Los Angeles Prop House · Est. 1979

The machines
that made
the words.

Curated vintage typewriters — 1940s through early 1980s — available for film, television, commercial, and editorial production. Every machine serviced, certified, and period-authentic.

Olivetti Lettera 32
200+ Machines
40+ Years servicing
15+ Brands
Process

Effortless for production.

Every machine is camera-ready, period-certified, and insured. We handle prop coordination so you can focus on the frame.

01

Browse & request

Search the catalog by era, brand, or visual character. Submit a production inquiry with your dates, quantity, and any period-specific requirements.

02

Expert consultation

Hans personally reviews every request. With 40+ years of knowledge, he can advise on period accuracy, matching a scene's aesthetic, or sourcing a specific model.

03

Delivery & return

Machines arrive cleaned, serviced, and photographically documented. Coordination with prop masters and set decorators handled directly. Insured throughout.

Inventory

The collection.

A curated selection from the archive. Every machine is in working, camera-ready condition.

Underwood No. 5
Rare
1940s · Standard

Underwood No. 5

The quintessential American office machine. Black lacquer with nickel-plated fittings. Unmistakably period for wartime and postwar scenes.

Hermes 3000
1960s · Portable

Hermes 3000

Swiss-made precision in sage green. Beloved by journalists and novelists alike. Ideal for 60s editorial and newsroom settings.

Olivetti Lettera 32
1960s–70s · Portable

Olivetti Lettera 32

Italian industrial design at its finest. Cleo Sighele's icon in sand and ivory. Carried by Cormac McCarthy. Effortlessly cinematic.

IBM Selectric II
Featured
1970s · Electric

IBM Selectric II

The typeball revolution. Corporate America's workhorse from Watergate to Wall Street. Multiple interchangeable type elements available.

Royal Quiet De Luxe
1950s · Portable

Royal Quiet De Luxe

Hemingway's machine of choice. Two-tone gray with red accents. Perfect for postwar literary, journalism, and mid-century domestic scenes.

Remington Rand Quiet-Riter
1950s–60s · Standard

Remington Quiet-Riter

Sleek black with round keys. The workhorse of detective fiction and noir. Visually strong against both warm and cold production palettes.

Forty-five years
of mechanical
memory.

Helmut Schulze came to Los Angeles from Germany in the late 1970s with a toolbox and an obsession. What began as a repair bench in a Silverlake back room became the go-to workshop for collectors, authors, and filmmakers across the city.

Over four decades, Hans has maintained and sourced typewriters for writers, musicians, and actors who prefer the deliberate rhythm of mechanical keys — among them Tom Hanks, John Mayer, and many productions seeking period authenticity they simply cannot find elsewhere.

Every machine in this collection has passed through his hands. He knows their provenance, their character, their sound. When you borrow one, that knowledge comes with it.

— Helmut Schulze
"A typewriter forces
you to mean it.
There is no delete key
on memory." On the craft of mechanical writing
Contact

Production inquiry.

Whether you're dressing a set for a single afternoon or sourcing machines for a full season, Hans works directly with prop masters, set decorators, and production coordinators to find the right machine for the shot.

Rates are determined by production type, duration, and quantity. We work with studio productions, independent film, commercial, editorial, and music video.

Location Los Angeles, CA
Response Within 24 hours
Inventory 200+ machines
Eras 1940s through early 1980s