The Giant Underwood Master Typewriter
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Postcard featuring the 14-ton Giant Underwood Master Typewriter on display at the World’s Fair. Photo Credit: Moore’s Postcard Museum
The 1939-40 New York World’s Fair was hosted in the Flushing Meadows Park in Queens. It was the first to be based on the future with the slogan “Dawn of a New Day.” An estimated 44 million people attended. At the Underwood Elliott Fisher exhibit in the Business Systems Building an unusual item was on display – a typewriter. However, it was not any ordinary typewriter but rather it was The Giant Underwood Master Typewriter.
The typewriter, according to Moore’s Postcard Museum
Operates daily at the Underwood Elliott Fisher Exhibit in the Business Systems and Insurance Building at the New York World’s Fair. This huge machine, weighing 14 tons, is 1,728 times larger than the regular Underwood Master. It required 3 years to build. Each typebar weighs 45 pounds and the carriage alone weighs 3,500 pounds. Letters are typed on “stationery” measuring 9 by 12 feet, and the ribbon in the machine is 100 feet long and five inches wide. Two box cars were required to transport the Giant to the World’s Fair.
A man dressed as a cowboy studies a large letter in front of the massive typewriter. Photo Credit: New York Public Library
With her right foot poised on the “N” key, pretty Miss Muriel Davis is about to complete a message of greeting from Harvey D. Gibson, chairman of the board of the World’s Fair of 1940 in New York to visitors to the big exposition. Photo Credit: New York Public Library
A happy group, including a clown, poise with the giant typewriter. Photo Credit: New York Public Library
Frank Buck’s elephant and giant typewriter. Photo Credit: New York Public Library
Employees of twenty years who brought the 5 millionth typewriter to the fair exhibit sitting on the typewriter. Photo Credit: New York Public Library
Two woman and the giant typewriter. Photo Credit: New York Public Library
Women posing with giant typewriter at the Underwood Elliott Fisher exhibit in the Business Systems Building. Photo Credit: New York Public Library
This image shows the scale of the typewriter with a man and woman standing next to it. Photo Credit: New York Public Library
