The New Model was the 2nd commercially produced model from inventor Lucien Stephen Crandall (1844 - 1899). His company, the Crandall Machine Co. of Syracuse, N.Y., manufactured it. The New Model first appeared in 1886 as the successor to the No.1 of 1884, though, to be honest, the two were quite similar in form and function. Current estimates suggest that about 18,000 examples were produced between the two. A variant of the New Model, the No.4 Crandall, was marketed in 1898 as the "Remodelled New Model." It was mechanically similar but less ornate and possibly produced from leftover stock.
Crandall
New Model
1886 - 1888
Crandall Machine Company
Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Because the Crandall New Model has so frequently been cited as the most beautiful typewriter ever produced, there have been plenty of individuals who've already pored over it throughout the years. So, as I type this, in August of 2018, there really is an infinitesimal amount of history, if any, that I may bring to light. So I will quickly cover the main points and write a little about the previous owner of the exquisite example on this page.
Lucien Stephen Crandall
The most frequently cited mechanical attributes of the New Model are its vertical typesleeve and curved, two-row keyboard. Crandalls were the first typewriters ever to employ a typesleeve in lieu of typebars so that the user could quickly switch between typefaces. However, it is the breathtaking ornamentation of the New Model which yields no equal. Note the mother-of-pearl inlay, hand-painted floral arrangements and swirling gold embellishments contoured by pinstripe highways. The New Model's beauty transcends the world of typewriter collecting, mesmerizing all.
Displayed here is s.n.6,549 which, I think, is one of the best New Models around. It once belonged to fellow collector Professor Siegfried Snyder. Having graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and later having taught design at the Syracuse University of Architecture, Professor Snyder had a spectacular eye for well-crafted objects. That's him in the the black & white photo beside a very rare "Baby" Sholes & Glidden, a model once belonging to the Onondaga Historical Association where he volunteered. Siegfried's tireless effort to catalog the Association's nearly 900 typewriters has benefited countless collectors worldwide.
Why I was so fortunate to be offered Siegfried's Crandall was nothing less than serendipity since I never actually had the opportunity to meet him. It's a tale that I will gladly share with friends over drinks, but, to make a long story short, I once knew another collector, David Kintzler, who happened to be lifelong friends with Siegfried (see my unused Williams No.4 from the Kintzler collection here). Lastly, I would like to extend a special thanks M.T. and, in particular, B.S. for all their help (you know who you are).
Questions? Have a Crandall typewriter or Crandall items for sale? Please email me at Antikey.Chop@gmail.com or call +1 (860) 729-2252
