The YIVO Institute Launches New Exhibition on Yiddish Typewriters

Rise of the Yiddish Machines: The Typewriter and Yiddish Literature

(New York NY) - The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (YIVO) is excited to announce its latest exhibition, Rise of the Yiddish Machines: The Typewriter and Yiddish Literature. The exhibition is on view from April 29-December 31, 2019 at YIVO, which is located in the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street, New York, NY).

When modern Yiddish literature burst onto the scene during the second half of the 19th century, its writers used pen and ink to write everything from brief poems to thousand-page novels. At the turn of the 20th century, a new invention called the “typewriter” began to appear, including Yiddish versions. As a result, many Yiddish writers dropped their pens and began using these new machines, which were able to crank out texts more quickly and, importantly, more legibly.

“The relationship between a writer and his or her typewriter can be intimate. Typewriters aren’t simply writing tools, but the conduits through which writers reveal their work. Working on them constantly, Yiddish writers produced everything from beautiful poetry to classic novels on their typewriters,” said Eddy Portnoy, the curator of the exhibit.

Rise of the Yiddish Machines: The Typewriter and Yiddish Literature features rare, vintage Yiddish typewriters, some of them more than a century old. Also on view will be original typescripts by dozens of famous Yiddish writers, among them Isaac Bashevis Singer, Chaim Grade, and Marc Chagall, many with the writers’ own editorial markings. Visitors will also have the opportunity to type on a vintage Yiddish typewriter, doubtlessly a unique experience for many.

More about the exhibition.

For any media inquiries please contact:

Dr. Eddy Portnoy
Senior Academic Advisor & Director of Exhibitions
(212) 294-6139

About YIVO

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is dedicated to the preservation and study of the history and culture of East European Jewry worldwide. For nearly a century, YIVO has pioneered new forms of Jewish scholarship, research, education, and cultural expression. Our public programs and exhibitions, as well as online and on-site courses, extend our outreach to a global community. The YIVO Archives contains 24 million unique items and YIVO’s Library has over 400,000 volumes—the single largest resource for the study of East European Jewish life in the world. yivo.org / yivo.org/the-whole-story