The Sholes Visible, Christopher Latham Sholes’ final typewriter, was patented in 1891. Production began in 1893 when Sholes’ son, Louis, attempted to bring his father’s design to market in Milwaukee. However, his efforts were unsuccessful. In 1901, the Meiselbach Typewriter Co. of Kenosha, Wisconsin, revived the Sholes Visible with minor design modifications. The machine achieved modest success before production ceased in 1905.
The Sholes Visible has a striking appearance, with its complex architectural form that combines strong vertical and diagonal lines along with impressive undulating sides.
One of the most remarkable features of the Sholes Visible is its innovative typebar mechanism. The typebars are arranged in two rows within the angled ‘wing’ that extends above the keyboard (see the fourth image below). When a key is pressed, the typebar shifts slightly into the open channel between the two rows before moving upward to strike the platen.
Though the Sholes Visible ultimately failed in the marketplace, it remains a testament to Sholes’ ingenuity – an ambitious and inventive machine that stands as a tribute to his engineering brilliance.
