Featured in this lot is this beautiful, "The World Type Writer No. 2", manufactured and patented by The Pope Manufacturing Company in 1886 from historic Tombstone, Arizona. Colonel Albert Augustus Pope started the Pope Manufacturing Company in Boston, Massachusetts in 1877, as a pioneering American corporation. It is most famous for producing bicycles, followed by vehicles and motorcycles, and played an important part in the development of personal mobility in the United States. Albert A. Pope, a Union Army veteran and wealthy businessman, became intrigued in the bicycle's possibilities after seeing high-wheeled "ordinary" bicycles during the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. He started importing and later making bicycles under the Columbia brand, finally manufacturing them in Hartford, Connecticut. The World was a very basic index typewriter. It was created by renowned inventor and industrialist John Becker of Boston, MA, who patented it on October 12, 1886 (patent number. 350,717). Index typewriters were a popular alternative to keyboard machines since most individuals had not learned touch typing during the first few decades of typewriter development. To use it, the user would move the pointer along the crescent-shaped index to the desired character, then press the lever to the left of the carriage to print. With only 30 components, there were no additional features to these typewriters. There were two main types produced: No.1 typed just uppercase, while No.2 typed both uppercase and lowercase. At about a tenth of the price of some typewriters, the World was marketed as a relatively portable and economical alternative to larger standard machines, as well as a superior alternative to other index typewriters. Several manufacturers contributed to the creation of the world. Initially, it was the World Type-Writer Company of Portland, ME, then Pope Manufacturing of Boston, MA took over and manufactured the World from its Hartford, CT factory on Capital Avenue. The Typewriter Improvement Company of Boston, Massachusetts, was the last maker after Pope. This typewriter shows The Pope MFG Co. tag on the front under some components. The tag shows the manufacturers name and instructions on how to operate the typewriter. The top of the large circular piece reads, "The World Type Writer / Pat. Oct. 12, 1886". It shows great condition overall with little wear present despite its age and use over the years. No major signs of damage noted. It measures 6 3/4" L x 12" W x 4 1/8" H and weighs 3 pounds and 4 ounces. Provenance: From the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum in Tombstone, Arizona.