A short video of the Mignon 2 working.
Despite its unusual appearance, the Mignon typewriter featured a clever design that enabled smooth and efficient operation, quite a feat for a typewriter without a keyboard. Using thumb and forefinger, one pinches the black knob to move the pointer to the desired character. This action positions the type cylinder over the platen, after which the front black key is pressed to type. The second black key advances the space.
Both the index plate and type cylinder could be easily swapped, allowing for different languages and fonts. The Mignon remained popular for three decades and was produced into the early 1930s.
