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Bing!

Bing No. 2

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A learning tool

Bing Werke, a German concern, released two iterations of the Bing typewriter from about 1925 through 1929. Straddling the line between a toy and an adult machine, it was advertised as a “lehrmittelschreibmaschine” or educational tool. No record exists of production volume, but, based on the frequency of Internet listings, the Bing was manufactured in vast quantities. Though intended principally for the North American market, German versions do exist.1

The first Bing


The Bing No. 1, simply called Bing, was introduced in 1925 and sold for $11.95.2 Copy from one advertisement reads, “Built like a real one. Children learn to spell correctly and compose letters. The best educational toy” (see image below). It appears the No. 1 was offered in black only.3 It employed an ink pad system for type impressions.

English and German versions of this machine are extant.

The name, Bing, appears in elegant cursive script on the machine. See images here —

Also see page 28 of Darryl Rehr’s Antique Typewriters & Office Collectibles.

The middle Bing

A variant of the No. 1 employs a ribbon system, and is known to collectors as the 1B or 1 1/2. An example can be seen here at Chuck’s Antique Typewriter Website and Museum — note the wire paper table. Upon close inspection, however, one observes that the 1 1/2 more closely resembles the No. 2 (note the lever on the left side — this is lacking on the No. 1, but present on the No. 2). The 1B may simply be a No. 2 with older decals.

Bing 1 and 2

Side-by-side comparison of No. 1 and No. 2. Principal differences are the inking system and that the No. 1 lacks an external shift-lock lever. The 1B has the wire paper table, but also ribbon spools and external lever. Is the 1B more a 1 or a 2?

The second Bing

The Bing No. 2, offered in black or ivory, was introduced in 1927 and sold for around $39. The words “Bing,” “Student” or “Bing Student Type” appear on the paper table. This model employed a standard inking system and a shift-lock lever, positioned outside the housing (left side of the machine). The No. 2 included a manual apparently.

German No. 2s are extant:

Bing 2 German

German keyboard, but English model name: “No. 2”.

Spanish too:

Bing Student Type No. 2 Spanish

An unmarked Bing Student Type with wood base and aluminum keys (unlike its English counterpart). Cover is likewise unmarked (click here to view).

The keys on most are aluminum, but on the “Student” and “Bing Student Type,” the keys are glass tops with metal rings. A fuller description of this second type can be found at this German-language website here.4

More images of this machine here —

Again, see page 28 of Darryl Rehr’s Antique Typewriters & Office Collectibles.

The case

Both the Bing No. 1 and No. 2 included a metal/tin cover. Some No. 2s — e.g. the “Bing Student Type” — came with a wooden base (see here). None have serial numbers.

A few ivory Bings are unmarked on the exterior and interior.

Name variants

As for name variants, TypewriterDatabase lists Amka, Beko,5 and Berni; the Chestnut Ridge Typewriter Museum lists two: Berni, which it describes as “very rare,” and Anfoe Student, which is white with metal rimmed keys.

s-l1d600

The Anfoe with QWERTY keyboard.

s-l1600

Anfoe logo on metal cover.

A Spanish version named Erika has also been sighted:

The other Bing

Will Davis offers additional information about Bing’s manufacturer, and posts an image of an “adult” Bing here: ORGA Typewriters 1. Here is the introduction:

The 1924 Typewriter Topics historical compendium notes that Bing-Werke AG of Nurnberg, Germany entered the field of standard typewriter manufacturing in 1922 with a fully competitive four bank machine featuring a removable carriage, single shift and 44 keys known as the ORGA. Today’s research shows a number of patents ascribed to Ludwig Reischl which were assigned to Bing-Werke, applicable to this machine. After a short time, Bing-Werke additionally developed and released a highly stripped version of its typewriter to appeal to those requiring a sturdy machine at a markedly lower price; this machine was the ORGA Privat.

A German-language website claims ORGA purchased the toy factory “Bing-Werke front. Gebr. Bing AG” in 1924,6 but Davis describes that Bing-Werke created ORGA. The distinction is slight, but significant.

Update: Robert Messenger offers more historical insights — inventor and patent information — at oz.Typewriter (see here).

Photos

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

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Reading Times (Reading, Pennsylvania), Dec 21, 1925

Text only, but this advertisement likely describes the Bing No. 1. From the Reading Times (Reading, Pennsylvania), Dec 21, 1925.

1927 Ad

From a 1927 catalog for Belknap Hardware & Manufacturing Co.

The Winnipeg Tribune (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), Mar 27, 1929

From The Winnipeg Tribune (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), Mar 27, 1929.

Video

Tyler Menard talks about his Bing No. 2:

Listed at TWDB

Listed at TypewriterDatabase.com

© 2014 – 2017, Mark Adams. All rights reserved.

  1. Last sentence revised to reflect discovery of German keyboard. []
  2. Century of the Typewriter, Wilfred A. Beeching, appendix, image 8.28. []
  3. Though perhaps in white too. I’ve noticed some unmarked white Bings on eBay, but not carefully enough to note the model. If you locate one, please comment with link/image. []
  4. Also see page 28 of Darryl Rehr’s Antique Typewriters & Office Collectibles. []
  5. other sources read “Beke”. []
  6. See http://www.stb-betzwieser.de/aktuelles/ausstellung/kategorien/orgaprivat.html and http://www.stb-betzwieser.de/aktuelles/ausstellung/kategorien-1/bing1.php. []
{ 5 comments… add one }
  • Mark Adams September 2, 2014, 12:34 pm

    Slightly revised (Sept. 2). I corrected a few links, and included a description of the 1B, the transitional model — to me, however, it looks like the No. 2 with old decals.

    • Mark Adams September 3, 2014, 12:43 am

      Yikes, yet another revision. Added: German-language No. 1, images of the “Bing Student Type” and some clarifications. Yikes! It’s become a live document.

  • shordzi March 14, 2015, 6:43 am
    • Mark Adams March 15, 2015, 1:07 am

      Thanks. Embedded Flickr image in post. Great machine. I wonder why they occasionally sold this machine sans markings, though I note “Made in Germany” on one of the images in your set.

  • Mike Cornett June 18, 2018, 10:15 pm

    I bought a ‘Bing No 2″ off ebay. I have sold a lot of my vintage typewriters, but I keep three. Now add the Bing, it’s four.
    I display them in my home office on my large book case.
    I get a lot of comments from friends and family. I told my friend in Germany about this and he sent me your site. He thought it was very cool. But he did say, “It’s not the German model” LOL

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