Hermes Baby 1938
1938 HERMES BABY from the famed Hermes dealer August Baggenstos in Zurich, Switzerland.
A superb HERMES Baby typewriter from 1938 in exceptional original condition. Conserved and restored to full original functionality and appearance. Fully working and in extraordinary condition after 82 years. It is completely original in all parts, has not been repainted and no decals have been replaced. It was manufactured in Switzerland during the fourth year of production for the Baby model typewriter.
This Hermes Baby comes from the famous Hermes Dealer, August Baggenstos in Zurich, Switzerland. His workshops and dealership was one of the earliest that specialized in Hermes typewriters. That, and the early date of manufacture, makes this Hermes an extraordinary find for a collector. And, the beauty of this machine is that it is also working as originally--and it has a wonderful typing feel!
This typewriter comes from the "Jake Mulhane Collection". Mulhane was originally an American who traveled widely and was sometimes called the "last of the cowboy explorers". He collected broadly with an eye for the unusual--but always the highest quality. We will be selling more of his typewriter collection in the months ahead.
It has been fully cleaned and serviced, inside and out, and is in excellent cosmetic condition and working correctly. Nothing has been replaced or changed from its original manufacture, with the exception of the four, small rubber feet on the base.
This typewriter is sold with a three-month, full, mechanical guarantee and will be shipped, fully insured, at no extra cost.
All keys type smoothly, the chrome is in top condition, all levers and functions work as originally. It comes with its two original metal, ribbon spools. The platen is of still very usable hardness (softness) and is smooth and clean; the quality of the imprint can be seen on the typing sample. (The platen rubber can be replaced upon request of the buyer at an additional cost.) The Paper Feed Rollers are soft and grip the paper well. The platen release mechanism in the left platen knob is in perfect working order, and both knobs are in perfect condition.
The painted finish on the body of the typewriter is in superb condition, is all original to the typewriter, and has almost no signs of wear, the only exception being the slightest usage wear on the corners to the left and the right of the spacebar. The keys are in wonderful condition. The beautiful Hermes logo decal is original and has not been retouched in any way. Likewise the painted information on the rear panel.
One point to note with care, all the red detailing (see for instance the paper bail, the back side of the paper rest, the arrows on the margin buttons) is still intact on this machine. I have never seen that before. It gives a wonderful "freshness" to the whole typewriter.
This Baby has an International QWERTZ keyboard with symbols for all accents needed for French, German etc. The typeface/font is Hermes Pica (10 cpi). The enduring shine on the spacebar is a wonder to behold.
The original case is in excellent condition. The chrome is uncorroded but has some small usage scratches on the two bars at the back. The leather is in excellent condition as can be seen in the photos. It is pliable and not "dried-out". The interior felt lining has only some small marking from the typebars but is otherwise in perfect, intact condition. There is an "August Baggenstos, Zurich" decal on the inside-bottom of the case.
Based on the serial number (173577) this machine is from 1938. This model Hermes typewriter is also known as the Hermes Rocket.
This extraordinary example of a very early HERMES BABY will be packed and shipped with the greatest care to preserve its condition and beauty.
Check our reviews to see how our friends react to the care we take in our packing. It will be fully insured during shipment.