"Malling-Hansen Writing Ball", 1867

This fascinating machine, the 1st typewriter in the world produced in series, is an historical and technical document. Pastor Rasmus Hans Johan Malling-Hansen – director of Denmark's deaf-and-dumb institute in Copenhagen – invented this wonderful brass precision machine: each of the 54 spring-driven hemispherical typebars slides in a different angle to a tiny central printing pole, which means that every single letter has to be aligned differently. All these letters had to be engraved onto the end of the tiny typebars at that time by professional copperplate engravers of type foundries for the printing process. This technique is no longer possible as (decades ago) all the world's type foundring companies went out of business when typesetting changed to composing (electronics). Technically this 1st typewriter in the world from 1867 already displayed all the significant refinements of typewriters that were introduced 40–50 years later: automatic carriage return and line spacing, space bar, index for paragraphs or indented lines, bell to signal the end of the line, typing copies by carbon paper, ribbon reverse and – last but not least – visible writing by raising the typing mechanism. – These were, and still are, sensational technical refinements which were unbeaten for the almost 40–50 following years. – Not only does the detailed technical precision work of this Malling-Hansen writing ball fascinate us, its elegant brass form is also an iconic design in its own right. – From a total of (presumably) 180 machines ever made there are only 5 models left today in private hands (and 2 of them with Moon's blinds' alphabet on the keytops and not useable for ordinary characters' writing). All the others (about 30) are already included in museum collections worldwide, and therefore beyond the reach of the market and the private collector. – This model is in excellent restored original condition, only key top "5" is replaced and types are worn. – The serial number is 94! – The writing ball by Pastor Malling-Hansen is the world's most expensive historical typewriter with auction records of up to € 131.000,- (US$ 123,000)! – No doubt that this very 1st typewriter in the world is technically as well as optically the giant showpiece of any advanced collection and exhibition worldwide!

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)