Victoria (Famos)
ca.1910 -1913
Gustav Tietze AG
Leipzig, Germany
The machine à écrire Victoria was the French version of the German-made schreibmaschine Famos. The two were identical in every way except for labeling.
Production of this typewriter commenced ca.1910 at the Gustav Tietze AG factory in Leipzig, Germany. The image below is of the factory from a postcard postmarked to 1913.
The typewriter itself was very basic and nothing more than a toy. It was constructed of pressed tin with rubber type. Inking was by transfer from a single felt roller. Because of its diminutive size, the platen could only accommodate small sheets of paper about the size of an index card. Also, the sheets had to be wrapped around the platen and clamped down prior to use in order to type.
To type, the user would select the desired character by spinning the circular index using a knob at the rear of the typewriter. To print, the user would press down on a lever to the right of the index to lower the type to the platen. The type then automatically retracts back up. The platen also advanced/spun automatically after each typed character. Carriage advancement and return is executed manually by simply pulling or pushing it.
After just two years, be it the Victoria or the Famos, production of the typewriter ended. The Gustav Tietze Company replaced it with another cheaply made index typewriter, though still a toy, the Aktiv.
Need an instruction manual for your Victoria? Get it here...
The Victoria model was offered with at least two case options. There was a standard dome-top option and a premium one. The premium one, included inks, pencils, a stamp and stationary... a portable office.
Comments? Have a Victoria or Famos for sale? Please email me at Antikey.Chop@gmail.com or call +1 (860) 729-2252
