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Typewriters through the years

American writer William Faulkner's Underwood typewriter at Rowan Oak, his Oxford, Miss., home, is shown in 2000. "Faulkner had a habit of buying used portables locally, wearing them out, then trading them in on more used portables," writes Gary Bridgman, the photographer.

American writer William Faulkner’s Underwood typewriter at Rowan Oak, his Oxford, Miss., home, is shown in 2000. “Faulkner had a habit of buying used portables locally, wearing them out, then trading them in on more used portables,” writes Gary Bridgman, the photographer.  (Gary Bridgman / southsideartgallery.com)

By Carolyn Kellogg

Faster than a pen and paper, more decipherable than a hasty scrawl: The typewriter was a boon to writers for many years. Here’s a look some favorite writers’ typewriters and the machine in all its glory.

Jack London's typewriter

A portrait of author Jack London sits above his typewriter in the Glen Ellen, Calif., cottage where he lived in 1916. From the case’s battered condition, it’s clear that London dragged his typewriter along on the adventures that led to books such as “The Call of the Wild” and “White Fang.”  (Eric Risberg / Associated Press)

Ernest Hemingway's typewriter

Ernest Hemingway’s typewriter remains at the ready at his home in Key West, Fla.  (Santi Visalli / Getty Images)

Steve Soboroff

Los Angeles investor and civic leader Steve Soboroff’s typewriter collection includes ones owned by John Lennon, Joe DiMaggio, George Bernard Shaw and Ernest Hemingway.   (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Vintage typewriter

Typewriter repairman Richard Lewis works on a vintage typewriter in 1999.  (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)

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Carolyn Kellogg

Carolyn Kellogg is a prize-winning writer who served as Books editor of the Los Angeles Times for three years. She joined the L.A. Times in 2010 as staff writer in Books and left in 2018. In 2019, she was a judge of the National Book Award in Nonfiction. Prior to coming to The Times, Kellogg was editor of LAist.com and the web editor of the public radio show Marketplace. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA in English from the University of Southern California.

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