Saturday, April 7, 2012

Meet Margo: The Gold Royal with Star(let) Power


"Give us that, Deagol my love."
"Why?"
"Because it's my birthday, and I wants it."

Thus began Smeogol's slow descent into madness.  Fortunately, I didn't need to drown anyone or scale Mount Doom to acquire the Precious now known as Margo.  But I had a birthday, and I wanted a gold plated Royal.

What is it about gold?   The whole concept of a gold based economy always mystified me.  Why not big stone discs or beads?  Obsidian.  Yeah, it's durable and relatively uncommon.  Why not obsidian? 

To understand the whole concept of gold, one must gaze upon it and think of a time past where few shiny things existed unscathed in our corrosive atmosphere.


Whole empires rose and fell with gold symbols and artifacts at their center.  Wars have been fought over gold.  And why?  Maybe because it is just so pretty.  We covets the Precious.


As suggested in the title, Margo is a typewriter with Hollywood starlet power.  Fortunately, the warranty card came with the machine and provides at least partial provenance.


The trail is a bit cold.  There is no absolute proof that this typewriter belonged to the actress, Jane Wald.  She would have been 22 when this machine was purchased in Hollywood.  That at least fits a narrative.  And even though the ebay seller stated that "It looks like it has never been used!", it in fact had plenty of evidence of extensive use including paper shreds, eraser shavings and lack of mechanical upkeep.

According to the Typewriter Serial Number Database, this machine was manufactured in 1948.  That at least gives a hint that it was not built to order other than the name plaque.

Margo had two primary mechanical issues along with a number of clean and lube related eccentricities.  She was missing an odd screw widgy thingy that actuates an armature for the back spacer.  Also, every shift was accompanied by resistance followed by a "cla-clunk!"  That turned out to be a lever out of adjustment.  I think its purpose was to keep the type basket from moving around during transportation.


The seller was located in Florida; a sensible place to retire.  The case sure smelled like the perpetual mildew that is Florida (no insult intended to Floridians, but every hotel and rental car I've been in there smells of air freshener or mildew).  I removed the side and back panels for mechanical access and to remove the irredeemably stinky wool sound deadening pads.  Relatively damp storage helped keep the rubber parts supple and the only evident pitting was at the high contact points.  Richard Polt has commented on the relatively thin plating on these machines.

I used the Cape Cod Polishing Cloths for Fine Metals to clean the gold plate.  The innards were mildly corroded and required a bunch of PB Blaster, mineral spirits and elbow grease  to get everything cleaned and loosened up.  I think she looks lovely.


The bodywork is really a lovely bit of industrial design by the renowned Henry Dreyfuss.  I have a Gray Magic once owned by a professor and the beat-to-heck Arrow featured at the beginning of Royal week.  http://vintagetechobsessions.blogspot.com/2012/04/royal-study-in-toughness.html
But, in my opinion, neither of these color schemes bring out the design detail the way Margo's contrasting black and gold does.


Henry Dreyfuss was concerned with aesthetics and the human/machine interface.  The keys are shaped just so.  The glass tops are slightly concave and have just a bit of texture molded in.  For a great writeup on Henry Dreyfuss and the the QDL, visit Robert Messenger's blog at
http://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2011/08/on-this-day-in-typewriter-history-lxxiv.html

There are a few more gold Royals living out in the Typosphere.
http://www.9.ai/2011/07/royal-quiet-deluxe-gold-plated.html
http://www.typewritermuseum.org/collection/index.php3?machine=royalqd&cat=kf
Towards the bottom - this is Richard Polt's collection
http://idreamlo-tech.blogspot.com/2011/07/one-shop-permillion.html

The main claim to fame for the gold plated Royals is that one was the weapon of choice for Ian Fleming of James Bond fame.  I can see the attraction.

The gold plated QDLs were reportedly a limited edition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the company.  It's only fitting that I share images of the Royal portable and its shiny first generation ancestor.

More on the chrome and wood grain Royal portable at http://vintagetechobsessions.blogspot.com/2012/01/something-different-royal-portable-in.html

What's in a name?  Why is this typewriter named Margo?  Well, MEK and I like Wes Jackson movies.  The machine is all shiny and glitzy, but rough around the edges like Royal Tenenbaum.  This machine doesn't look all that masculine to us, especially with Jane's name on the paper table. She is vaguely exotic, has a mysterious past and is a little tarnished. So Margo Tenenbaum it is.  Bonus:  She even likes guys that are rough around the edges, just like Margo!

One thing that I absolutely love about this machine is that Royal didn't skimp on the number of gold plated parts.  How many modern "special edition" cars have you seen with a carbon console insert and some chrome bezels on the dashboard?  Even portions of the ribbon vibrator are gold plated.

Here are a couple of parting shots for the road.


Unless a zealous dragon or hafling takes Margo away, you will see more of her.  It's going to be hard to put her in a case since she complements the slate bench so well.  So shiny is the Precious...

22 comments:

  1. Congratulations, you got yourself the much-coveted gold Royal! I saw one at California Typewriters in Berkeley, it truly is stunning. Don't tell me this was an ebay find?

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    1. Thanks. I saw your post last month and couldn't find it again. Send it over and I'll tag it on this post :)

      Yes, it came from ebay. The photos weren't great, but good enough. There was a bidding war. The final came within $2.00 of my maximum. The seller was a total flake and charged too much for shipping. Very opportunistic, but the Precious is mine!

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    2. Thanks, here you go, sir:
      http://idreamlo-tech.blogspot.com/2011/07/one-shop-permillion.html

      I hate it when sellers pad shipping!

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    3. Thanks. The post is updated :-) I hope to get by that shop during GreenBuild week in San Francisco later this year. The schedule may be too packed for fun, though.

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  2. A glowing tribute to a glowing machine!

    I'd love to see the typeface on this one.

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    1. I always hope that a stunning Royal will come along with the equally stunning Vogue typeface. So far, all of the really gorgeous ones, including Margo, have the standard Royal portable typeface. I have to check the slugs, but I think the chrome Royal is exactly the same.

      Contrast that with the Borg like gray Futura 600 and 800 with Windsor and script. Oh, well. The search for Vogue continues.

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  3. Awesome! Very nice photos and machine. The Jane Wald provenance looks solid to me.

    I had to sell my gold Royal a little while ago to raise cash for another purpose, but someday I hope to get another.

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    1. Thanks! It is encouraging when a machine shows up in good condition. All things considered, the gold plate is in pretty good shape. The pitting is minimal and only noticeable if I am looking for it. Being a perfectionist, that is more often than the average person. Margo is a starlet and enjoys her photo sessions. One of the first sentences after ribbon installation (as in she didn't come with one) was "I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. Nerd."

      I saw your machine's ebay results while doing pre-bid research. Given the early and rare machines in your collection, I can see where you would have to raise cash now and again. While I would be insanely jealous, I hope your next Golden Royal comes with an interesting typeface.

      I found Google Book traces of a 1949 New Yorker advertorial for the "Golden Royal" and am trying to track down the month of publication so I can get a copy.

      Any idea how many gold Royals were made?

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    2. No, I don't know how many were made. They aren't super-rare, though -- they keep coming up on eBay every couple of months or so. Not usually as nice as yours, however!

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  4. Replies
    1. Thanks! I've spent more time than I should rummaging around the temptations on your blog as well.

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  5. Wow! What a wonderful machine. Congratulations on your typewriter and getting it working. I have seen a few other gold Royals, but not many and I do not remember if they were as nice as yours.

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    1. Yep, she is a looker. In all honesty, any cosmetic blemishes might have been hidden through judicious use of depth of field. Such is the case with any super model.

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  6. dude, if that machine were in my collection, it would never leave my desk (except for type-ins). congrats on a stellar machine find! I hope it didn't break the bank (:

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    1. The chrome Royal has been out since I got it. That is partly due to having a toxic case and partly because it is sparkly.

      Margo has displaced the Oliver 9 and he is not happy. She most likely will stay out as a functional decoration. My older daughter gave me a birthday IOU for sewing fitted covers for a portable and the Oliver. I also took a chance and applied ArmorAll Butter Smooth Wax after doing a test section. All appears well and this should keep down the oxidation in the pitted areas and make it easier to dust.

      Margo didn't break the bank. I don't she is a gold digger. She is just happy to have attention. Fortunately, my employer had a very good year and I still had Christmas bonus money in reserve. And it was my birthday ;)

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  7. Outstanding find, Dwayne! As a mad Bond fan, I'm envious, but at least I have your great photos to stare at. Congrats!

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    1. I thought this one would catch your attention. Ah, but your Cuban watch... I can only envy it from afar.

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  8. The rock and pool,
    is nice and cool,
    so juicy sweet.
    Our only wish,
    to catch a ROYAL,
    so juicy sweet.


    A precioussss. Congratulations on that awesome find.

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    1. Nice. I have an image in my head of archers perched up in the rocks. Poor Gollum.

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  9. When I first read about this typer, i thought it sounded gaudy and I wouldn't like it. But now that I've seen your photos. I completely change my mind!

    Btw if you haven't found the new Yorker ad yet, let me know. I can try a quick search or browse for you on their DVD set. They indexed it pretty well but I've never tried for an advert.

    Just contact me via my blog typebarhead. I learned that comment replies aren't emailed to me recently. Still new to this.

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    1. I wasn't totally sure about jumping in after seeing a few shots taken with a high powered flash. In person, the gold plate is a pretty mellow yellow and is even more so under incandescent lighting from that period.

      Caveat: I have been shooting for over 20 years and optimize images whenever I can. My wife informs me that I could make mouse droppings look good. Might have to try that...

      Thanks for offering to look up the ad! I left a message on your newly minted blog. Welcome to the Typosphere!

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    2. I have one of these Royal Gold Typewriters that was my Dads that is in great condition other than the gold is really worn since my Dad used it a lot. I am not a collector but I have wanted to have the plating redone on it just so I could display it. I have the one that is exactly like the one that Ian Fleming had. Has anyone ever had one replated? Looks like I might be able to remove it all to be replated. By the way, I do have a 1953 letter on Royal Typewriter letterhead that is "typed" answering a question about getting one of these typewriters with a different font. I guess my Dad was able to get it with an Italic font since that is what he has. I may have the only one like that. If anyone is interested in a copy of the letter just ask and I will email you a high resolution file to print. Cary.Mark@me.com.

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