Typewriter Smith Premier 10

Smith Premier Typewriter Company

Place and time of production: Syracuse, State of New York, USA, 1908

Dimensions (cm): 35 . 38 . 34

Inventory number: Т:2.10

In the first years of the 20th century, a key change happened in the construction of typewriters — for the first time the typist could see and follow the text that he was typing, because it was imprinted on the front side of the cylinder. Typewriter Smith Premier 10 is one of the first typewriters constructed in this way and the only model ever made that combines visible construction with a dual keyboard — one for capital and the other for small letters. Smith Premier 10 with a dual keyboard was advertised as fast, precise and it sold very well. However, with the increase in popularity of the touch-typing competitions, when the speed of typing became the main condition for commercial success, models with one keyboard and shift bar button began suppressing the typewriters with dual keyboards. That is why model Smith Premier 10 was in production only for a short while, until the 1920s.

Since at the time, it was possible to order from the manufacturer small series of typewriters that fulfil specific requirements, Smith Premier 10 also produced a model with a Cyrillic lettering, which is now kept at the Museum. The typewriter is a gift from Mr. Vojislav Andrejević, renowned precise mechanic from Belgrade and a great donor of the Museum.