NAMED FOR THE fleet-footed messenger to the Greek gods, the Hermes 3000 is considered one of the finest portable typewriters ever produced. With its sea-foam-green color and curvy shape, it is an icon of midcentury design, while its Swiss-made mechanics are celebrated for their smoothness and precision.
It debuted in 1958, a successor to the Hermes 2000, which Paillard Inc. had introduced in 1933. Lightweight and with slightly rounded keys that cradle the fingertips, the Hermes 3000 has been especially beloved by authors. Jack Kerouac finished his last novel on one; Sylvia Plath wrote The Bell Jar (1962) on hers. Larry McMurtry thanked his Hermes 3000 at the 2006 Golden Globes, and typewriter aficionado Tom Hanks considers his model to be among his most prized possessions.