So I recently acquired a Underwood Master Typewriter with something strange on the back, a stamp, its hard to explain. It says in gold lettering "US Marine Corps Plant Account" followed with the numbers, in black, 187045 and on the bottom it says NAVMC 10235-SD in gold. I have been searching the internet and have been unable to find any info on what this means or what it really is.
Here is a picture of it, might be a bit small but the original picture was to big so I had to resize it.
Just guessing that the Marine Corps contracted Underwood to produce typewriters to certain specifications. NAVMC probably means Navy Marine Corps. Pictures would be a good thing. Please.
It is all Navy/Marine Corps property/custody accounting gibberish. Did it come from San Diego? Might have been in an office at Marine Corps Recruit Depot there. The Navy Supply Corps Manual of the period this was in use probably has a wiring diagram of how the property accounting system worked then, showing many different forms to be filled out and formats for reports generated from those forms, and who was responsible at various levels. Aren't you sorry you asked?
The seller was actually from North Carolina, the origin of were he or she acquired this is unknown. Also, something I also wish to add is that the stamping itself is kinda crooked to, might be a useless thing to throw out there but every detail counts I suppose.
Those labels make me shudder. Not that I ever had anything to do with the military, but the last plant I worked in went through this "efficiency" craze where absolutely everything had to be labelled and recorded. They used that type of label. I was out in the plant on a scissors lift putting those stupid labels on 60 year old lighting fixtures. A year later the plant was shut down and everything in it was scrapped.
...and get to salvage those lighting fixtures? Some industrial look stuff, especially antique industrial, is worth a packet.
Did I get paid? Sure, I was on salary. Did I get to salvage the fixtures? No. Why did it annoy me so much? It was hot, dirty work that was an utterly worthless waste of time and obviously so.
If u advertise it as a Marine Corps typewriter, should help sell it since Marines are very dedicated and remain Marines always. Some would want it even if they have no possible use for it except as a souvenir doorstop.
I originally got this typewriter for its original purpose, typing. I really have no intention in selling it at this very moment nor do I really intend to sell it. It is however going to have to be cleaned and will need a little work as the keys do work but they do not hit the ribbon, they also have lost there white lettering, but they are still readable. I hope to have this thing restored one day in the future but for know I must take baby steps, at least everything is all there and functions(knocking on wood).
The numbers and letters of the keys were once white and know there greatly faded. I have also gained some info regarding the typewriter, I asked around on the Historical War Militaria Forum about the sticker and someone replied saying it was ordered by the Marine Corps and 10235 is the Vin number. Typewriter was made for US Marine Corps under the Plant Account Number 187045. Last number is serial number for the machine."
Ah! I was thinking about the strike key not the key you hit. If the paper they were printed on, if done this way, was cheap and not UV stable they would yellow. I like this though.
lolz, no worries ^-^ Its actually stamped into the typewriter, no paper or anything, should of mentioned that.
