Here are some amazing Bob Dylan Photos when he was typewriting
London Savoy Hotel Press Conference – 27 April 1965. Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson and who else?
“This image is a grab from Pennebaker’s filming. If it’s when Dylan is shown typing “Alternatives to College” then it is supposedly at the London Savoy Hotel – 4 May 1965.”
“He is also believed to have used an Olivetti Lexikon 80 and, while on tour in Britain in 1965, he borrowed an Olympia SG1 to type as Joan Baez sings. The footage of him doing this can be seen in Dont Look Back, the 1967 documentary film made of the tour made by D.A.Pennebaker.”
“Douglas R. Gilbert was the photographer as Dylan was typing the liner notes for his fourth album, Another Side of Bob Dylan, in his writing studio above the Café Espresso on Tinker Street, Woodstock, New York, in August 1964. Royal Safari typewriter.”
The Bootleg Series Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos: 1962–1964 (2010)
Heylin, Clinton. The songs of Bob Dylan. London: Constable, 2009-2010. 9781849010511 Volume 1: 1957-73. Revolution in the air. Volume 2: 1974-2008. Still on the road.
“A number of photographs of Bob Dylan typing were used in the December 2010 edition of the British music magazine Mojo, including this one, which appears to show Dylan using an Olivetti Lettera 32.”
New York City Photograph taken for Life Magazine, 10 April 1964 Photograph courtesy of Ted Russell. 1964-03-13
New York City Photograph taken for Life Magazine, 10 April 1964 Photograph courtesy of Ted Russell. 1964-03-13
Olympia SG1 typewriter.
Olivetti Lexicon 80 The Lexikon 80 was a standard mechanical manual typewriter produced by Olivetti. It was designed in 1948 by architect and designer Marcello Nizzoli, together with the engineer Giuseppe Beccio. The first version was released in 1949 and about 780,000 units were produced by 1959.
The Remington Rand typewriter at the Big Pink in 2014 when Garth Hudson revisited. It is a great film prop, anyone know if Bob Dylan or anyone in Big Pink ever had a typewriter like it? The date of this typewriter? 1940s? The model? Remington Rand KMC? Or is it a KMM? Though Remington Rand as a company ceased to exist in 1955 the brand name was carried on after the merger, creating Sperry Rand. (In 1924 Remington itself had merged with the the Noiseless Typewriter Company. And yes, this is all related to Eliphalet Remington’s famous 1816 arms company, the oldest arms manufacturer still trading. Eliphalet knew there will always be a killing to be made profiting from the love of guns in America. More people have been shot by a Remington than any other brand!) But this typewriter looks 1940s.
Dylan’s desk & typewriter at The Castle (Los Angeles ’66).
Royal Safari typewriter.
Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter.
“Models: Throughout his career, Bob Dylan has been promiscuous with typewriters, having been photographed with countless models and makes. He’s spend time with a Royal Safari, stroked the keys of an Olivetti Lexikon 80 and borrowed an Olympia SG1 on tour with Joan Baez. (In the 1967 documentary Dont Look Back, you’ll see him tapping away on the Olympia as Joan Baez belts out a number.) Call the man versatile. “Love/Hate? Biographers and friends have often said that Dylan could be lodged in spartan accommodation, as long as his room contained three fundamentals: a bed, a table and a typewriter. When he wasn’t swinging a guitar, he could be found hunched over a typewriter and often carried a portable model on tour. “Trivia: Dylan would always set up the typewriter in the corner of the room, placing it in the middle of the desk, with either an ashtray or a bottle of Coke sitting next to it. In the evenings, he’d drink red wine, smoke and type for hours. Friends would say that in the middle of the night, it was common to see Dylan wake up, grunt, light a cigarette and stumble over to the typewriter again.” https://www.benjamin-law.com/2011/09/typewriters-the-men-who-love-them/
Sources: www.edlis.org/cafe
