For the past several years, we have been trying — as typewriter collectors — to identify the typewriters on the shelves in Richard Castle’s office. Yeah, the fictional character in the show Castle. I was pretty sure we were looking at a Royal and an Underwood, but not certain. Even then, which models? In the most recent episode, there were two shots that were clear enough that we actually could get screen shots.
What? You didn’t think that Rob and I were that geeky?
Please…
First up is the one closest to the door. The rounded front lead us to think that it is likely a Royal from the late 30s or early 40s as does the powder finish.
There’s a line of chrome detailing across the front that points to this being a Royal KMM. There’s a chance that it could also be the Remington-Rand Model Seventeen, which had a similar curved front profile and chrome detailing.
The telling detail?
The carriage return swoops up on a Royal and down on the Remington.
So, Rob and I feel pretty darn confident that this is the Royal KMM from 1941. It is noted for being the machine in which Royal introduced the Magic Margin system. It’s a workhorse of a machine and there were a lot of them.
My question — if it is an Underwood — is why would the wealthy Richard Castle, collector, writer, and geek have such a fairly run-of-the-mill machine? Why not a Blickensderfer or a Daugherty Visible or a Columbia Bar-lock or a Franklin 7? What is it that makes these typewriters special? Maybe who wrote on them.
The other typewriter is stumping us.
The scoop in the front made me think it was probably an Underwood and there seems to be the gold detailing of a classic #5. The problem is that silhouette which makes it look like the platen is very far forward with a giant base behind it.
We’ve looked at other machine’s with a similar scoop, like the Fox, Remington, Victor, and even a couple of Woodstocks. Nothing seems to have a similar back end.
Of course, it could be screen distortion, since I’m grabbing this off of a YouTube video. I’ll have to wait for the next time they show one of these. Still, inquiring minds want to know.
“My question — if it is an Underwood — is why would the wealthy Richard
Castle, collector, writer, and geek have such a fairly run-of-the-mill
machine?”
Because the show’s props department doesn’t have an unlimited budget.
Have you seen the rest of the set? You can get a Blickensderfer for under $200.
Because they probably never expected anyone to pose this question :).
That is certainly an Underwood, and one of my personal faves, but I really think that first one is a Remington. At least it looks a lot like the one that I’ve been lusting over at the Antique shoppe in San Jose. This may require another trip to the shoppe for photos!
And why would anyone want a Blickenderfer? They’re so boring-looking! GImme a nice Underwood, or even one of the cool Olivettis.
Chris
It’s definitely not a Remington, though I’ll grant that it looks similar. The carriage return is the wrong shape for a Remington.
Underwood was my guess on the other one too, until I saw the three-quarter view. Which model do you think it is?
Not that I think it’s a bad question, mind you! Now I’m also curious.
You should tweet at Nathan Fillion and ask! 🙂
I did and, alas, had no response.
Ah, but did you try: @castleartdept? It’s the account run by the show’s production designer, Alfred Sole.