This was, however, no average KMM. It's cover was plated with 24 karat gold. Facsimile signatures of the names of 1,064 of Royal's top sales representatives were inscribed onto it by Cartier jewelers of New York, an endeavor that took over five weeks to complete. Despite its opulent appearance, the typewriter was still fully functional. It's internal mechanisms were produced at Royal's factory in Hartford, Connecticut, like all other KMM models.
Gold Royal-Cartier KMM
1940
Royal Typewriter Co., Inc.
Hartford, CT, US
On September 1, 1940, the Royal Typewriter Company awarded its Vice-President of sales, Maxim Vincent Miller (1889 - 1951), a Royal KMM typewriter for 10 years of service.
Royal, of course, did not squander the opportunity to promote itself with this gold KMM. First, the typewriter arrived for presentation to Miller by armored car. Then the typewriter was on display at the "House of Jewels," at the 1939/40 New York World's Fair, for last month-or-so of the show. Afterwards, during the last quarter of 1940 and into August of 1941, the typewriter went on a "20,000-mile tour of the United States" from one Royal branch to another, from various department stores to bookstores, from jewelers and even to private clubs. Sometimes for as little as one hour. All the while, Royal and Miller's gold KMM were being written up in local papers.
Maxim V. Miller emigrated with his family from Quebec, Canada to Hartford, Connecticut when he was young. He grew up there in the shadows of Royal's factory and, unbeknownst to him, he would devote his latter years to that company. In 1946, Miller's loyalty was rewarded when he was named President of Royal. He would remain as head of the company until he passed in August of 1951.
It was under Miller that Royal, after WWII, had an obvious directive to develop the company's portable typewriter market into the industry leader that it was. More interestingly, especially to today's typewriter enthusiasts, it was also under his guidance that Royal began selling the Dryfuss designed Quiet de Luxe with a gold plated finish in 1947, as well as the subsequent model. There is no doubt that Miller played a key role in their development. As President of the company, he had to have. He may have even drawn on his gold KMM for inspiration.
Surprisingly, there are very few photos of the gold KMM. Feel free to reach out if you have a photo of it on display at the New York World's Fair "House of Jewels," or elsewhere on tour.
Comments? Please email me at Antikey.Chop@gmail.com or call +1 860 729 2252