Triumph Durabel typewriter

Fact sheet
model: Triumph Durabel
serial number: 328300 (manufactured in 1940)
keyboard layout: Swiss-German

complete with original case
purchased in Switzerland in March 2009 for 38 CHF

The serial number 328300 would indicate the production year 1940 (source: the typewriter database at http://www.tw-db.com/). Next to the "DURABEL" sticker and the insignia of the Triumph company, the label of Schreibmaschinen G. Schaerer Basel (a typewriter shop) is also still on.

Particularities
It writes with ease and has a beautiful font. According to http://www.100besteschriften.de/
(itself quoting from the book Made with Fontfont) Erik van Blokland's modern Trixie font of 1991 is based on the Triumph Durabel's font.

last update: 8.3.2010

Groma Kolibri typewriter

Groma Kolibri typewriter made in GDR (ca.1956/57)

Groma´s Kolibri model was manufactured by VEB Groma Schreibmaschinen Markersdorf, a GDR state ("people")-owned company. Previous to the Second World War, this was Maschinenfabrik G. F. Grosser in Markersdorf (hence Groma).(source: Arnold Betzwieser, Kleine Ausstellung historische Bürotechnik, at: http://www.stb-betzwieser.de/aktuelles/ausstellung/kategorien/groma.html).

The production line of small Groma typewriters ran from about 1950 to 1960 (source: Will Davis, East German portable typewriters (and a few West German portables too), at: http://www.geocities.com/wbd641/germany3.html). The Kolibri model looks very similar to the Gromina, however, there are small differences in design (Will Davis, precit., states that Gromina was also sold under the name of Kolibri). For comparison, see the images on Richard Polt's The Classic Typewriter Page:
- Groma Gromina
- Groma Kolibri

Our Kolibri has the serial number 579.197. Using comparative data on R. Polt's page, we can conclude that it was produced in 1956 or 1957 (source: http://staff.xu.edu/~polt/typewriters/tw-collection.html). It has a German keyboard, and is still with its original bag.

(--> diesen Eintrag auf deutsch)