You Oughta Know co-hosted by Shirley Min, WHYY
"Philly Typewriter is about community and access" - Shirley Min, Co-Host WHYY "You Oughta Know"
Ways to Get involved
Here at Philly Typewriter, we believe that typewriters are not just relics from the past, but that they have a place and a purpose in this modern day and age.
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Which is why Bryan Kravitz founded the Philadelphia Public Typewriter Program in the Summer of 2018 with the goal to weave typewriters into the fabric of the society, and make them more accessible to the community at large.
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What is the Philadelphia Public Typewriter Program, you ask?The typewriter was designed and built during a golden age of manufacturing and industry where pride of workmanship and quality was expected. People who use typewriters today say that it helps slow down their thought process and provides a connection that is lost in our fast-paced world. But, fully functional typewriters can be hard to come by.
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So, Philly Typewriter has committed to placing vintage, rare, fully working typewriters in hundreds of locations in the Philadelphia area. It will be a way for people of all generations and diverse communities to connect with typewriters and the non-digital, elegant world they represent. This program is a wonderful opportunity to get involved in a truly unique Philadelphia community event.
There are three main ways to participate in the program
— Host a public typewriter
— Donate your unwanted typewriters
— Take a class and restore a typewriter for the program
— Donate your unwanted typewriters
— Take a class and restore a typewriter for the program
Let's take a closer look at each of these, shall we?
A Public Typewriter Program Typewriter placed in A Novel Idea on Passyunk Ave.
Host a public typewriterAs a host location for a public typewriter you will become known as “that cool place with the typewriter.” We are actively looking for permanent venues in Philadelphia for public machines and we need your help. Whether you run a youth writing group or own a coffee shop, we would like to hear your ideas for host locations. We believe that the typewriter has a valuable place in today’s culture as many of us crave a slowing to our routines and rhythms in this age of nano-seconds, short attention spans and planned obsolescence– which is why hosting a typewriter is completely free. Please call or email us to register your proposals for locations.
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Bryan with some of the Public Typewriter Program machines all ready to find a home.
Donate your unwanted typewritersHave a typewriter you just don't need anymore? Donate your unwanted typewriters in any condition and we will fix them up and find homes for them as Public Typewriters in Philadelphia. We will keep you up-to-date on the progress of your machine as it goes through the process of being restored and placed into public service.
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Three repair class students holding the newest, finished additions to the program!
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Take a class to learn how to restore typewriters while restoring one for the programJoin Bryan Kravitz, founder of Philly Typewriter and 47-year veteran of typewriter repair, as he and his team gently guide you in the art of typewriter maintenance and restoration. You will learn how to properly clean, lubricate and grease a typewriter, how to wind your own ribbon…and much, much more. You will gain the basic skills of typewriter repair and restoration so that you can work on machines of your own if you choose to. At the end of your sessions you will have a completed, working typewriter that will be put into service in the community. These classes take place during our normal work days, so you not only get to repair a typewriter, but you actually get to work alongside our dedicated staff too!
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Repair Class Pricing 2025
Basic Repair Class: $400 - This four week basic course covers the repair of a post war Royal standard typewriter. Cost includes all materials including new rubber components!
Private Repair Class: $600 - This one day repair course takes you through the four week class over the course of a full workday at the shop. A fantastic option for those out of state. Please call for availability!
Add-Ons:
Youth Addition: $75 - Children over the age of 9 are more than welcome to join an adult at their bench for the repair course.
Take the machine with you!: $200 - After all that hard work, you might fall in love with the machine you've restored! For this additional fee, that machine can come with you at the completion of the class.
* Prices subject to change, please call or email to register *
Private Repair Class: $600 - This one day repair course takes you through the four week class over the course of a full workday at the shop. A fantastic option for those out of state. Please call for availability!
Add-Ons:
Youth Addition: $75 - Children over the age of 9 are more than welcome to join an adult at their bench for the repair course.
Take the machine with you!: $200 - After all that hard work, you might fall in love with the machine you've restored! For this additional fee, that machine can come with you at the completion of the class.
* Prices subject to change, please call or email to register *
2025 Repair Class Schedule
March 2025Thursdays starting the 6th - 1pm-4pm - 2 spots left
Saturdays starting the 8th - 12pm-3pm - 1 spot left |
April 2025Thursdays starting the 10th - 1pm-4pm - 2 spots left
Saturdays starting the 12th - 12pm-3pm - 1 spot left |
May 2025Thursdays starting the 8th - 1pm-4pm - 2 spots left
Saturdays starting the 10th - 12pm-3pm - 1 spot left |
* Make ups are available for one missed class, holiday scheduling to be discussed at time of registration. *
Typewriters have an incredibly rich history that we think should be more accessible to the public. Fall 2022 we introduced The Philly Typewriter Lecture Series.
Bryan Kravitz is taking Philly Typewriter on the road with a lecture series exploring the history of the typewriter. From the mind of Christopher Latham Sholes and the rise of the IBM Selectric to the typewriter’s life at home and in the workplace, registrants will get a deep understanding of the impact of typewriter throughout history, then and now. This series will take place at the Parkway Central Library here in Philadelphia. These lectures will not be live streamed or recorded, and seating is limited so enroll soon!
2022 - 2023 Lecture Series ScheduleAlthough the lecture series has wrapped up, be on the look out for stand alone dates for our lectures in the future!November 30th 2022 - The Writing Instrument: Typewriter Origins
January 18th 2023 - Typewriter Cause & Effect February 15th 2023 - The Typewriter in the Workplace March 15th 2023 - Innovations & Standardization of the Typewriter April 19th 2023 - The Personal Life of the Typewriter May 17th 2023 - IBM & The Rise of the Selectric July 19th 2023 - The Typewriter Revolution of Today August 18th 2023 - Philly Typewriter: The Age of Restoration & Preservation |
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