Barr7

Barr Portable Typewriters -- the Barr moves to Weedsport, New York

In April 1937, after approximately ten years of production by the Barr-Morse Corporation, the whole typewriter manufacturing business as well as rights to the name and all trademarks was sold to a new company. Two men, whose last names were Koret, and Kingsburg, bought the whole enterprise and established the Barr Typewriter Corporation to manufacture, advertise and distribute the machines. The tooling to build the machines was removed from the Ithaca, New York plant of the Morse Chain Corporation, and was placed into a recently vacated industrial facility in Weedsport, New York. Offices for the new corporation were established at 33 E. 33rd Street in New York City. (We now know, thanks to Richard Polt, that Barr himself passed away in 1937, likely triggering these events.)

In Weedsport, a man already involved with the Barr machines took over the operation of the factory. Salvatore Leonardi, who also owned his own plating business, managed the factory for the Barr Typewriter Corporation, and rented his plating equipment to the company for the purpose of plating those parts for the typewriters which were specified.. According to Ezio Leonardi Sr., the son of Salvatore Leonardi, three or four others who had worked for the Barr-Morse Corporation switched employers and locations and came to work in Weedsport for the Barr Typewriter Corporation as well; it would seem as if the new owners lured the key people from the manufacturing end away from Morse. Mr. Leonardi tells me that the manufacture of the machine was stopped in 1939 or 1940.

( Mr. Leonardi actually still owns his father's Barr Typewriter, and is very actively interested in the machine and its history, particularly that of the Weedsport era. He also notes that there is a historical society museum in Weedsport which contains not only a Barr, albeit an Ithaca example, but some information on the machine and/or company as well, and has graciously provided me with the above information. Leonardi Manufacturing Incorporated is still in business to this day, and has a fine website about its company, operations and history on the internet. You can find it here. )

Scans above from the Donald & Carolyn Hoke Typewriter Collection of Advertising and Ephemera. Here are the top sections of the front pages of two different instruction manuals for Barr machines. Both were distributed by the Barr Typewriter Corporation. On the left, a relabeled original manual, which was obviously transferred to the new company. It has both been stamped on the left, and has also had a stick-on label applied on the front. It is otherwise a Barr-Morse manual, and was mailed to a customer early in 1939. On the right, the true final style of manual, actually printed by the Barr Typewriter Corporation. Note the different style of logo, which we will see again.

On the left, another item from Don and Carolyn. This one is a booklet which shows the available keyboard styles for the machine. Again, this is an actual Barr-Morse manual, which was transferred to the new Barr Typewriter Corporation, and is stamped with the same stamp seen above, but twice.

At right, and again another extremely rare contribution from the Donald & Carolyn Hoke collection, is this letter from the Barr Typewriter Corporation's Leman Woodward to a Mr. Levine, dated January 10, 1939. An instruction manual, which actually is the left hand piece pictured above, was sent to the customer, as well as instructions on finding a competent repairman to align his type. It is noted that the type bars are hardened near the segment for long life, and should be adjusted no closer than two inches to the segment. They will break if adjusment is attempted within that distance from the segment.

It is also noted that an instruction booklet on the latest model of machine is included -- that's the piece seen above on the right. Finally --"If your machine has two color ribbon, which is a Model 21, we can send you our latest carrying case priced at $3.00. This will not fit a Model 40 or single color ribbon machine."

That's curious.

Note also the new slogan at the bottom of the letter: "You can use a Barr wherever you are." This replaces the previous "Small enough to carry off, sturdy enough to carry on."

Here is Richard Polt's excellent photo of his excellent condition Barr Universal. This is a good place to show this machine, as it is actually rebuilt from two different machines. While the body of the machine is of Barr-Morse manufacture, the actual machine itself is of Weedsport manufacture. This is why it appears here; it has one spotting feature not found on any known Barr-Morse Ithaca machines, which is black keytops. Usually, black keytops are found only on Barr Typewriter Corporation / Weedsport machines. Still, the machine is just too wonderful looking not to see!!!