SORRY, SOLD! A Refugee from the "Prague Spring" of 1968!
While the USA was celebrating the "Summer of Love" in 1968, in Czechoslovakia the Soviet Union was leading an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops to crack down on reformist trends in Prague. This was the famous "Prague Spring", a time of political liberalization and mass protests against the domination of Czechoslovakia by the communist Soviet Union. More than 150,000 soldiers and thousands of tanks entered the country and, fearing for their safety, many dissidents fled. Among them was a young woman who made her way to freedom and peace in the Netherlands. She carried with her this typewriter.
Her son showed up at our Gallery (Acme Studios in The Hague) one day recently and gave me her typewriter. He wanted it to find its way into good hands. Therefore, we present it here.
The typewriter is an Olympia from 1932. It is the precursor to the "Progress" model and to the SM models. It has a Czech language keyboard (we will be happy to convert that to a QWERTY keyboard, at no charge, at the request of the purchaser). The typeface is Olympia's Pica (10 c.p.i.). Despite its tumultuous and far-travelled history, the typewriter remains in excellent condition and has been completely restored by us. It is working perfectly.
Like all of our typewriters this is a fully-working typewriter. It comes with the "Acme" lead certification seal attached to the typewriter which permanently identifies it as a genuine Acme-restored typewriter. We have a one-year mechanical warranty on all typewriters sold and provide careful and attentive after-purchase advice and assistance from the date of purchase to the end of eternity to ensure your full satisfaction. In terms of an investment, the Acme Seal proves that this machine was restored by the Acme Type Machine Company. This can add value in the event that you wish to sell this typewriter in the future.
Cosmetically, this typewriter has limited signs of use or wear. It is in fine condition overall and the paint finish is all original. The chrome is shiny with only some slight wear here and there.
Mechanically, this typewriter is in excellent condition. The platen has an ideal hardness rating of ~92 (85 to 95 is the ideal range). The paper feeder rollers and rubber feet are in lovely condition. Every aspect of the mechanical functioning of this typewriter has been inspected, cleaned and properly lubricated. All necessary adjustments and alignments have been undertaken to restore this typewriter to its original precision and functionality.
Comes with the original case which is in good condition but suffers a little from wear and use. The case serves well to carry the typewriter, for protection during shipping and for storage if needed.
This fine example of an Olympia typewriter with historic implications will be packed and shipped with the greatest care to preserve its condition and beauty. We have a lot of experience in shipping typewriters and have an excellent track record for proper packing and safe delivery.