Portable Typewriters by Brand

Sunday, January 27, 2013

E.W. Hall, 1111 2nd Avenue

E.W. Hall was Seattle's largest office machine dealer during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1938, Hall's moved from the Burke Building (now the site of the Jackson Federal Building) into the Taft Building, at 1109 2nd Avenue. They moved into their modernized home in 1938. They sold many brands of typewriters, and were the first dealer in Seattle to offer the Hermes portable. They moved out of the Taft Building in 1961. Below are some King County Assessor's photographs of the Taft Building (Courtesy of the Puget Sound Regional Archives):
The Taft Building, as it has looked since its 1970 remodel.

The Taft Building, 1951. For a Sketchup model of this building, go to:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=db0ae03088d1b6a5d07d189c07d65d0c&prevstart=0

The Taft Building following the move of E.W. Hall. This photograph was taken in 1962.

The second-largest typewriter dealer in Seattle was Lowman & Hanford. However, neither of these dealers sold as many Royal Portable typewriters as the University Bookstore.

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