Tiny Typewriter

Today we have tablets and netbooks and, of course, smartphones. But, in 1910, the exciting technological innovation was the Bennett. It was the smallest typewriter available — 10″ x 5″ x 2″ and weighing under five pounds — that had a fully functional, three-row keyboard, with the space key oddly positioned in the upper centre. (Charles Almon Bennett first marketed a similar tiny typewriter called The Junior in 1907, but it had several technical flaws which were addressed in The Bennett.)

At $18, it was a bargain for the times. (In case you were wondering, that would be US$606 in 2025 currency.) They were constructed from cast iron or aluminum and came in a silver or black finish.

Advertising campaigns targeted professionals who could carry one in an overcoat pocket or by the handle of its compact leather-covered carrying case. (One would think newspaper reporters would be a big part of the market.) Sadly, though, they weren’t that easy to type on, especially quickly, and production ended by the beginning of World War 1.

Still, as typewriter authority Robert Messenger, of Oz Typewriter, wrote: “the Junior and the Bennett are remarkable design and engineering achievements, and these little beauties are highly treasured by typewriter collectors around the world.”

Research gathered from:
The Antikey Chop antique typewriter page
Robert Messenger’s Oz Typewriter
The Typewriter Database
Martin Howard’s Antique Typewriters…
and other sources.