Typewriter repairman stays true to the written word
Ermanno Marzorati has rarely been so busy. He is currently fixing a 1930 Underwood typewriter for Tom Hanks. But there are plenty more ancient writing machines awaiting his tender care. While the modern world taps away in an ever-increasing frenzy online, the Italian senses a new trend, from his calm Beverly Hills studio: the return of the art of slow writing.
Ermanno Marzorati has rarely been so busy. He is currently fixing a 1930 Underwood typewriter for Tom Hanks. But there are plenty more ancient writing machines awaiting his tender care.
While the modern world taps away in an ever-increasing frenzy online, the Italian senses a new trend, from his calm Beverly Hills studio: the return of the art of slow writing.
Marzorati has restored typewriters belonging to Ian Fleming, Tennessee Williams, Jack London, Ray Bradbury, Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles, as well as celebrities like Julie Andrews, Greta Garbo and John Lennon.
He proudly shows photos of some of his best work, including an orange-coloured Underwood from 1926, on which Orson Welles wrote Citizen Kane. It was a wreck when he got it.
"To me the typewriter is better than the computer, not because I'm old-fashioned, but because it slows you down. You have to choose the words carefully because you cannot correct," he said. "It takes a long time to press the key."
To me the typewriter is better than the computer, not because I'm old-fashioned, but because it slows you down. You have to choose the words carefully because you cannot correct
Collector Steve Soboroff says typewriters, unlike computer keyboards, have an intimate relationship with their owners.