Woo-hoo!

Ah, a pre-Underwood Olivetti. Those are the best. Is it the kind with the round, slightly depressed keys? I love those.

Strikethru said...

Give to me this typer.

Let's just get this out there right now-- Speegle's name is fun to say.

Wow, word verif: "phokingl." I don't even know what to do with that.

Mike Speegle said...

Mr. Clemens: BWA HA HA HA HA! My evil plan is nigh unto fruition! Now if only I can figure out a way to parlay being able to influence people's typewriting decisions into world domination...

Very cool find! Like Strikethru before you, you have spat in the eye in the capricious God of Commerce and walked away with a classic (with a script typeface, no less!) for one solitary picture of Abraham Lincoln. Unbelievable.

We here in the typosphere demand pictures. And typecasts. Sharpish, lad.

Olivander: Yeah, because no one unleashed an army of killer robots. But when it does happen, we will know who to blame.

Strikethru: You are not the first one to say so. My wife once mused to me that she was amazed at how fast her name at work went from "Genevieve" to "Speegle" or "Speegs" after we got married.

Word Verification: "proad"- professional toad.

speculator said...

Someone say Lettera ??
Congrats! Champagne and Light Machine Oil!
Not sure how different the '22 is from what I use- a '32, which is all metal and extremely dependable. It's also easy to tote around. (Lots of pictures of it on my blog.)

mpclemens said...

Steady everyone. It's not pre-Underwood, but it is mostly metal. It is an "Olivetti Underwood" not an "Underwood Olivetti", so I think that makes it younger, not older? Who knows.

Also, my horrible 2-and-3 dyslexia (see item #2) has also reared its head, as this is a Lettera 32 and not a 22.

Pictures forthcoming when camera and typewriter are in the same room.

Elizabeth H. said...

*waiting impatiently for photos and a typecast*