The exquisite nickel-plated Odell 2 typewriter features a beautiful Art Nouveau design cast into its base.
Model 2 introduced a shift lever for typing in both upper and lowercase, along with a bell to signal when the right-hand margin was near. The shift lever can be seen just below the letter ‘T’.
This typewriter became very popular thanks to its elegance, portability, and affordable price of only $20, compared to $60 to $100 for a standard keyboard typewriter. Models 2 through 5 were manufactured and sold successfully until around 1906, when full keyboard typewriters became the clear choice for efficiency. As a result, the Odell, like other index typewriters, fell out of production.
The advertisement below makes the bold claim of offering $1,000 “to any operator who can equal the work of the Double Case Odell on a keyboard typewriter.”
“Like a printing press, it produces sharp, clean, legible manuscripts.”
“Any intelligent person can become a operator in two days.”
