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Teen starts club for typewriter enthusiasts in Grand Rapids

Esteban Clark-Braendle hopes the Grand Rapids Typewriter Society will connect people who share his fascination with the old school machine.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It's a sound you don't hear much anymore. But the click clack of a typewriter is music to Esteban Clark-Braendle's ears.

"I found one on Facebook Marketplace for 30 bucks," says Clark-Braendle. "I bought it and I really, really liked it."

So how does an 18-year-old recent high school graduate become interested in a century old piece of technology?

"Much like a lot of other people during the pandemic, I had a lot of time on my hands," he says. "I watched a documentary called California Typewriter with Tom Hanks."

Putting his hands on one for the first time was like stepping into a time machine.

"It was a bit of a learning curve," says Clark-Braendle. "Up until then, the only keyboards I had used were computer keyboards."

Fast forward a couple years and Clark has a wealth of typewriter knowledge. Knowledge he's ready to share with others by starting a typewriter club in Grand Rapids. He says the interest is out there from people of all ages.

"I was sitting here and like three people came up to ask about them," says Clark-Braendle, sitting in Rosa Parks Circle with three of his typewriters.

He hopes the club will connect people who share his fascination.

"To allow those people to meet, to talk, to learn and to enjoy something that I think is a really great piece of history and piece of technology," he says.

To join the Grand Rapids Typewriter Society, you can reach out to Esteban on the club's Instagram page. There is also an online form you can fill out by clicking here to get more information.

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