1930's cool office equipment

[feng_shui_house]

In one of the Thin Man movies there's a scene with a woman ending her day as a secretary by pulling up on a handle at the back of her desk and folding away her typewriter underneath. This is so cool to me. One smooth motion and the typewriter tilts and goes down while the handle pulls up a piece of wood that fits on top of the desk. So I screen captured a dozen stills and made it into a little animation.

I STILL can't figure out how it works. :^)

Comments

[ultrapsychobrat.livejournal.com]

Cool. Our sewing machines at school used to do this so the table could be used to lay out and cut patterns. There were two machines that were diagonally across from each other on these huge tables.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

My mother's old sewing machine used to go down, but not nicely- you had to lift the piece of table holding it up, then lift the machine and then lower it in by hand (and if you lost your grip it went in WHAM and loosened the hinges.)

I love functional things. They're usually very elegant.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Yes, we had a similar sewing machine. This thing is awesome!

[kalinda001.livejournal.com]

What a neat idea.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

Transformer Furniture!

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

.... I want one.

Or more than one :)

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

That'd be fantastic in a kitchen. Instant counter space!

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Easier to do with a word processor nowadays - less weight to counterbalance.
Something like this perhaps?
http://delaware.craigslist.org/fuo/1235321650.html

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

I have the feeling the one in the movie sat higher on the desk, but I couldn't really tell- it might be the same. :^) Thanks, you hunt good.