Remington and Sons introduce the No. 2 typewriter with a shift key

Background. Before the shift key, typewriters required a separate key and typebar for upper-case letters, in essence carrying two full keyboards, one above the other. The Remington No. 2, introduced by E. Remington and Sons in 1878, removed this duplication by allowing one key to serve both cases through a shift mechanism.

The Shift Key. The Remington No. 2, introduced in 1878, was the first typewriter to include a shift key enabling both upper and lower case letters. This innovation was pivotal in the history of typewriters, simplifying the mechanism and influencing the standardization of keyboard layouts, particularly the QWERTY layout, which gained popularity through the success of this model.

Commercial Context. E. Remington and Sons, founded in Ilion, New York, began typewriter production in 1873. By 1877, 4,000 machines had been sold. In 1878, the company outsourced marketing and introduced the improved Remington No. 2, which featured the shift key, marking a significant advancement in commercial typewriter design.