The Kosmopolit (Cosmopolitan) is a sophisticated and beautifully engineered linear index typewriter introduced in 1888 by the sewing machine manufacturer Guhl & Harbeck of Hamburg. It succeeded their first typewriter, the Hammonia (1884), which was Europe’s first commercially successful typewriter.
Unlike machines designed for speed, the Kosmopolit prioritized high-quality, print-like writing and versatility. It achieved crisp printing by using rubber type, inked via an ink pad, to stamp characters directly onto the paper. A distinctive curved segment comb, prominently positioned at the front of the typewriter, ensured precise alignment, guaranteeing that characters were perfectly placed on the page.
Its versatility came from thirteen interchangeable rubber index plates (six were included with a new machine), which could be easily swapped by loosening a single screw. These plates allowed users to change fonts and type in different languages when paired with a corresponding paper index. Below is the rubber index plate from this typewriter—remarkably, the rubber remains intact after 140 years, though it is often missing from surviving examples.
Typing involved swinging the black knob on the long lever to select characters. Pressing the lever down into the segment comb would imprint the character and advance the carriage. Moving the knob forward or backward shifted between the two concentric paper character indexes, effectively changing the case.
The Kosmopolit was Guhl & Harbeck’s final typewriter. The company later turned to producing the well-crafted Jupiter pencil sharpeners. While the Kosmopolit was exported across Europe, it saw only limited success, with advertising ceasing by 1903.
