The Postal Typewriter

Jul 29

The Postal Typewriter Company, est. 1902, Norwalk, Connecticut

Patented by William P. Quentell, who previously made the Keystone typewriter. This machine is as much a piece of jewelry, as it is a writing machine.

Black Postal Model No.3 Typewriter, from The Postal Typewriter Company, of Norwalk, Connecticut - Front on view of the typewriter. The machine has a small polished metal spacebar, behind that is a three row keyboard of gloss black octagonal keys

The earliest Postals were produced in New York. They moved into a new factory in Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1904. Unfortunately for them, the world was turning away from typewheel machines like this. Instead the consumer preferred the easy, visible writing, provided by the Underwood Typewriter. The Postal Typewriter Company dissolved in 1909. Though in that short period, they were able to make quite a few models. No.1-7, are known to exist. The model 7 being the only major design change.

Side view of a Postal Model No.3 Typewriter. The machine is sitting on a wooden base. The keyboard is on the left side, carriage on the right.

Closeup of the ribbon assembly on a Postal Model No.3 Typewriter

Patent drawings for the Postal Typewriter Company. Inventors are William P. Quentell, and Franklin Judge. Patent No.755,545 - Patd. March 22nd, 1904

Many different manufacturers produced machines with interchangeable typewheels. In fact. the typewheel for a Postal is nearly identical to that of a Blickensderfer. Pictured here are Russian, and French typewheels. You could get dozens of different languages, and typefaces with your Postal.