Tools of the Trade

Douglass called learning to read his “pathway from slavery to freedom.” Denied access to words during the first part of his life, he spent the rest of his life crafting them.

On loan from the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, National Park Service

Keyes wrote 51 books over the course of her life, many inspired by the history of her home in New Orleans. She chose to write using traditional methods, rather than the newer typewriters.
All objects provided by the Beauregard-Keyes Historic House Museum in the New Orleans French Quarter

Jack London rented his typewriter and would always give it up last when money was tight. His mackintosh, suit, and bicycle would all go first until a check came in the mail and he would go redeem everything and start again.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff

Hemingway is known for his strong sentences in the active voice, and his writing process reflected this. On the platen, there are faint outlines of letters that he typed many times with enough force that they marked the machine forever.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff

Throughout his life, Welles was a private figure despite his celebrity status. He surprised everyone with a revealing interview for “The Merv Griffin Show” at age 70. Approximately three hours later, he died of a heart attack with his typewriter in his lap.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff

An absent father, family trouble, and personal attacks against him for his homosexuality made reality unpleasant for Williams, and writing was his escape. He bought this machine while attending college, a time in his life that heavily informed his fiction.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff

In 1938, Jerry Siegel, along with Joe Shuster changed not only the comic book industry but Americana at large. They created the character we know today as Superman with Action Comics #1.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff

A deafblind advocate, ambassador, suffragist, civil rights pioneer, and always a writer, Helen Keller defied expectations and forged her own path. This braille writer was one of several that helped give Keller a voice that has since inspired millions.

On loan from the American Foundation for the Blind, Helen Keller Archive

Bradbury was inspired to become a writer at age 12 when he received his first typewriter. He considered all writing poetry derived from the subconscious, and typing always played an important role in giving his work life.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff

Lennon began seeking U.S. citizenship in 1971, but was repeatedly denied for political reasons until being granted permanent residency in 1976. This typewriter is from his early days of songwriting, and is somewhat different from American models. Note the £ symbol above the 5 and the low platen.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff

One of Hollywood's most polarizing figures, West's risqué and provocative writing challenged social conventions of morality and sexuality. Her double entendres and playful ambiguity transfixed fans in print, film, and on stage.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff

Capote preferred to write his first drafts with a pencil in bed, dismissing Beat writers as “typists.” When he did type, he had a typewriter in his lap, and a cigarette in his hand.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff

A now infamous character, Hefner was committed to providing a space for new voices, which he believed many magazines of the 1960’s had failed to do. Regardless of its critics, Playboy changed the magazine industry forever, and helped give rise to a generation of journalistic thought.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff

Known as one of the most influential American poets of the 20th-century, Brooks created a name for herself early in her career. That success led to personally-imposed pressure to craft near-perfect poems. The typewriter lent itself to this slow, deliberate process.

On loan from Nora Brooks Blakely

Under the pseudonym, "Carolyn Keene," Benson wrote 23 of the original Nancy Drew mysteries, including the first seven novels. Benson's depiction of an independent and courageous young woman proved emphatically influential, cementing Nancy Drew as a cultural icon who continues to inspire generations of readers.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff

Cisneros has already cemented her place in American history as a poet, short story writer, novelist, activist, essayist, and artist. She chooses to write her poems and stories of the working class on a typewriter because of the feel and sound of the machine.

On loan from the National Museum of Mexican Art

Vidal wrote his first drafts longhand, with no prior planning or outline. He believed that writing came most naturally when done without conscious thought, and was often surprised by what his characters or plot did even while typing later drafts.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff

Angelou’s writing process was as unique as her personality. She began her days with a glass of sherry, then began writing in a bare hotel room that she booked monthly. This room gave her the clean state of mind she needed to work.

On loan from the collection of Steve Soboroff