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Thread: What typewriter did Ansel Adams use? Weston?

  1. #1

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    What typewriter did Ansel Adams use? Weston?

    An odd question, I know, but I figure this board is just the place to find people who would know.

    I'm looking for the model of typewriter that Ansel used. At any time in his life would be fine but ideally just before he switched over to word processors in the old days with green text on the screen. I'd also love a link to text that identifies the typewriter in the Ansel context and even better a photograph showing the typewriter.

    Also, for Weston (did he even use a typewriter)?

    Not idle curiosity--I'm using this information for a project I'm working on. Also. I'll update people in the typewriter history world with whatever info I find.

    Thanks,

    --Darin

  2. #2

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    Re: What typewriter did Ansel Adams use? Weston?

    If you find that he used a Hermes Rocket portable let me know! We found a working one from the 50s cleaning up for our garage sale!

    The reason he may have used one of these is that it and Hasselblad were both distributed by Paillard back then.

  3. #3

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    Re: What typewriter did Ansel Adams use? Weston?

    I don't think Weston used a typewriter. Charis used an L.C. Smith desktop model. There's a photo of it, taken I believe, by Beaumont Newhall.

  4. #4

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    Re: What typewriter did Ansel Adams use? Weston?

    I believe Ansel used an IBM Selectric during his later years of writing.

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    Re: What typewriter did Ansel Adams use? Weston?

    Quote Originally Posted by j.e.simmons View Post
    I don't think Weston used a typewriter. Charis used an L.C. Smith desktop model. There's a photo of it, taken I believe, by Beaumont Newhall.
    Ahhh, outstanding. Found a smaller image of it on Google. Do you know here I might find a large image? I can identify the typewriter from the Google image but I'd love to be able to read the text....

    --Darin

  6. #6

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    Re: What typewriter did Ansel Adams use? Weston?

    Quote Originally Posted by Alan9940 View Post
    I believe Ansel used an IBM Selectric during his later years of writing.
    Any idea if it was a Selectric I or a later model? Color? Any pictures of it?

    --Darin

  7. #7

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    Re: What typewriter did Ansel Adams use? Weston?

    I think I found the Wilson image in a book - maybe Through Another Lens. I'm out of town, but I'll look when I get home in a couple of days.
    Now that I think about it, the movie made about Edward and Charisma showed her using a portable typewriter on the fender of their Ford. I'll look for that, too.

  8. #8

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    Re: What typewriter did Ansel Adams use? Weston?

    Quote Originally Posted by Darin Boville View Post
    Any idea if it was a Selectric I or a later model? Color? Any pictures of it?

    --Darin
    Sorry, no idea. I know I've seen a picture of him sitting at it in his office, but I looked through a few of my books and couldn't find it. It may also be a still grab on one of the videos I have...like finding the proverbial needle I'm afraid.

  9. #9

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    Re: What typewriter did Ansel Adams use? Weston?

    I am fairly certain there is an image of Ansel's office in one of his bookes "the print" or "the camera". forget which.
    I may be confusing this with a slide that Alan Ross presented in a lecture at the portland museum of art in 2014. I Imagine Alan would respond to an inquiry.
    http://www.alanrossphotography.com/a...h-ansel-adams/
    ~nicholas
    lifeofstawa
    stawastawa at gmail

  10. #10

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    Re: What typewriter did Ansel Adams use? Weston?

    Editor's Notes from ANSEL ADAMS Letters and Images 1916-1984
    "He began consistently writing letters during his teenage summers in Yosemite. Handwritten, they were difficult to read and laborious to write, he thus quickly adopted at the typewriter. He traveled with a portable model....."

    Also in one of the films made about him, he was seated with the typewriter in the background or by his side. Have no idea as to which film I saw this in.

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