New Hall Braillewriter

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Record 154/164
Copyright Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind
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Date ca. 1951
Description Braille writer, which weighs 11 pounds, has a conventional keyboard with back spacing lever on the right side of the base. Paper is wrapped around a central wooden roller and held in place by a rubber traction roller. The braille writer uses 11 1/2 in. wide paper with 41 cells to the line. The plate on the back reads: "The New Hall Braillewriter, Manufactured at the American Printing House for the Blind, Serial no. 1541, Louisville, Ky." This model is black and has chrome plates under the keys.
Dimensions H-14 W-40 D-25 cm
Dimension notes overall
Made American Printing House for the Blind
Material Aluminum, steel, wood, rubber, chrome
Object ID 1992.366
Object Name Braillewriter
Place of Origin Louisville, KY
Provenance/History Designed to be suitable for school use, the New Hall resulted from APH research that tested existing writers for durability, simplicity, and cost. Commercial typewriter parts were used to keep costs low and simplify repairs. Introduced originally in 1941, the New Hall was an updated version of the original 1892 Hall Braillewriter. A line spacer, back spacer, margin regulator and carriage release were added. The frame was cast in one piece and the carriage welded into one unit. The placement of the die box made it possible to write to the very bottom of the sheet. It was named the New Hall Braillewriter to keep Frank Hall's name associated with the appliance that he gave to the blind. The machine sold for $52.50 in 1950. The New Hall was discontinued in 1972.
Subjects Aids for the blind and visually handicapped.
Blind.
Braillewriters.
Instructional aids, tools, and supplies.
Mechanical writing.
Title New Hall Braillewriter
Image Courtesy Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind. Note: use of some materials may be restricted, please call before publishing in any format.

For more information contact the museum at 502-899-2365    museum@aph.org
Last modified on: April 02, 2010