As the term Fourth Estate alludes to, Pinkson was a journalist. At the time that he was presented with this gold typewriter, he had been a writer and Automobile Editor for the San Francisco Chronicle for over 50 years. The earliest story I found of his with the Chronicle dated to March 6, 1904, though not about automobiles. In fact, on that date, in that paper, there wasn't a single story that I could find about automobiles. As result, when the Chronicle did finally cover auto stories, Pinkson was there from the start.
Also, according to the Automotive Hall of Fame, of which he is an inductee, Pinkson "conceived the underground parking concept for the city’s Union Square."
Gold Quiet-Riter
1957
Sperry-Rand Corporation
(Remington)
Ilion, New York US
On August 27, 1957, during the National Press Meeting held by the Edsel Division of the Ford Motor Company, Leon Jacob Pinkson (1878 - 1967) was presented with this gold plated Remington Quiet-Riter typewriter "...to commend and congratulate [him] for a half century of service in the Fourth Estate as an automotive editor and writer."
The typewriter was nothing more than a run-of-the-mill Remington Quiet-Riter made in 1957. However, every piece of metal on it was plated in gold. Every panel, lever, spring and screw. Even the case's hinges and clasps were plated in gold. The original Remington logo, which would have been made of plastic, was replaced with a metal one (so it too could be plated). It was then placed behind the keyboard instead of on the ribbon cover because that was where Pinkson's name was etched into the typewriter. Lastly, Ford's Edsel logo was affixed to the paper table.
So who plated this typewriter, Ford or Remington? Personally, there is no doubt in my mind that the Sperry-Rand Corporation of Ilion, New York, which owned the Remington brand, was commissioned to produce this typewriter. I've come to this conclusion because the producer would have had to have been incredibly familiar with the most intimate, intricate workings of this specific model. It's so much more than just plating the metal. Even a millimeter's worth of plating on any of a number of pieces would have jammed the typewriter. Only a typewriter manufacturer could've executed such a meticulous project so flawlessly.
Questions? Comments? Have a gold typewriter for sale? Email me at Antikey.Chop@gmail.com
