Another excellent and successful design by Parker Wellington Kidder, who had previously created the Franklin.
The Empire is a lateral thrust machine, with typebars arranged in a fan-like configuration (see detail below). When typing, the typebars move horizontally to strike the platen. The first typewriter to have this lateral thrust design was the Rapid from 1890.
The Empire was a superb typewriter, comfortable to use, highly reliable, and neither too large nor heavy. It sold very well, and many examples have survived.
It was manufactured by The Williams Manufacturing Co., which produced both sewing machines and typewriters in two factories: one in Montreal, Canada, and the other in Plattsburgh, New York. In the American market, the machine was known as the Wellington typewriter. Remarkably, the Montreal factory still stands and has since been converted into an elegant condominium residence. The detail images below show the factory as it appeared on their 1899 letterhead and how it looks today.
“The Empire is built to withstand hard use and merciless abuse.”
“You may strike the Empire keyboard with your clinched fist, forcing down a dozen keys at once, without damage to the machine.”
