The Fox 24, ca. 1908 (16 views) M60 Home     Fox Home

A frontal view of the Fox 24 showing the thick keys, the blue and gold pinstripes, and the logo at the top front of the body and on the paper table.

The Fox 24 front strike remains a beautiful machine even more than a century after its introduction. But, it has more than a pretty face.

Even the most skilled typists of the day were unable to "crash" the typewriter. The typebar arrangement helped keep them from piling up, the escapement didn't skip at speed, and thanks to its basket shift it made shifting faster and easier.

The Fox 24 isn't a rare machine and is often seen on eBay, which is where this one was found. Despite that, it is still an essential machine in a collection of antique typewriters and is a favorite of mine.

The wonderful curves of the Fox 24 become evident from this right front quarter view. The front crossbar is curved and blends smoothly into the side panels, which curve back and up with a short straight section then another sharp curve backward toward the carriage. From this angle the opening to the type bars seems to form a smiling mouth. The ribbon spools are placed vertically rather than horizontally and are visible through an opening in the side of the body, the opening also curved around its edges. There is bright gold scrollwork at the bottom the side. A view of the right rear quarter. This view is, if anything, even more lovely for its plethora of curves than is the frontal view. The bottom of the Fox makes a hemispherical curve to which a semi-circular back cover plate attaches at each side. This covers the ends of the typebar levers but also is a fine excuse for more decorative paint including another Fox logo in gold. The panel is pressed to form inward facing ribs that strengthen the piece. Above this is the bright silver bell, the escapement mechanism, the tabs bar with four moveable tabs and stops at each end. The top place is curved at the corners of course and also is, I'm afraid, dusty. The spacing mechanism parts and the platen end is visible with its knurled black knob.
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