December 2018
From the Collection of Everett E. Henderson, Jr.
Manufacturer: L C Smith & Corona Typewriters, Inc.
Model: Sterling Streamline
Year: 1939
Color: Dark Burgundy, Original
Typeface: Corona Music Keyboard
Nickname: None
"I was truly lucky to find this machine here in Austin. It belonged to a professor who taught music at Huston-Tillotson University. She was trained at The Juilliard School. The machine functions flawlessly. The platen and feed rollers all still have a tad bit of bounce left in them and they feed paper as they should. The machine has obviously been used and the case was heavily worn. The paint is thin where the body contacts the case. The case protected the typewriter as it should have.
At first glance the typewriter appears like a normal Corona, Sterling. Upon further inspection the keys have music notation and the slugs protrude above the ribbon cover by about 1/4” on the ends. The ribbon cover has a slightly wider opening to accept the higher keys which appear saw-toothed compared to the typical slugs. The line-indicator is open at the top to accept the taller slugs which can cover the full height of the ribbon. It also has a notch in the indicator to precisely locate the music notation. The gear on the platen has tiny notches compared to the typical course toothed gear to allow for precise vertical placement of the notes. The ribbon selector for the vibrator has been locked out because the music notation uses the full width of the 1/2” ribbon. The red and blue dots that indicate the color selector have been blacked out to indicate that it is non-functional.
The later music writers would be dedicated machines that only had music keys. This model could be used for correspondence, music writing, and lyrics. I would imagine one of the weaknesses of this machine would be that it does not have a full range of music notation. It is also missing a colon and semicolon… which I would find a tiny bit annoying for typical writing. I was excited to get this machine because I wanted to use it to help create my artwork. I mix written work with my watercolors to provide another layer. I have created several pieces now and am very happy with it." ~ Everetto