Not all typewriters, as I recollect.
The most popular unit at the time was probably the IBM Selectric. And, indeed, it employed a monospaced font.
Another IBM unit, the Executive, employed proportionally spacing (and was thus hell to correct, requiring perfect transcription). But, as I recall, it was a sans-serif face.
The typeface on these memos appears to be proportional, but it is also a serifed face (Times New Roman or a similar variant). So, I would doubt the machine was an IBM Executive.
As I recall, the IBM Selectric was named thusly because you could buy different font "balls" for it.
Instead of font letters at the end of arms that slammed up onto the ribbon and paper at the touch of a key, the Selectric had a ball with all the letters around on its surface. Whenever you touched a key, the ball spun around and hit the ribbon and paper.
I know that may not give a very good description but whatyawant for midnight.
A comment on the IBM Executive typewriter...this was a common choice for most AF squadron orderly rooms and treasured asset by all admin folks at the time. No commander ever typed a single document out (as alot of them do today)...they always had the trusted "radar" type admin guy who did all of the admin work for them. I'm kinda surprised that admin folks haven't stood up who were assigned to the units in question.
Not all typewriters, as I recollect.
The most popular unit at the time was probably the IBM Selectric. And, indeed, it employed a monospaced font.
Another IBM unit, the Executive, employed proportionally spacing (and was thus hell to correct, requiring perfect transcription). But, as I recall, it was a sans-serif face.
The typeface on these memos appears to be proportional, but it is also a serifed face (Times New Roman or a similar variant). So, I would doubt the machine was an IBM Executive.
27 posted on 09/09/2004 12:35:58 AM EDT by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
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Actually, my IBM Exective had a Roman (serif) style font. As I noted in other posts, the IBM Executive type styles though proportional, did not look like regular printed fonts, and the Times New Roman used in the memo does not appear to be an Executive type.