germany2

Germany 2 More various machines from Germany, and addenda

OLYMPIA SM portables from the 1950's can be found in a wide variety of nifty colors. On the left, my 1959 brown variant, and on the right my 1960 two-tone machine -- burgundy and grey with burgundy keys. Both of these are model SM3 and are in silvered, streamlined bent-wood cases.

By the way, if you're perplexed by the OLYMPIA model numbering system, you aren't alone. The serial numbers for portables of the size seen above run all the way thru the 1950's and 1960's with no indication of model number break. These are SM, or Screibmaschine Medium (or something like that) series machines. The small flat machines are in the SF series, and the TRAVELLER machines in the SKM series.

Here is my next OLYMPIA machine in age; it's from 1962. This is an SM7. The units above have conventional ribbon covers, but on this example the whole top and sides are one piece which hinges up at the back. Note tab set and clear buttons either side of space bar, and green shift keys.

There appears to be a variant between these two, shaped like the machines above but with green shift keys and tab set and clear buttons like those on this newer machine. (Machines above have manual, rear-set tabs.)

The OLYMPIA SM series machine at right dates to 1966, and is unlike all those above as it employs basket shift. Note retention of green shift keys. This is an SM9.

We're working out the numbers, and will try to post a charting of them when adequately researched and cross referenced. However, we see here (basically) the 1950's body at top, an early 60's transitional machine above, and the late definitive basket shifted machine at right.

Note that there are a number of OLYMPIA portables which were made in Japan rather than Germany; those can be found on other reference pages.

This is my 1939 Klein-Urania portable, manufactured by Clemens Muller A.G. in Dresden, Germany. This model was introduced about 1935 and produced until the War. Notable for its side-mounted ribbon selector dial, and for the extreme fanning out of the type bars at rest - carried in a large rounded shield kind of like that of the Barr Portable, but much more pronounced.

OLYMPIA machines of all varieties are quite popular with collectors who type, and don't require much comment as to their operability or utility. However, some brief delineation of models should be given.

At left, we see a small, flat Olympia machine. You will find these machines in submodels SFS and SF, and carrying several model names. All are basically the same machine, whose production began in 1956. The next year, Olympia built a factory specifically designed to produce these machines, and annual production jumped up considerably and stayed there. One of the very best of the flat portables ever made.

Olympia also manufactured essentially the same machine in a slightly larger and more modernistic body as the Traveller or the Traveller de Luxe. Later on, production of the machine was subcontracted to UNIS of Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, who even later took over all production of this machine --- and even began to distribute it under its own name. No matter, though, as all of these are just as well made as the original SF series and are wonderful to use.

Click here for lots more info on the SM9 including Kurt McCullum's page on his own site detailing the SM9 body styles and dates