Corona Special, 1911, USA

In 1886, Lyman C. Smith and his brothers Wilbert, Monroe, and Hurlbut founded the Smith Premier Typewriter Company.
In 1906, New York City’s Rose Typewriter Company launched the first successful portable typewriter. They were bought by Smith in 1909 and renamed the Standard Typewriter Company. In order to promote the use of the typewriter, the company initially offered typing services at the company headquarters.

With the success of their Corona model, the Standard Typewriter Company was renamed again and became the Corona Typewriter Company. Smith Corona was founded when LC Smith & Bros merged with Corona Typewriter in 1926. During the Second World War, typewriter production shifted to various military weapons and parts.