Over the top advertisements for the Remington Portable

by Mark Adams on August 30, 2014

Advertising is certainly more a science today than it was in early 20th century. Here are some interesting Remington ads from the 1920s —

The Daily Notes (Canonsburg, Pennsylvania), Jun 1, 1926

I give Remington props for this advertisement. Being the first to cross the North Pole is certainly noteworthy. And while I grant that the Remington Portable is a rugged machine, it is a hunk of metal after all. From The Daily Notes (Canonsburg, Pennsylvania), Jun 1, 1926.

Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Bluefield, West Virginia), Sep 3, 1926

A Remington, the Old Bean, and a bit of Jim Beam will get you through. (OK, I added the last part.) From Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Bluefield, West Virginia), Sep 3, 1926.

I’m 98, no, 96 percent sure this will sell typewriters. From The Raleigh Register (Beckley, West Virginia), Oct. 17, 1926

And, now, this is — hands down — the worst advertisement I’ve come across for a typewriter —

The Winnipeg Tribune (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), Apr 15, 1926

I can see the copywriter, now, thumbing through his copy of 1,001 Jobs in America. The conversation with his boss ran something like this, “How many inches? 8? Yes, I can do that.” What professions would you have added to the list? After all, let’s be complete. From The Winnipeg Tribune (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), April 15, 1926.

A very early Remington Portable, ser. no. NA00259

The Dayton Portable Typewriter

333: "God's phone number"

666: "The Beast"