By Grayling Holmes

In the corner of my office sits a dusty old typewriter. The now antique machine has stuck keys, thanks to my young grandkids coming over and pounding on the keys thinking it was a toy. “What is this, Grandpa Gray,” little Jacob 20 years ago when he was about four years young. “It’s my old typewriter that I used to write papers on in high school in the 70’s, college in the 80’s, and even during my first job back in the day,” I said. I showed him how to roll a sheet of paper into the drum by turning the stiff knob on the right and lifting the rusted paper bar until the crisp white paper was visible. “What do I do know,” he said with wonder in his eyes. “You peck the keys until it says something,” I instructed. Being just four, but a precocious tyke, he started typing his ABC’s. Then he went to town! He started pounding the keys until many of them were stuck together. “Great,” I said. “Now pull the paper out and read me what your see.” He proudly read his ABC’s from the words in faded black letters (the ribbon hadn’t been changed in many a year), and then pretended to ramble off a story he had typed in the rest.

Antique Royal typewriter in home office of Grayling Holmes

TypOsphere on the Cherokee Antique Row in St. Louis

This is the way many of you of a certain age used to produce documents. In fact, in a way we still do every time we hop on our laptop or phones. There’s a place on Cherokee Street my grandson, now 24, and I can visit now where what’s old is new again (at least for him) — TypOsphere.

Every third and fourth Saturday of the month, visitors can take a trip back in time by using vintage typewriters. Louise Lawler, artist and founder TypOspere, conducts the monthly workshops with renowned St. Louis Poet Laureate Paci Elaine Anderson. Groups of eight young people, ages 13-17 on the 3rd Saturday, and adults 18+ gather to use the restored vintage typewriters.

For over a century, typewriters were once the essential tool for business, literature, and personal correspondence. They once again come to life at TypOspere.

The workshops marry the lost method of communication with the world of poetry, which lives in our hearts and minds — and if muse inspires — typed on paper.

“We have a room full of useful manual personal printing presses to use. ‘Bang on’ about it, as the British would say,” said Louise. I’m sure that my once four-year-old grandson would echo the British sentiment and he banged on the keys typing out the alphabet.

Louise Lawler, artist and founder TypOspere with renowned St. Louis Poet Laureate Paci Elaine Anderson.

Much more than the alphabet is explored. Poet Laureate Pacia offers skill-focused sessions designed for learning, experimenting, and connecting through poetry. “Get creative and jam with words at our hands-on Typewriter Poetry Workshop,” she said.

Limited to and octet of people, they register here on Eventbrite. The first eight on the list and at the door on the designated Saturdays at 9:45 am are admitted into The TypOsphere for the workshop. Suggested donation at that time is $20 for adults and free for teens. They will graciously accept any amount. Adult classes take place every fourth Saturday through May 2026. Those on this list get free parking on the lot on Jefferson just south of Cherokee Street. Park and walk around the corner past the dispensary and the record shop then there they are at 2308 Cherokee Street, St. Louis, MO 63118 on the historic Cherokee Antique Row.

About TypOsphere

TypOsphere is also a typewriter art gallery. The pop-up, typewriter antiques and contemporary art gallery will opened on Saturday, October 9th, 2021. Since then it has hosted multi-disciplinary activities with an ongoing schedule of fun typewriter-specific and literary oriented workshops. These activities integrate the significant historical, sociological, and educational evolution of the typewriter within this fine art gallery environment.

Founder Louise Marler brings an additional relevance to local history with her family story. Three generations of St. Louis typewriter repair and salespeople who collected most of the machines there. This significant story is memorialized by the inclusion in Smithsonian Museum of American History.

“This cultural art center is designed to restore our nostalgic writing and typing, of poems, songs, letters, and cards, then mailing and receiving, as central in our culture,” she said

The TypOsphere StL brings together people across the Midwest region as a unique destination that encourages typing for pleasure, expression, and enlightenment.

The TypOsphere StL is located near the southeast corner of Jefferson on Cherokee Streets where renown antique row meets the emerging Midwest art district. We feel the community that embraces up-cycling, history, education, creativity, and analog style is the ideal location for this unique concept gallery – an immersive experience.

“The workshops are hosted by St. Louis Poet Laureate Pacia Elaine Anderson with gracious support from St. Louis Poetry Center. Big love for realizing life goals! If you would like to sponsor this workshop - please and thank you - it is a tax deductible donation through the St. Louis Poetry Center. And Maya Angelou would be proud,” said Louise.

winter Hours for typosphere

The winter schedule is now in effect. Please double-check hours before stopping by, as they may differ from our usual routine. Saturdays 10am-4pm.

More about Louise Marler,the artist and curator

Santa Monica based graphic artist Louise Marier with her typewriters. Marier turns old mechanical typewriters into art.

Louise is an American Photo Artist, whose digital photography features vintage ma- chines, including her “Famous TypOwriters” and“camERA Art” (cameras) collections. Louise is a third generation typewriter collector, who has art studios in the Santa Monica Airport former mechanic hanger as well as the Cherokee Street museum

Marler creates mixed-media images from original photography, graphics and illustrations, fine digital printing and painting and other techniques.