The first one was a gift. Collecting typewriters became his passion after that

Not too long ago, the court arena was synonymous with the incessant clatter emanating from the gradual rhythm of typists' fingers striking keys on the typewriter. 

Someone's will is someone's document for the court. The machine, which used to run non-stop from morning to evening, is now a museum piece.

Even the foremost technology of its time succumbs to obsolescence or has to make way for new technologies. The best inventions from the past, such as the cassette, landline, or telephone booth, are now mere stories. 

Yet, there are people who cannot let go of the enchantment of the past and fall in love anew with the perennial charm of those old machines. One such individual is Mehedi Hasan Fuad.

Although the echoing sound of typewriters is no longer heard in the court compound, it can still be heard coming from typewriter collector Fuad's collection. With more than fifty typewriters, Fuad is one of the country's premier collectors.

A lover's gift

If I had a typewriter, I would write you letters. Fuad said this to his girlfriend. This incident dates back to 2017 when he was a student at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology. In that very year, on Fuad's birthday, his girlfriend gave him a typewriter as a gift!

Fuad now had to keep his word, so he began typing letters to his girlfriend on the typewriter. One, two, and then countless. The more he used the machine, the more he fell in love with it, and then he started collecting typewriters. And this is how he became one of the top typewriter collectors in the country!

This was the beginning of the story. From 2017 to 2023, in six years, Fuad's collection has now grown to 60 typewriters. Almost all of them are operational. Starting with the typewriter given by his girlfriend, he has collected the rest from all over the country.

One of the typewriters from Fuad's collection. Photo: Noor A Alam

Whenever and wherever he found typewriters, he went there. Among them, he has collected the most from Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Jessore, and Sylhet, Fuad mentioned. Occasionally, he also engages in writing with the typewriter. He said, "I have some favourite typewriters that I occasionally use and write with. However, due to lack of time, I don't use them much nowadays."

Fuad, who holds a diploma in textile engineering, is currently interning at a private organisation. In addition to this, he also runs a business related to film cameras. Primarily, he funds his passion for collecting typewriters through his business. He has received assistance from his family in building this collection.

Fuad said, "I have never pressured my family regarding my collection. Right from the beginning, my family has been very supportive. However, sometimes they ask, why are you turning the house into a dump with these job lots? I've had to listen to such things occasionally. But overall they have been very helpful."

There are some great stories 

"Once my semester final exams were underway, I randomly saw a post on Facebook saying that someone was selling a typewriter. When the seller mentioned that they would sell it quickly, I decided to go and collect the typewriter before my exams. When I went to the examination hall after returning from there, I was late due to a traffic jam. After that, they wouldn't let me enter. I had to beg a lot to take the exam," said Fuad.

There are many such stories in the life of this collector over the course of six long years. It happened that he once made an advance payment, went to see it, and found out that the typewriter had been sold elsewhere.

"Once, there was a plan to collect a typewriter from a certain place, but due to being busy, I was slightly delayed in going there. When I went, I saw that the typewriter had been sold at a higher price! It was quite disappointing."

The bedroom is Fuad's museum

Most of the typewriters in Fuad's collection are from the United States, Spain and Japan. There are also a number of German typewriters. The 'ABC' and 'Remmington' typewriters from the '40s enriched his collection.

The typewriter given as a gift by his girlfriend was the 'Olivetti Letter 32.' After that, he gradually collected typewriters such as 'Brother,' 'Silver Red,' 'Olympia,' 'Brother Charger,' and countless others. The names of the two oldest ones are 'Smith Corona' and 'Imperial Good.'

Close-up look at the keyboard of a typewriter Fuad owns. Photo: Noor A Alam

Fuad mentioned that collectors have a dream of collecting the US-made Smith Corona, and he has it in his possession. On the other hand, he considers the 'Imperial Good,' made in England, a fantastic addition to his collection."

Fuad has made typewriters a part of his life. His bedroom is now a museum. Under the bed, on the reading table, everywhere, there is a typewriter. He says the biggest problem is a lack of space. 

"A lot of space is needed to store typewriters. That's why some of my typewriters are under the bed, some in the store room, some under the table, and so on. In my room, where I keep the typewriters, there is often not enough space for me."

Another problem, according to Fuad, is money. "At times, there is a financial crunch. This problem arises as collecting typewriters is quite expensive compared to collecting other things."

How much has he spent on his collection? Fuad mentioned that the prices are determined based on the model and age. His typewriter collection ranges from two and a half thousand to twenty-five thousand taka.

The Smith Corona typewriter is a classic staple of vintage writing technology, and is renowned for its durability. Fuad still has one of its typewriters. Photo: Noor A Alam

Future plans for the collection

Fuad initially collected old cameras as well as equipment such as telephones. After that, his dream grew bigger when he came to collect typewriters. He has a lot of plans for these collections in the future.

According to Fuad, the current generation only knows about computers and paper-pen writing. The use of mechanical writing or typewriters is unknown to most of them. "But this way, the history of the typewriter is being lost. I want to tell the current generation about mechanical writing."

With this goal in mind, Fuad dreams of establishing a museum. He envisions creating a place where people can come and learn about the history of typewriters. 

"If the opportunity arises, I want to create a space where people can come and explore the history of typewriters," he said. Currently, this remains a dream for him, but he hopes that everyone becomes more aware of history in the future.