The Sholes Visible, Christopher Latham Sholes last typewriter, was patented in 1891. Production began in 1893 when Sholes’ son, Louis, attempted to bring his father’s design to market in Milwaukee. However, his efforts were unsuccessful. In 1901, the Meiselbach Typewriter Co. of Kenosha, Wisconsin, revived the Sholes Visible with minor design modifications, achieving modest success before ceasing production in 1905.
The Sholes Visible has a striking appearance with its complex architectural form, combining strong vertical and diagonal lines with its impressive undulating sides.
One of the most remarkable features of the Sholes Visible is its innovative type bar mechanism. The type bars are arranged in two rows within the angled “wing” that extends above the keyboard (see the fourth image below). When a key is pressed, the type bar shifts slightly into the open channel between the two rows of type bars before moving upward to strike the platen.
Though the Sholes Visible ultimately failed in the marketplace, it remains a testament to Sholes’ ingenuity—an ambitious and inventive machine that stands as a tribute to his engineering brilliance.
