There, stuffed in between some folders of yellow memos and letters was something I haven’t touched in at least 20 years: two sheets of Carter’s Midnight carbon paper “Made in U.S.A.” These particular two sheets have to be almost 47 years old, because one of them had made a copy of my April 1967 Missourian photo invoice and mileage sheet.
Not a bad haul
I billed $115 for photos for the month of April at a time when I might have been raised from $50 a week to $60 or $70. Bringing home about a hundred bucks a week was pretty good when I was living at home and my only expenses were gas, photo supplies, eating out and squiring future Wife Lila around (she’ll testify that not much was spent on that). I see I made a mistake on the original, but didn’t bother to correct it or make the carbon copy line up.
Other things I don’t miss
- You can still buy carbon paper on Amazon
- If you had to make several copies, you’d use think “onion skin” paper
- I never liked the liquid paper version of White Out. I’d get it on too think and it would either peel off or gum up the keys.
- Life got a lot better when correction tape came along
- Typewriters are dead, but there is still a demand for eraser pencils. I just ran across one the other day; they’re great for cleaning battery terminals.
When Grandson Malcolm and his friends stay overnight in a few weeks, we’re going to introduce him to the magic of carbon paper.