I love History Detectives. I just finished watching a cool episode researching Ernie Pile’s Typewriter. You can get the transcript for the segment at that link.
I noticed a little glitch - based mostly on technology. We’ve forgotten how to type with a manual typewriter! I sent the following letter into the show. We’ll see if it makes any waves.
Dear Mr Cowan,
I’m currently watching the Ernie Pile segment on the current episode. Your typewriter may not be disproved by the difference between the number “1″ in the two typed dates.
The the typed specimen you showed on TV isn’t useing the numerical “1″ in the date: rather it is using the letter “l” - a common typist trick even today: you don’t have to reach your pinky - the weakest finger - all the way up to the top row. This was the way I was taught to “touch type” in High School back in the 70s. If you look on the authentic Pile sample, at the number “1″ in the date it is identical to the letter “l” in the the word April. I think it is also a close match to the letter “l” in your recently-typed up sample, allowing for age.
I’ve no idea if Pile ever used this trick, but it was very common with the non-electric typewriters: so much so that the first electric typewriter I used for a school paper didn’t even have a number 1 key! Of course with the easy touch of computer keyboards this becomes irrelevant.
Yours,
Huw Richardson,
Asheville, NC
