Typewriters popular again in Singapore, not just for aesthetic reasons
The ubiquitous clickety-clack of their keys was supposed to have gone the way of the dodo. But typewriters have become fashionable again.
People continue coming up with novel ways to reinforce the relevance of typewriters in the digital age – from a stress-relieving pastime to a useful tool for engaging children.
This is especially so for those with a literary bent, said Jason Chong, who has been running the antique typewriter shop Vintage Empire for almost a decade.
One of his customers, writer Lee Wen-Yi, was given a Corona No. 3 folding typewriter by her mother last Christmas. She had it restored by Chong.
“It’s my favourite present,” said the 24-year-old, who plans to use it for cards and special occasions.
While she enjoys the experience of typing on a typewriter, she admits that she uses it for more aesthetic reasons than functional ones as Chong advised that her 1920s typewriter had not been maintained well enough to be used heavily.
She said: “I write prose so it’s a bit more unwieldy, but it’s good for little snippets. Book aesthetics are so big now with Booktok and Bookstagram, so it’s also a convenient prop.”
Booktok and Bookstagram refer to book-related content on social media platforms TikTok and Instagram respectively.
Chong estimated that he now sells four typewriters more per week compared with five years ago and he said demand for typewriter repairs has tripled in the last five years.
While his oldest clients are well into their 70s, he said: “Young people tend to be very fascinated because many have never seen one before and want to know what it is.”
He also noted that many of the typewriters his customers are interested in are “older than Singapore”.
Adrian Chan – a history buff and former film archivist – started collecting typewriters two years ago. He has about 10 antique typewriters and plans on displaying them in his house after it has been renovated.
Originally drawn to typewriters for their design history, Chan, 48, found himself using them increasingly to write letters to his partner.
“I enjoy the tactile aspect of the keys because each typewriter feels different, and they’re a good way to de-stress after working on a laptop all day,” he said.
Typewriters at Vintage Empire range from $250 to $480, while repairs average between $90 and $160. Checks by The Straits Times found that some antique typewriters listed on Carousell are even going for more than a thousand dollars. However, there are also avenues to try one’s hand at typewriting without the commitment of owning one.
Opened last November, Type8ar is a family-run business offering guests a space to try out typewriters in person – the first such establishment in Singapore. It has 50 typewriters and they come with various typefaces and fonts. It also provides stationery such as card stock, ink stamps and washi tape for people to experiment with as they put out typewritten works.
The business is run by a couple, Adeline Tan, 66, and her husband Lionel, 68. The array belongs to their daughter Claudia, who has been collecting typewriters for more than 15 years.
“Our vision is to offer a physical space and community for typewriter enthusiasts, or even people who are just keen to learn more to discover the different machines,” Claudia Tan, 38, said.
Each day, some five to 20 walk-in customers use Type8ar’s typewriters for creative work, personal letters, or journalling, for which the shop provides a ring-bound journal. Those looking for something different can opt for specific activities such as a game where guests follow a set of instructions to create a typed artwork, revealing a mystery picture at the end.
Type8ar also holds regular workshops, which include a sharing of typewriter fun facts, a demonstration session, a speed-typing competition and a capsule letter-writing activity. Each session has between five and 15 participants.
These workshops are available upon request and are usually taken up by people celebrating special occasions or companies looking for team-bonding activities.
Most customers chance upon Type8ar while walking along Haji Lane or through social media, such as Ynez Lim, who discovered it on Instagram.
Lim, a 27-year-old English teacher, said: “The couple were very passionate about typewriters and patiently explained to us how to use them. We picked out our favourite typewriters based on the font and started typing away.”
Pharmacist Tan Kai Hui, 37, tried out Type8ar’s workshop earlier in July as it was “something unusual” and she wanted to give her children a chance to appreciate how technology has evolved.
“They might have seen typewriters but it’s not easy to try one,” she said.
Asked how the experience differed from the typical digital experiences her children have had, she said they had to learn the importance of planning as the typewriter did not allow them to delete their work.
Lim, who said she was “immersed in the therapeutic experience of connecting with myself and my emotions through words” during the writing process, agreed.
“As the typewriter did not allow for corrections to be made, unlike modern computers, it didn’t give room for deliberation or edits. I made a few mistakes along the way and wanted to change a few words but I embraced whatever I typed in its original form,” she said.
“There is beauty in that,” she added.
Even schools are getting in on the act, with many buying or renting typewriters in huge numbers, said Chong, who also noted that the shipping industry has continued to use typewriters to fill out forms at sea.
He said that schools use typewriters to encourage students to put more thought into their writing.
“They bought a lot for teaching because they feel that students nowadays are very distracted. Their vocabulary and writing skills are not as strong because of Netflix and social media,” he said.
When asked if she would introduce typewriters into her classroom, Lim said: “My literature students love writing poetry and I think they will definitely enjoy using these typewriters to type out their creative works.”
She added that with all students using laptops and tablets these days, much of their writing is done online and has resulted in a tendency for students to “copy and paste” information from online sources.
“If I could switch things up and bring typewriters into the classroom, I think it would really make the writing experience a memorable one,” she said.
This is because there will be no interference from phones or computers, allowing students to connect solely with their own thoughts. It may even spark an interest in writing for those who dislike writing since it is such a novel experience.
“I also hope students can learn to embrace originality and mistakes – it’s all part and parcel of writing.”
Christie Chiu
The Straits Times
Asia News Network
