Typewriters of the 1960s
During the 1960s, typewriter manufacturers offered everything from substantial office machines to compact portables designed for students, travelers and home writers.
Metal construction remained common, while slimmer cases, lighter mechanisms and fresh colors made typewriters easier to carry and more personal. Manufacturers including Olympia, Hermes, Triumph, Olivetti and Adler continued refining the portable designs developed during the postwar years.
From the My Cup of Retro Archive
My Cup of Retro previously restored and sold vintage typewriters to customers around the world. This digital museum preserves the photographs and information recorded from the 1960s machines that passed through the former shop.
The archive includes German and Swiss writing machines ranging from sturdy working portables to lighter models designed for travel and everyday home use.
Explore the 1960s Collection
Swissa Junior Typewriter, 1960
A compact Swiss portable with a grey and cream metal body, QWERTY keyboard and original carrying case.
The Swissa Junior belongs to the Patria family of typewriters, whose practical mechanism appeared beneath several distinctive European designs.
Olympia Splendid 66 Typewriter, 1960s
A compact black West German portable with a QWERTY keyboard, distinctive typeface and carrying case.
The low, flat design made the Splendid 66 easier to transport than Olympia’s larger portable machines.
Alba A4 Typewriter, 1960s
A pistachio-green Italian portable with a four-row keyboard and its original carrying box.
Antares designed the uncomplicated Alba for students, apprentices and occasional home writing.
Hermes Media 3 Typewriter, 1965
A sea-green Swiss portable with mint-green keys, a QWERTY keyboard and its original matching case.
The Media 3 shared the distinctive curved body and much of the mechanism of the Hermes 3000 in a simplified form.
Famous Writers, Books and Their Typewriters from the 1960s
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) – Underwood Portable Typewriter
Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) – Underwood Electric
Sylvia Plath, Ariel (1965) – Olivetti Lettera 22, Hermes 2000 and Hermes 3000 typewriters
Truman Capote, In Cold Blood (1966) – Smith Corona typewriter
Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) – Adler Meteor 12
Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) – Olympia SM7, SM8 and SM9 typewriters
Joseph Heller, Catch-22 (1961) – Smith Corona
Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1962) – Royal KMM
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring (1962) – Royal Portable
Mario Puzo, The Godfather (1969) – Royal HH