Saturday, March 24, 2012

The Munson Typewriter.


Looks worth $65 huh? The photograph is copied from www.antiquetypewriters.com. This is the website of Martin Howard who is the proud owner of the Munson1 in the photo.


Did you ever own a Munson typewriter? It was said to be a good machine. The President of the Munson Typewriter Company was Frederick Woodbury Munson. Lots of people called him Fred. He is a distant cousin of mine. He was born in 1846. He graduated from the Albany Classical Institute in 1863. He had a career in shoe manufacturing, then a career in law, and ended up in Chicago in the typewriter business.

This is a picture of Fred and his Family.





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3 comments:

  1. Martin HowardMarch 30, 2012 at 3:50 PM

    Hi,

    I read your blog with great interest.

    I am Martin Howard the owner of the Munson that you have shown.
    (www.antiquetypewriters.com)

    It is wonderful to meet a descendant of Fred Munson.

    I looked in one of my typewriter history books right away and read the following.
    'Patented in 1889 by Samuel John Seifried who assigned two-thirds to Fred and Louis Munson of Chicago, it was introduced the following year by the Munson Typewriter Co. of the same city.'

    Later (1898) the Munson typewriter would be called the 'Chicago', when the manufacturing company's name changed to The Chicago Writing Machine Co.

    Do you have any more information about Fred? I would love to learn more about him and in particular his involvement with the Munson.

    Can you please credit my photo to www.antiquetypewriters.com

    Regards,
    Martin Howard

    P.S. I love my Munson!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chuck MonsonMarch 30, 2012 at 4:56 PM

      Hi Martin. I was just kidding when I asked if you had ever had a Munson typewriter. But you have one now. Thanks for commenting. I put a credit on my blog.

      My knowledge of Fred came from the The Munson Record, a five volume set of genological data on the Munsons. Fred is on page 546 of Volume I.

      Good luck, Chuck

      Delete
  2. Martin HowardMarch 30, 2012 at 5:04 PM

    Thank you Chuck for your kind reply and for the fine accreditation.

    Wow, a five volume set of genealogical information on the Munsons. That is quite something.

    One can see the Chicago typewriter (the later Munson typewriter) at my website as well.

    Cheers,
    Martin

    ReplyDelete