Pocket Typewriter
In 1952, Maurice Julliard patented a typewriter small enough to fit inside "an average size pocket." It could be used "without any support, being simply held in the hand."
His patent included a sketch of the typewriter, but I haven't been able to find any pictures of it. I'm not sure what practical use it was supposed to have, beyond being a novelty. His patent doesn't say. Would one use it to type miniature notes or manuscripts?
I noticed that it had a non-qwerty keyboard.
Julliard's pocket typewriter wasn't the first one in existence. The book Victorian Inventions by Leonard de Vries contains an example from 1891. Though unlike Julliard's typewriter, it lacked a keyboard.
His patent included a sketch of the typewriter, but I haven't been able to find any pictures of it. I'm not sure what practical use it was supposed to have, beyond being a novelty. His patent doesn't say. Would one use it to type miniature notes or manuscripts?
I noticed that it had a non-qwerty keyboard.
The Hackensack Record - July 24, 1952
Julliard's pocket typewriter wasn't the first one in existence. The book Victorian Inventions by Leonard de Vries contains an example from 1891. Though unlike Julliard's typewriter, it lacked a keyboard.
Comments
That's an azerty keyboard, normal (says Wiki) in France and Belgium.
Posted by Dr. Fian on 01/07/24 at 11:38 AM
The fact that the azerty keyboard layout is used in French might be connected to this, from Wikiversity (which I had never heard of):
"French is based on the Latin alphabet (also called the Roman alphabet), and there are twenty-six (26) letters. Originally there were twenty-five (25) letters, with 'W' being added by the mid-nineteenth century."
When Louis Braille invented the braille alphabet 200 years ago, he left out w, which is why it doesn't follow the pattern that the other letters do.
"French is based on the Latin alphabet (also called the Roman alphabet), and there are twenty-six (26) letters. Originally there were twenty-five (25) letters, with 'W' being added by the mid-nineteenth century."
When Louis Braille invented the braille alphabet 200 years ago, he left out w, which is why it doesn't follow the pattern that the other letters do.
Posted by ges on 01/07/24 at 02:19 PM
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Category: Technology | Patents | 1950s