International Electromatic, 1946 (19 Views) M60 Home

Seen directly from the front, the Electromatic looks very much like a manual typewriter but for the power cord on the left and a large bulge on the right. It is bulky and quite heavy.

The Electromatic was the successor to the Remington Electric of 1925. The Remington was a sell-out but the timing was very bad as the company was undergoing a leadership restructuring and could not get itself together enough to extend and expand its relationship with the North East Electric Company, which manufactured the motor and power-roller base of the Remington Electric and wanted a contract before undertaking further production. So, N.E. Electric struck out on its own and came up with the Electromatic. Later, General Motors acquired control and spun off Electromatic Typewriters, Inc. In 1933, IBM acquired the assets of Electromatic, and the rest is history.

When this machine hit the desktop in '46, a lot of history was being made: The U.N. Security Council heard its first complaint, President Truman created the Central Intelligence Agency, and Winston Churchill coined the expression "iron curtain". Continuing a centuries long hunger for independence from outsiders, Ho Chi Minh was in France trying to negotiate independence, but the French high commissioner for Indochina instead declared that southern Vietnam would have a French-controlled government and war between the independence forces, the Viet Minh intensifies. The French expect to take care of the Viet Minh in eight days or so. When I went to Vietnam in 1964 this would have been news to me.

Seen from the left, the modern lines of the typewriter, its crinkle finish, and the traditional paper tray and carriage make an appealing package. From the right, the look is even more traditional with the paper tray, carriage, platen and twirlers, and paper bail reassuring the uninitiated that all is well. The logo, International, appears in large letters on the paper tray, and the label, Electromatic, appears on the front of the machine just above the keyboard. The three red keys on each side of the keyboard, the grey plastic platen twirlers, and the brightwork all are set off handsomely by the shining paint.
A view from the right rear and slightly above reveals the typebasket and typebars. The uncluttered carriage reveals only the large number of tabs and a first view revealing the motor speed selector and the grillwork that helps cool the inner works. This is another rear view showing clearly the grillwork and, at the left, the impression setting device. I hope to do better with these descriptions as I get better acquainted with the Electromatic.
This is a close-up of the keyboard.


This is a close-up of the shift and shift lock keys, and the tab release key, at the left side of the keyboard.  This is a close-up of the tab set and clear keys and the stencil button.  This is a close-up of the shift and shift lock keys, and and other control keys, at the left side of the keyboard. 		This close-up of the right end of the carriage shows the rubber belt driven by the motor for ... the carriage return?  This is a close-up of the impression controller. The Electromatic was excellent for producing stencils and many carbons at one time.
This photo shows the entire undercarriage. This is a close-up of the power roller and the keys.


This is another close-up of the power roller and the type bars.
This is a close-up of the motor assembly. This is a close-up of the pressure roller and type bars where they await activation. Also shown is the type bar assembly. I apologise for the lack of more accurate and specific descriptions. I'll do better as I learn more.
The Electromatic shown on a typing table from the front. The Electromatic shown on the typing table from the left side. It's big, but the weight is the killer for me.
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