Charles Spiro

Columbia-1 typewriter, 1885

Columbia 2 typewriter, 1886

Bar-Lock 4 typewriter, 1895

Charles Spiro (January 1, 1850 – December 17, 1933) was an American inventor and an attorney who held 200 patents and patented Bar-Lock, Visigraph, Columbia and Columbia Music typewriters and helped develop the Gourland typewriter, among others.^[1] Spiro was born and died in New York City. He gave up his law profession after nine years and focused on refining his typewriters.^[2] He was also president of C. Spiro Manufacturing Company of Yonkers.

References

1. "CHARLES SP1RO, 83, AN INVENTOR, DIES; Holder of 200 Patents Credited With Perfection of 'Original Visible Writing Machine". The New York Times. December 18, 1933.
   - "Columbia Typewriter Co., New York, USA". Typewriter Museum. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2012. Watchmaker Charles Spiro (1850-1933) patented his first typewriter "Columbia" in 1885
   - "Columbia Index 2". The Virtul Typewriter Museum.
   - "Columbia Bar-Lock 12 typewriter". Typewriter.
   - "VISIGRAPH (Thomas Fuertig collection)". Machines of Loving Grace. Archived from the original on December 18, 2010.
2. "COURT NOTES". The New York Times. Charles Spiro, a lawyer, who insisted on putting questions to a witness after they had been excluded, was debarred by Judge McAdam from appearing before him