Reply to u/Bonkzzilla at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1wx4l50/desk_pickiness/

You'll be hard-pressed to find a modern desk with heights specifically for typewriters.

Most mid-century typewriter specific furniture was designed to put the tabletop for a typewriter at 26 inches off of the floor, but the average modern desk is typically at 28 inches.

Your best bet is either a wooden or metal executive tanker desk with either one or two pedestals. They often have writing drawers which pull out and you can put a typewriter on them to lose an inch or two. Some also had spring-loaded platforms which allowed you to open a door and pulling your typewriter up and out at a better/lower height. Other desks had a rotating desktop to which you could bolt your typewriter and allow you to flip the typewriter upside down for storage underneath the desk. Some also came with a desk return which was attached to the side at a height a few inches lower that had space for a typewriter.

There are also some small vintage typewriter stands, usually with wheels to allow for some modest mobility. These can be found for about US$50 these days.

Examples: - https://boffosocko.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/wp-17169128054434698029806415884065.jpg<br /> - https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F51bda2fe-c049-4b48-a057-87457a49e01a_902x882.png<br /> - https://www.google.com/search?q=typewriter+stand

I Hate Modern Desks... So I Built This. by Morley Kert

via https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1240478151604290/

Typewriter tables built onto a swivel attached to the leg of a large partner's desk.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1s7eiav/table_score/<br /> Vanpe, Inc. of Chicago manufactured typewriter tables with drop leaves and drawers.

The Secretary’s Day. 1947. Coronet Instructional Films. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOe0259_OuA (March 7, 2026).

Typewriter desks with top flip functionality shown in operation at 00:32 and 01:45 and closing it up at 10:24.

In addition to storing away the typewriter when not needed, these flip top desks also served as impromptu dust covers to keep dust out of them when not actively in use.

Jean Carroll as secretary and Marge Quinn as stenographer.

Paper sorter file in desk drawer at 00:55

Appointments and diaries

Definition of stenographer: responsible for dictation, transcription, typing, billing, filing, operate office machines like duplicators and calculators, occasional switchboard operation.

Filing here shown as a simple presumably recent correspondence file that is kept on hand in the secretary's desk drawer rather than in a nearby filing cabinet or centralized office filing cabinet. 03:29

"A good secretary doesn't rely on memory." (Instead she makes a permanent note.) timestamp 4:11

Placing a long distance phone call [8:31]

For the average office-type chair, the sweet spot you're looking for is a tabletop about 26 inches off of the floor.

Most modern desks have their tabletops at 28-29" off of the floor which is too high for comfortably typing on a typewriter. The larger old school typewriter desks (double and single pedestals) often had a flip top or spring loaded side compartment that brought the surface that the typewriter sat on down to a more comfortable 26" off of the floor. Similarly you'll see desk returns for these desks which are an inch or two shorter to allow for a typewriter off to the side. Many of the same tanker desks had writing drawers that pulled out to provide space over the other drawers for writing and these also make great surfaces for typewriters to be an inch or two lower than the standard height. These desks usually are heavy and take up some significant floor space.

From the 1920s, a variety of manufacturers made stand-alone typewriter stands, typically with two drop leaves on either side and wheels to give one easy space for their typewriter that didn't take up a huge footprint and could be moved around the office or home as needed. Similar to these in the modern furniture space, you might find a variety of side tables or occasional tables with tabletops at a more comfortable 26-27" for your typing.

For off-label use cases, you could try a counter-height stool (24-26") as a temporary typewriter stand to pair with most standard office chairs. Generally bar stools are much taller in the 36" range, so don't do this unless it's your intention to type standing up.

I've got a 20 drawer library card catalog with a tabletop height of 36.5" that makes an excellent height for a standing desk for typing.

reply to u/The-Wolf-Bandit at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1q6e8oo/what_do_you_guys_have_your_typewriters_on/

Reply to u/Charlea1776 at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1lx86q0/1950_smith_corona_sterling/ on how to mount a typewriter to a typing desk:

If you're a room or two away, the noise may not be too bad for sleeping children. Typing on a felted wool mat may also be helpful.

The specially made typing desks made of wood, often had holes drilled into them that allowed one to insert bolts from below that threaded into custom holes in the frame of the typewriter. Generally these only worked with standard machines which were manufactured to be used this way and it's reasonably obvious where the two holes were (usually about midway up the bottom of the frame). When not in use, the top of the desk flips over and hides the typewriter upside down near where one's legs would be positioned. When flipped in typing position, the top of the desk on which the typewriter sits is often lower (25-26" off the floor) than the rest of the desk top (28-29" off the floor).

I would suspect that your 1950 Sterling, being a portable machine, does not have the requisite mounting holes in the typewriter's chassis for allowing this to happen. Being a portable, these were designed to be put in the case and stowed into a closet or credenza when not in use.

If you have a later mid-century 20 gauge steel tanker desk, some of those were made with a cabinet section which had a springloaded metal platform which allowed the typewriter to swing up and out of the desk and into position. If this is the type you have, your typewriter might work with this sort of configuration, but these typically didn't have or require mounting hardware like the wooden versions.

https://new.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ezpurn/typing_endurance/

Definitely posture. Arms level with the floor.

It also helps to have some additional leverage over your keyboard. Raise your chair if necessary. Most modern desktops are 29-30 inches off the floor while older typing desks and writing drawers were designed to be closer to 27 inches off the floor. This helps a lot for endurance.

I've used the small typewriter tables with drop sides and wheels before. I appreciate their small size and ability to move around. I'm actively looking for a new one at the moment. (I sold the original 20 years ago when downsizing during a move between apartments and prior to restarting my collection.)

I currently use a dual pedestal desk and and usually have my typewriters on the pull out writing drawers. This drops the typewriter an inch and makes one's typing position (27" off the floor) much more comfortable than having the typewriter higher up 29-31" for most modern desks and tables.

I have tested a pedestal desk with a spring-loaded typewriter platform that moves up and out of the desk after opening a door. This was an excellent experience, and if I find another, I will surely purchase it. The tough part is that they take up a lot of space as the internal desk space is given entirely to hiding the typewriter when not in use. They're definitely great if you have a heavy 30+ pound standard typewriter that's not so mobile.

The third type are wooden desks with two desk height levels. One for traditional desk work and a second lower one as the typewriter platform. The lower height is obviously much more ergonomic for typing for long periods. On most of these desks, the inset typewriter space is most often given completely over for the typewriter to be there permanently. If your plan is to only have a typewriter, then jump, but their use is more difficult if you're sharing that space with a computer and need to move the two back and forth regularly. Additionally, the wooden desks have either permanent cut outs or can be flipped over to hide the cutout and make the entire desk space flush when the typewriter isn't in use. You'll have to use your own gut to decide which of these two might be best for you. I recently saw a reasonable version of a convertible wooden desk at https://abqtypers.substack.com/p/convertible-typewriter-desk

I find these pop up pretty regularly in the $200-500 range. Often owners don't want them because they don't use typewriters, and they don't move easily, so they're likely to come down in price pretty quickly/easily.

“Business Machines.” The Journal of Business Education, September 1, 1930. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00219444.1930.10771593.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml43nNSUkIw

If digital user interfaces and navigational difficulties inhibited reading comprehension in the modern age, what did similar interfaces do to early reading practices?

What methods do we have to tease out data of these sorts of early practices?

What about changes in modes of reading (reading out loud vs. reading quietly)?

I'm reminded of this as a hyperbolic answer, but still the root question may be an apt one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-SjgQvQ