Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 1154342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 167,717 pages of information and 247,131 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Imperial Typewriter Co

From Graces Guide
1908. Model A. Exhibit at Abbey Pumping Station, Leicester.
1912.
1915. Model B. Exhibit at Abbey Pumping Station, Leicester.
1919. Model D. Exhibit at Abbey Pumping Station, Leicester.
1927. Model 50. Exhibit at Abbey Pumping Station, Leicester.
Model T. 'The Good Companion'. Exhibit at Whiteman Park, Perth.
Model 55. Exhibit at National Waterways Museum, Gloucester.
1921.
1929.
1930.
September 1936.
April 1939.
May 1939.
Model 58.
1947. Model 55.
1949.
1950.
1951.
1954.
Imperial 60. Exhibit at Kev's Kollection.
Model 70.
Imperial 66.
Imperial 66. Exhibit at Kev's Kollection.

of North Evington, Leicester. London office at Queen Victoria Street. (1929)

of East Park Road, Leicester. London office at Kingsway, WC2. (1947)

later of Hull

Formerly the Moya Typewriter Co

1908 Name changed to present style.

1908 Private company. The machine was first marketed.

1914 Manufacturers of the "Imperial" typewriter. [1]

1919 Imperial typewriter Model D. [2]

1922 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of a Standard Typewriter with instantly changeable typebars and keyboard. Special keyboards made for engineers, chemists, etc., in all languages. (Stand No. K.82) [3]

1926 There were 3 firms in Britain that produced typewriters[4] - presumably Imperial Typewriter Co, Salter Typewriter Co and Bar-Lock Typewriters Ltd

1929 British Industries Fair Advert for the Imperial Typewriter. Manufacturers of "Imperial" Standard typewriters, also Portable Typewriters. Models fitted with interchangeable carriages, platens and type units of 96 characters. Special keyboards for all languages. (Stationery Section - Stand Nos. R2 and R.156) [5]

1947 British Industries Fair Advert for Imperial Typewriters - Keys of Industry. Manufacturers of Imperial Standard typewriters with and English and Foreign Keyboards, Interchangeable Type-unit, Carriage and Platen. Continuous Stationery and other Special Purpose Models: also "Good Companion" Portable Typewriters. (Office Appliances Section - Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. C.1536b) [6]

1950 Advert on this page. [7]

1953 Company made public.

1961 Manufacturers of Imperial electric, standard and portable typewriters, and office machinery for invoicing, cheque-writing and other special purposes. Also manufacture typewriter accessories. 2,500 employees. [8]

1966 The Imperial Typewriter Company Ltd became a wholly owned subsidiary company of Litton Industries of USA. The parent transferred production of Royal typewriters from USA to Hull, which increased the size of the factory considerably.

The Leicester factory made electric typewriters.

1975 Announcement of plans to close the Hull and Leicester factories[9]

1975 Factories continued to make losses and were threatened with closure[10]

1975 October. Auction of plant and equipment at Leicester.[11]

1975 October. Auction of plant and equipment at Hull.[12]

See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. 1914 Whitakers Red Book
  2. Mechanical World Year Book 1919. Published by Emmott and Co of Manchester. Advert p25
  3. 1922 British Industries Fair p40
  4. The Times, Apr 13, 1926
  5. 1929 British Industries Fair Advert 156; and p86
  6. 1947 British Industries Fair Advert 370; and p144
  7. [1] History World
  8. 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE
  9. The Times Feb. 3, 1975
  10. The Times, Feb 03, 1975
  11. Coventry Evening Telegraph - Friday 26 September 1975
  12. Coventry Evening Telegraph - Monday 27 October 1975
  • [2] The Virtual Typewriter Museum