Historical information

Hermes typewriters were manufactured by Paillard S.A. of Yverdon in Switzerland. Paillard Ltd (originally Maison Paillard) was a premier Swiss precision engineering company which operated for 175 years. It developed from a small watchmaker collective into a global leader in typewriters as well as gramophones, radio sets and, under the name of Paillard-Bolex, cameras and film cameras.

Paillard began making typewriters under the Hermes name in 1923. Early typewriters were usually heavy office typewriters but over time popular portable typewriters were added to their range.

The Hermes Standard 8 typewriter was produced between 1953 and 1965. It was a heavy-duty desktop model. Typewriters of this model with a wide carriage were considered to be quiet rare. They were designed for the operator to be able to produce wide ledgers. However by 1963 its successor the Hermes Standard 9 had gone into production.
With the rise of personal computers in the 1980s, typewriters gradually fell into obsolescence and came to be thought of as an outdated writing technology of the past.
The company was ultimately taken over by Olivetti in 1981, and operations largely ceased by 1989.

Significance

This item is significant because it was a popular and important piece of office equipment used in many Wodonga business in the 1950s and 1960s.

Physical description

A pale green Hermes Standard 8 typewriter with wide carriage.

Inscriptions & markings

Serial Number 8120839
Hermes Standard 8

On back - HERMES / Made in Switzerland / paillard s.a. Yverdon