New Huck film tells the story of a father and son-run typewriter shop in New York

Huck’s new film focuses on Gramercy Typewriter Company, the 84-year-old business in New York run by a father and son team. This is the second film in Huck’s Family Business series, which celebrates passing down would-be lost arts to the next generations. 

We featured its first film about the couple who make London’s iconic blue plaques and this second instalment, directed by Alden Nusser, follows suit explaining why the passing down of these skills is so important. Founded by Paul Schweitzer’s father in 1932, three generations of the Schweitzer family have worked at Gramercy Typewriter. Now the business is run by Paul and his son and business partner Justin, keepers of a disappearing technology. 

The film is a lovely portrait of a father and son relationship and the film is scattered with great snippets like, “This is the 109th month that I’ve won salesman of the month,” and Justin reeling off numerous typewriter models calling each one “beautiful.” But it’s clear the pair are passionate about what they do. Typewriters are a niche industry, but determined not to let the skills needed to repair them be forgotten, the pair work hard with Justin “learning something new everyday” from Paul.