1910 Albus

These are very rare, especially in the United States. Known Albus serial numbers range from 109 to 1703. This one is 253.

Between 1910-1912, Maschinenfabrik Carl Engler, G.m.b.H. manufactured Albus typewriters in Austria under license from the Standard Typewriter Company. This is why an Albus looks virtually identical to a Standard Folding No. 1, with shift keys on the left and right sides of the keyboard. The keyboard on my Albus was made for a French user. Note the MAJ and CHIF keys. Majuscule translates to “upper case.” Chiffre means “figure.”

Austrian, German, and French armies used the early Albus typewriters. The Albus was the first typewriter to be “used with great success on an aeroplane.”