In the age of digital burnout, we revisit a machine that dominated the city’s workforce through the eyes of two hobbyists and restorers who continue to preserve it
Bejon Madon uses the Royal Italic at the General Office Typewriter’s workshop in Kalbadevi, Mumbai
Ernest Hemingway used one, as did F Scott Fitzgerald and James Baldwin down to Salman Rushdie, Rohinton Mistry and Arundhati Roy, too, are among legendary writers who have keyed in their thoughts on typewriters. Between the invention of the printing press and the computer, the typewriter was the single most important piece of equipment in the industry. So when this writer stumbled upon an old Brothers typewriter in his uncle’s attic, it made for an exhilarating discovery.
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The repaired Brothers typewriter
Restoring the past
Years of rest had taken its toll on the keys of the Japanese machine. It required hunting down people familiar with equipment — a vanishing tribe. Daniel Sequeira, 32, whose family owns Karfule petrol pump in Ballard Estate, is among them. The third-generation owner of the 84-year-old Art Deco petrol pump has an affinity for old and broken things. “I cherish everything vintage and old-school with an aesthetic value,” he says. These include typewriters, an old Vespa scooter, woven recliner chairs and even spirit thermometers. Having inherited his father’s love for tinkering with machines and vehicles, Sequeira took it further with DIY special projects — typewriters among them. “My dad, Kevin, can handle most typewriters as he is familiar with them,” he shares before adding the caveat that he tends not to take on specialist restoration projects. “He can take care of the little issues, but if it requires more technical replacements or spare parts, we tend to reach out to Bejon Madon.”
(From left) Royal Italic typewriter and a Remington Portable
It was Madon that Sequeira approached to fix the problem with the spool of this writer’s machine. Madon, a gregarious storyteller, is the former owner of the now-discontinued, General Office Typewriters. Sitting in his fourth floor office of a building in Kalbadevi, he says, “In the past, there was such great demand that every company had a typewriter. Computers were a rarity, and if present, required entire rooms.” Now, the office serves as a space for his hobby for the 78-year-old, who is also the vice commodore of the Colaba Sailing Club.
Once upon a time
Founded by his father-in-law, Hoshang Baldawala in the 1960s, General Office Typewriters supplied equipment to United Assurance, Union Bank of India, government offices in the Fort area and across the country as well. The office still has a tiny workshop stocked with a few old typewriters and spare parts. Inside, Madon introduces us to two of his precious possessions — a 1920s’ Remington Portable and a Royal Italic typewriter. “Be careful with them,” he warns us as we try to position them for a photograph. “People have approached me to buy them, but these two will go with me,” he says determinedly.
Daniel Sequeira
“You did not have an italic key on the typewriter. Fonts were fixed. Then again, you wouldn’t know what that was like,” he says of a fact the millennial generation might find astonishing. Madon describes how the typewriter demanded more of an individual’s concentration. “There is no auto-correct. Your sentence had to be clearly thought out before you start to type. It won’t spare you any blushes,” he warns. The machines are heavier than a laptop, but carry with them the grace of handcrafted keys and levers that reflect the hard work of industry artisans.
Key to the future
Does he mind the rise of the computers and the virtual world? “Computers are more convenient for humankind. The only advantage of a typewriter was that you did not need electricity for it,” Madon shrugs.
He no longer accepts typewriter orders. The company has shut down, and Madon uses the office only to restore or find spare parts for those keen to preserve the machines. “I only have two mechanics; old timers who I can contact when someone asks for help. They do it for the service charge,” he shrugs before pointing out, “I’ve heard of Tom Hanks uses the typewriter. He is a fan.” Despite his love for the machines, he does not believe they will make a comeback. “There are fewer people asking for them now,” he rues.
Sequeira admits that it is now just a hobby. For him, it is a means to help people. “Many such professionals are artists in a way” He is currently restoring an old wooden wicker chair. “Finding these things and fixing them makes for a pleasant experience,” he says. The fixed typewriter on this writer’s table would agree.
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