[SUBMITTED PHOTO]This “machine” is in the Botetourt County Historical Museum collection. It was donated by Geneva Dodd Mateer, Ellalee Dodd Vaughn and Virginia Dodd Smith after being used in the Fincastle home of Mr. and Mrs. Shelor Dodd. The Underwood typewriter was the result of almost 30 years of innovation and improvements. The QWERTY keyboard pattern of letters and the telegram type key movement became the dominant design. As businesses expanded the need to retain legible records at fast speeds became necessary, more and more people, mostly women, learned the skill of typing which created a new class of clerical worker. Many homes also had a need for this typewriter, which required an ink ribbon. Carbon paper was used to make copies.
