Advertisement displaying an early Remington typewriter, from the Camden Daily Courier, August 11, 1883.
What was it like to type on a Remington Standard No. 1? In practical terms, how efficient was that model? Opinions varied. A reporter from England put the machine to the test, stating, “As I have frequent inquiries addressed to me as to how many words I could write per minute and have also heard the machine spoken of somewhat disparagingly, I have put my ability to a practical test.”
The reporter found in extended diction tests that he typed faster than he could write shorthand, achieving around 45 words per minute on his “all caps” Remington. The publication concluded that the typewriter was indeed mightier faster than the pen.
His account is recorded in Browne’s Phonographic Monthly, March 1887.
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