Dial Typewriter from Louis Marx Toy Company

Circa 1950s

The Dial Typewriter from Louis Marx and Company is a classic example of the type of tin lithograph toy that helped the company become one of the largest toy manufacturers in the world by the 1950s and continues to endear them to collectors to this day.

Like other tin toys produced during this time period, the typewriter was fabricated using thin sheets of stell covered (or plated) with a thin coat of tin.  A process called chromolithography (a precursor to offset printing) was used to add a colorful design (in this case, a facsimile of typewriter keys) to the toy.

Despite appearances to the contrary, the dial typewriter was fully functional.  It operated by turning the large dial in the center to the desired letter and pressing down on the large balck lever to lower the print head to the paper.  The space key can also be used to advance the print head.  Two rubber rollers work in concert with a red wooden dial on each side of the paper head to advance paper through the toy.  

Many collectors, today, have found online how to properly load the typewriter with paper.  A how-to video on YouTube was found and turning to a Google search a blog called oz.Typewriter was located.  It was written by Robert Messenger, a columnist at The Canberra Times in Canberra, Australia.  Messenger is also the owner, curator and operator of The Australia Typewriter Museum.  According to an online profile,his personal typewriter collection exceeds 1,000 items and includes the largest collection of toy typewriters in the world, from1893 to present day.  

Regular alterations to existing modesl allowed Marx to sell a variety of different toy typerwriters.  Many of the toys were designed on commission and patented by Samuel Berger. He resided in Newark, New Jersey, a stone's throw from Marx's headquarters in New York City.  United States Patent #133,266 filed August 27, 1941 and United States Patent #2,534,399 filed November 19, 1947 are two examples of the many toy typewriter-oriented patents attributed to Berger.

Marx' toys included tinplate buildings, tin soldiers, toy cars/trucks, dollhouses, HO scale/gauge and O scale/gauge trains.  Louis Marx founded Marx Trains.  The original Marx trains were electric trains at a low cost.  Built to last, these trains were made from stamped metal and tin lithograph.  Their affordability was a major part of their success.  Louis Marx was always trying to improve his toys while cutting costs.  The Marx motor contributed to this business decision.  It was an open-frame motor and was standardized for all of the company's trains and it was one of the most reliable ever made.

In the late 1930s Marx began making a train for 0 gauge and produced a diecast locomotive, the 999, which was the first of many highly detailed realistic train models. After WWII, Marx continued developing its scale line and also started producing plastic models.  Production went until the mid 1970s. Marx created a blend of steam locomotives and streamliners along with brightly colored boxcars, gondolas and stock cars.  Thrown into the mix, Marx also created operating lights and signals, stations and switch towers all at affordable prices.