In a world of smartphones, email and artificial intelligence, there are still people who long for a simpler method of generating written communication.
After initially selling vintage and antiques, Heather Oliphant created The Art of Vintage, a shop for servicing and selling vintage typewriters.
What started as typewriters used as props or decorations for someone’s office became functioning typewriters for writers and journalists.
In some eyes, the new is not necessarily superior to the old.
“There was a paradigm shift where people wanted to purchase typewriters that were functioning,” said Oliphant.
The Art of Vintage’s typewriter inventory is made up of typewriters dating back from the 1930s to the 1950s, and they cost anywhere between $225 to $1200.
Oliphant has numerous people who source or help her source them from all over Canada.
There are specific rules that Oliphant follows when it comes to purchasing typewriters for her shop.
“What I mean by that is not just aesthetically, but they need to look good, and they need to work good as well,” said Oliphant.
Other than selling and servicing, Oliphant provided classes for adults willing to learn more about this vintage machinery. There is also a class for children from the ages of eight to 12.
“I also did an adult typing club where folks could use the typewriters that I had in my inventory,” Oliphant said. “Or they could bring their own.”
With a background in art, Oliphant’s colleague Bart Habermiller describes working with typewriters as a lost art.
“A lot of my activity is with small tools and details,” Habermiller said. “And typewriters are a perfect kind of segue to that whole world.”
Habermiller figures too much time is spent on the phone and that everything moves too quickly. He explains that working with a typewriter slows things down in the fast-paced digital world.
“I think that something like a typewriter is that type of activity minority that removes the flickering small screen and gives opportunity to move slower with your thoughts,” he said.
For eight years, Oliphant was the sole owner of The Art of Vintage. Now, Habermiller will continue her tradition.
“I let The Art of Vintage go at the end of January,” Oliphant said. “But thank goddess my colleague Bart decided that he could keep the torch running for me.”
Habermiller thinks that in the future, everybody should own a typewriter. He is also looking forward to sharing his knowledge about typewriters with Calgarians.
“We would like to expand and possibly get into workshops and to work with people more directly on how they can use typewriters in writing and their creative practice,” said Habermiller.
