This is the typewriter I used when I started my first job with the Home Economics Extension Department at the University of Illinois, February 1942.
Jobs were very hard to find. I had graduated in May 1941 with a scholarship to a small College or a 3 month scholarship to attend Danville Institute of Business. There was no way my folks could help me with College expenses so I went to Business College and worked at Kresge's Five and Dime on Saturdays. I worked eight hours and earned $1.98 as they took two cents out for Social Security.
After finishing the 3 months at Danville Institute of Business, I went to work for Illinois Printing. That lasted only a few months. Then they started laying off....I was the last hired so the first to be let out.
I had heard there were openings at the University of Illinois and that the jobs were secure if you could get hired and worked really hard. I went to the Nonacademic Office and was sent on job interviews. Everywhere I interviewed I heard the same comment "I'm sorry, but you have no experience". When I arrived at my third interview, I was getting tired, upset, and felt I would be going home without being hired. When Mrs. Klockner in Home Economics Extension said "I'm sorry, but you have no experience", I spoke up and said "I don't know how I will get experience if no one will hire me".
I have no idea how I had the nerve to do that. Anyway, she went into another office, then came back and said "come to work on Monday morning". I thought they were the sweetest words I had ever heard. Years later, she told me that she felt I was spunky, and since I had the nerve to speak up, I would probably be a good worker.
I was a Clerk Typist and the L C Smith was my first typewriter. I typed letters, manuscripts, speeches, etc. At times had to make 10 copies and to do that, put a steel platen into the typewriter, and used 9 sheets of carbon paper. Certainly didn't want to make an error as it was a real pain to put a small piece of paper behind each carbon, erase, then remember to take out each piece. We had no copy machines at that time.
We worked a 44 hour week and my monthly check was $76. At that time, it seemed like lots of money. I roomed with two other girls and we each paid $10 a month rent, and when I went home on weekend, my parents would send food back with me. I had enough money to start a Savings Account.
They now call those "THE GOOD OLD DAYS".
1 comment:
The typewriters (non-electric) we used in my high school typing class were Remmington, Royals, and think I recall some Underwood's that were similar to the style you picture here.
We didn't have to switch out the roller to type multiple copies then or later when I worked in an office for a period of time, but we couldn't make that many legible copies either. I think five or six were the maximum we ever made.
We did soon have the dreaded and dirty mimeograph and the messy ditto machines. My the advancements since. Office workers today have no idea how good they have it by comparison for making copies. I think we have much more paper clogging the business world, now, too -- not less.
Reminds me that last summer I watched live streaming video of Ronni Bennett delivering her presentation at Gnomedex 2007. They had live printed comments posting underneath from those there and others viewing as I was doing. At one point Ronni referenced the word "typewriter" in connection with a point she was making. One of the many young tech geeks there typed "Typewriter? What's that?"
(I recapped that presentation which is archived 8/11/07 on my blog and she has some posts at TGB about her experience there if you're interested.)
Post a Comment