For sale is an antique working OLIVER STANDARD BAT WING VISIBLE TYPEWRITER No 3 from the Oliver Typewriter Company. This typewriter is in great condition. A distinctive feature of Oliver typewriters is that the typebars strike downwards. The typewriter is referred to as having a “batwing” design because the machine’s striking mechanism resembles a bat’s wings. The company manufactured the Model No 3 Oliver typewriter from 1900 until 1907. The typewriter is marked with several patent dates, the most recent patent date is March 19, 1898. The typewriter was one of the first visible-writing machines, offering a partial view of typed text through its unique construction. The typewriter measures approximately 15 inches wide, by 10 inches tall, and 14 inches deep. A museum quality collectible.
In 1852, Thomas Oliver was born in Canada. After the death of his mother, he moved to Monticello, Iowa, to serve as a Methodist minister. In 1888, he developed his first typewriter from strips of tin cans so he could type more legible sermons. In 1891, he was awarded his first typewriter patent. After four years of development, he built a “crude working model” composed of 500 parts. Oliver resigned his ministry and moved to Epworth, Iowa, where he found investors for his company to manufacture his typewriter machines. In 1895, the Oliver Typewriter Company began its operations in Chicago. During World War I the company produced munitions for the British army and supplied typewriters for the military.
