Nietzsche’s Writing Ball
25th July 2013
Friedrich Nietzsche, the 19th century German philosopher whose polemic writings still resonate today, was among the first few people in the world to use a typewriter. Or, as it was called at the time, a writing ball. Crafted by Danish inventor Rasmus Malling-Hansen, the writing ball had a number of advantages over competing designs: it was quieter in operation, simpler in construction, cheaper, and more portable. In retrospect, you can also add that it had the iconic appearance of a product of the mechanical age.