IBM SELECTRIC 82 GOLF BALL TYPEWRITER, 1978

In 1865, Rev. Rasmus Malling-Hansen of Denmark invented the Hansen Writing Ball, which went into commercial production in 1870.

Instead of a 'basket" of pivoting type bars the Selectric had a pivoting type element (often called a "type ball") that could be changed so as to display different fonts in the same document, resurrecting a capacity that had been pioneered by the moderately successful Blickensderfer typewriter sixty years before.

One of the main advantages of the 'Ball' writers is removal of the problem of type bars becoming tangled due to by pushing two or three keys grouped together at the same time or by very fast typing, (particularly on poorly maintained machines), caused by working the machines faster than the bars could relax.

Donated by Mr I W Mallory

Your comments:

• I used this typewriter at university of mass . Loved the feel and speed it was so comfortable to use. My job at university was helping students finding jobs and typing articles for our department. I worked at Amherst , Mass. I rather have this typewriter then computers. Love to have one to type on again
  .......... Susan m charsky, Nashua, New Hampsire, 19th of November 2015
  
  

A1375