Cambridge Typewriter was founded in 1968 by Ed Vanderwalle as a typewriter rental company, with its original home on Mass Avenue in Cambridge, MA. As the company grew over the coming years, so did the services offered. Ed moved beyond simple rentals and into the realm of services and sales.

In 1980, Tom Furrier began working as one of Ed's four repair technicians, benefiting from the success and demand of the IBM Selectric. After ten years with the company, Tom took over Cambridge Typewriter following Ed's retirement. With this transition the company moved to its current location in Arlington, MA.

While other typewriter companies had difficulty keeping up with the "computer age" Cambridge Typewriter continued to thrive through the 90's. In 1995 Tom bought out AAA Typewriter of Boston enabling him to greatly expand his service area and customer base.

Today, customers continue to remark on the "museum" quality of the shop in Arlington. Visitors are treated to a cornucopia of machines, including classic Royals and relatively recent IBM Selectrics for collectors and current users. Tom also boasts a great collection of period advertisements from the heyday of the typewriter. (See examples of the machines and ads in our Gallery.)

As Tom and Cambridge Typewriter continue to push through the high-tech world, they're not only catching the eyes and ears of customers. See what the media has to say:

Typecast
Sturdy and evoking nostalgia, typewriters are making a comeback
By Douglas Belkin, Globe Staff
August 13, 2006

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