Imperial Typewriter Company, Leicester, England

The company was established in 1908 by Hidalgo Moya, an American-Spanish engineer. The first typewriter, Imperial model A, was marketed in 1908. It is easily distinguished from most other typewriters by its curved keyboard.  Only over 8000 typewriters of model A were made. A breakthrough for the company was the introduction of model B in 1915. It is similar in design but has many improvements.  Typical for both models is that the typeface comes of easily and can be replaced. New models were introduced and Imperial typewriters sold well both in England and other European countries. In 1922 the company introduced a Standard typewriter with instantly changeable typebars and keyboard. Special keyboards were made for different users (engineers, chemists etc) and languages. The company was established as a private company. It was made public in 1953. In 1966 it became a subsidiary of Litton Industries, one of the largest typewriter manufacturers in the world (Royal, Triumph-Adler). The factory in Leicester.