World Typewriter Day: MP Man Preserving The 'Treasure' For The Coming Generations

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Just like the smell of old books, hearing the clicking sound of a typewriter brings a sense of nostalgia. As the world is celebrating World Typewriter Day, an individual of the city has preserved the treasure for the coming generations. A 65-year-old, typewriter lover - Rajesh Sharma, has a collection of over 350 typewriters at his residence. He is the only person in the state with such a vast variety of typewriters, ranging from the ancient models to the last typewriter manufactured in India. To showcase these vintage machines he has built a small in-house museum.

Inspired by his father, who used to sit outside the Indore District Court, typing away on his typewriter, Sharma decided to prolong his legacy and his own love for typewriters. His journey as a typewriter enthusiast began twelve years back, with only three to four typewriters in hand. After that with the support of his elder brother he started searching and buying typewriters.

Sharma's collection includes an antique piece from Remington, the first company ever to bring typewriters in the market. He owns models ranging from the 1903 'Ideal Typewriter' to the 'latest' typewriter from Godrej Company, which was the last company to manufacture typewriters in 2000.

Rajesh Sharma possesses some distinctive pieces in his collection, including the American English Typewriter from the 1890s. The museum boasts 350 vintage typewriters from India, as well as from America, England, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and China.

Some of the most prized pieces from his collection include - the Mercedes Typewriter (1922), Corona Typewriter (1913), Royal Company (1922) and Tramp Company Typewriters (1960 to 2000).

In a conversation with Free Press, Rajesh Sharma stated that it is my dream to build a museum with all these typewriters for the people of our city. I want to name that museum in my father's name, as he was the true inspiration behind this.

The purpose of this museum is to evoke the feeling of typing on a typewriter in a dimly lit room, providing a place for the younger generation to sit and give their imaginative canvas a chance to breathe.

He also shared that initially, he used to invest in and buy these typewriters, but over time, people from around the city began to give their typewriters to him, as they no longer had use for them.

As an initiative to bring these typewriters into the public eye and to celebrate World Typewriter Day on June 23, an exhibition showcasing the history of typewriters is being organised at the Centre for Design Studies at Shri Aurobindo Institute of Technology.

Around 50 typewriters are displayed, ranging from the 1903 'Ideal' typewriter to various designs demonstrating the evolution of typewriters. Alongside Indian models, the exhibition includes a historic Hindi typewriter from the 1940s made by Italy's Olivetti Company, developed at the suggestion of Mahatma Gandhi by Bombay's Bachhraj Trading Company.

The exhibition also includes international posters related to typewriters and videos showcasing their history. Additionally, four typewriters are available for visitors to experience typing themselves.

The exhibition was inaugurated on Thursday by Bhanupratap Sharma, the founder of the Madhav-Bhanu Typewriter Museum. The exhibition is open to the public from June 22 to 27, from 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM.

Published on: Sunday, June 23, 2024, 10:08 AM IST