1900 - 1907
George Salter & Company
West Bromwich, England, UK
This Salter Standard typewriter is actually only the second model produced by George Salter & Company despite its inflated No.6 designation. The company also produced penny scales and are in buisness to this day still manufacturing various weighing scales. Their first typewriter, the No.5 model, had a curved keyboard making it very easily identifiable even if all the decals are worn.
Mechanically the No.6 was based on its predecessor which was designed by James Samuel Foley (1857 - 191?). John Henry Birch (1855 - 191?) joined the team by 1900 when a patent was filed for an improved ribbon mechanism (patent no.670,987).
What gives these extraordinary machines their fascinating form is the arrangement of their typebars. They stand erect in a semi-circular front-downstroke fashion similar to those of early Bar-Lock typewriters. The Salter's typebars are flanked by a pair of steadfast columns. Unlike those Bar-Locks that had a shiftless double keyboard the Salter had a three-row double-shift keyboard. No.6 modele are generally divided into two categories based on how their inking systems. They are the ink pad models and the ribbon spool models. Ink pad models were produced first. The later version with the ribbon spools is pictured here.
The overall look of these machines, in my opinion, is very architecturally inspired. They almost resemble the steps and columns of the Greco-Roman Garni Temple located in Armenia. The typewriters have an almost perfect geometrically inspired 10-1/2" cubed footprint. Further adding to these typewriter's beauty are the stunning gold decals, the gold & green pinstripes that run along the frame's edges and the classic glass top keys. Whatsmore is that the No.6 model is more than just a beautifull typewriter, it actually works well, too.
The No.6 model was replaced by the No.7 in 1907. Just one year later a No.10 model was placed on the market and was almost identical to the No.7. The beautiful stepped profile and pillars were eliminated after the No.6. All of of these typewriters were produced at the West Bromwich, England factory.
