Chinese typewriter, Double Pigeon, DHY-d series

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images

On display

V&A South Kensington
Design 1900 to Now, Room 74

Artist/Maker	Shanghai Typewriter Factory (made)
Place of origin	Shanghai (made)

Typewriter

Object details

Category	Tools & Equipment
Object type	Typewriter
Title	Chinese typewriter, Double Pigeon, DHY-d series (generic title)
Materials and techniques	Steel Steel
Brief description	Chinese typewriter, Double Pigeon, DHY-d series, Shanghai Typewriter Factory, Shanghai, 1980.
Physical description	Typewriter
Dimensions	Height: 26cm Width: 45cm Length: 51cm
Gallery label	(2021) Mechanising office work The typewriter and duplicator were both designed to improve standardisation in the workplace. In 1929, the British manufacturer Gestetner approached American designer Raymond Loewy to enhance the appearance of their duplicator, a machine similar to a photocopier and printer. He streamlined the bulky machine, making it less cumbersome and more appealing to use. The Double Pigeon typewriter was designed to mechanise the writing of the Chinese language. To overcome the complexity of Chinese script, it features over 2000 loose characters which typists could easily rearrange to speed up their work. Hand-operated copying machine Duplicator, Model 66, 1929 Designed by Raymond Loewy Manufactured by Gestetner, UK Metal mechanism with rubber elements, wooden cabinet Given by Gestetner International Ltd Museum no. W.47-1981 Chinese typewriter with loose characters Double Pigeon, DHY-d series, 1980 (manufactured 1984) Manufactured by Shanghai Typewriter Factory, China Steel and plastic Museum no. FE.186-2011 The object sits in the 'Automation and Labour' section of the Design 1900-Now gallery opened in June 2021. (2009) This Chinese typewriter illustrates the uniqueness and complexity of Chinese typography. It does not have a keyboard, but instead uses a tray that contains over 2000 characters, arranged according to 214 groups of meaning classifiers (the building blocks, or bushou, of characters). Several thousand more would be available on a second tray. The typist first aligns the tray and then presses a key, which makes an arm pick up each desired character in turn and strike it against the paper, a time-consuming process.
Collection	East Asia Collection
Accession number	FE.186-2011

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Record created	September 16, 2011
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1240673/chinese-typewriter-double-pigeon-dhy-typewriter-shanghai-typewriter-factory/

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Chinese typewriter, Double Pigeon, DHY-d series

Object details

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