Imperial Typewriter Company
British typewriter manufacturer founded in Leicester and later acquired by Litton Industries.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Imperial Typewriter Company was a British manufacturer of typewriters based in Leicester, England. It was founded by Hidalgo Moya, an American-Spanish engineer who lived in Britain. Moya had first developed the Moya typewriter, and the Imperial business was subsequently organized in Leicester with the participation of local businessmen John Gordon Chattaway, William Arthur Evans and Joseph Wallis Goddard. Sources describe the business as being established in 1902, while the formal Imperial Typewriter Company organization is also associated with 1911; these dates likely reflect different stages in the development of Moya's enterprise and the incorporated company. Imperial grew into one of Leicester's most important manufacturing employers. Its principal business was the design and production of mechanical typewriters, including office machines, portable models and machines adapted for different languages and professional uses. The company displayed its products at the British Industries Fair during the interwar period and again in the 1940s, promoting machines with features such as interchangeable keyboards. This helped position Imperial as a technically capable British competitor in a market that was increasingly international. The company also adapted its production to national wartime requirements. During the First World War, its factory work included munitions production. During the Second World War, Imperial returned its main emphasis to typewriters and supplied approximately 150,000 machines to the armed services. Its wartime output connected the company to Britain's military administration and demonstrated the strategic importance then attached to office equipment and documentation. Imperial reached its reported employment peak in 1961, when approximately 2,500 people worked for the business, making it a major Leicester employer. It later expanded its export activity and was reported to have achieved the highest export figures among British typewriter manufacturers in 1970, when it received the Queen's Golden Medallion. Its product range included the Imperial A through D, the Model 50 through Model 90 series, the Good Companion line, portable machines such as the Messenger and Signet, the Imperial Electric, and specialized products including the Pavey Musigraph. The business entered a period of decline as typewriter manufacturing became more competitive and office technology changed. Litton Industries acquired Imperial in the 1960s, with sources variously identifying 1966 or 1967 for the acquisition. Under Litton ownership, Imperial increasingly introduced Royal Typewriter Company designs and assembled machines from components shipped from Hartford, Connecticut. The wider Litton manufacturing network also exposed the British operation to competition from lower-cost production in Germany and Japan. Imperial faced both commercial and industrial-relations difficulties in the 1970s. Asian workers at its Leicester plant went on strike in May 1974 over unequal bonus payments, restricted promotion opportunities and alleged racial discrimination. The dispute lasted almost fourteen weeks and became an important example of migrant-worker activism in postwar Britain. The Transport and General Workers' Union branch and local shop stewards initially declined to support the walkout, increasing the workers' reliance on their own strike committee and community networks. Women workers, including members of the strike committee and a separate women's group, played a visible role in maintaining the action. Manufacturing at Leicester and Hull ceased in 1975. The closure reflected accumulated financial losses, international competition and the long-term shift from mechanical typewriters toward electric models, word processors and personal computers. Although the company disappeared as a manufacturer, Imperial remains part of Leicester's industrial history and of the British typewriter industry's technological and labor history.
History
Imperial Typewriter Company's history began with Hidalgo Moya, an American-Spanish engineer and inventor living in England. Moya developed the Moya typewriter before establishing a Leicester-based manufacturing enterprise. Reference accounts identify 1902 as the beginning of the business and 1911 as the date associated with the formation of the Imperial Typewriter Company with local businessmen John Gordon Chattaway, William Arthur Evans and Joseph Wallis Goddard. The distinction suggests a progression from Moya's original undertaking to the later company structure. Leicester became the center of Imperial's manufacturing activity. The company produced mechanical typewriters for offices and institutions, while developing machines with interchangeable keyboards and configurations suitable for multiple languages and occupational settings. Its participation in the British Industries Fair in the 1920s and 1940s gave it a platform to present its products as modern British industrial equipment. The catalogue eventually included standard office machines, portable typewriters, electric models and specialized devices. Imperial diversified during wartime. In the First World War, its industrial capacity was used for munitions production. During the Second World War, the company returned to a strong emphasis on typewriters and supplied about 150,000 machines to the armed services. These contracts helped maintain the relevance of typewriter production during a period when written records, communications and administrative systems were central to military operations. The company became a major postwar employer. Its workforce reportedly reached approximately 2,500 in 1961, placing Imperial among Leicester's largest employers. The business also developed an international sales presence. Its reported export achievement in 1970, followed by the award of the Queen's Golden Medallion, represented a high point in the company's commercial reputation. Imperial was acquired by Litton Industries in the 1960s, with sources placing the acquisition in 1966 or 1967. Litton's ownership changed the character of the operation. Imperial increasingly introduced Royal Typewriter Company models and assembled machines from components shipped from Hartford, Connecticut. The company was therefore integrated into a wider international manufacturing system rather than operating solely as an independent British producer. Competition from lower-cost manufacturing in Germany and Japan placed additional pressure on the Leicester operation. The 1974 strike became the most prominent episode in Imperial's labor history. Imperial had recruited workers from India, Pakistan and the Caribbean during the postwar period, and Leicester's South Asian population grew further after the expulsion of Asians from Uganda in 1972. On May Day 1974, 39 migrant workers walked out over unequal bonus arrangements, limited access to promotion and discriminatory treatment. The action expanded to more than 500 workers and lasted nearly fourteen weeks. The local Transport and General Workers' Union organization and shop stewards committee initially refused to endorse the strike, creating a conflict not only with management but also with established union structures. Community donations and political support helped sustain the workers. Women workers, including Shardabehn Chandarana and Jayshree Doshi, participated in the strike committee and organized a women's group, making the dispute an important episode in the history of migrant and women's labor activism in Britain. By the mid-1970s, the company faced a combination of technological and financial pressures. Electric typewriters had begun to replace older mechanical designs, and word processors and personal computers were changing the office-equipment market. Litton also faced competition from cheaper international production. Manufacturing at the Leicester and Hull sites ended in 1975. Imperial Typewriter Company consequently became a defunct manufacturer, but its products, factory history and 1974 strike continue to connect it to Leicester's industrial heritage and to wider debates about race, gender and workplace representation.
- 1975
Manufacturing ceases
[1]Typewriter production ended at Imperial's Leicester and Hull facilities.
- 1974
Fourteen-week migrant-worker strike
[1]A strike over bonuses, promotion opportunities and racial discrimination became one of the most significant labor disputes associated with the company.
- 1970
Export recognition
[1]Imperial was reported to have achieved the highest export figures in the United Kingdom and received the Queen's Golden Medallion.
- 1966
Acquisition by Litton Industries
[1]Litton Industries acquired Imperial, integrating it into an international manufacturing group.
- 1961
Employment reaches approximately 2,500
[1]Imperial reached its reported employment peak and became one of Leicester's largest employers.
- 1939
Armed-services supply during the Second World War
[1]The company supplied approximately 150,000 typewriters to the armed services during the Second World War.
- 1920
British Industries Fair exhibitions
[1]Imperial showcased typewriters at the British Industries Fair during the interwar period, including machines with interchangeable keyboards.
- 1914
Munitions production during the First World War
[1]Imperial adapted its manufacturing operations to produce munitions for Britain's wartime effort.
- 1911
Imperial Typewriter Company is organized
[1]Moya organized the Imperial Typewriter Company with Leicester businessmen John Gordon Chattaway, William Arthur Evans and Joseph Wallis Goddard.
- 1902
Moya establishes the Leicester typewriter enterprise
[1]Hidalgo Moya established the Leicester-based enterprise that developed into Imperial Typewriter Company.
Products and positioning
A British industrial typewriter maker combining office-machine manufacturing, portable products and specialized keyboard configurations, with a strong Leicester manufacturing identity and a substantial export presence before its decline under Litton ownership.
Mechanical office typewriters
Imperial A, B, C and D
Early Imperial mechanical typewriter models representing the company's core office-machine range. They formed part of the brand's development from Moya's original designs into standardized commercial equipment for British and export markets.
Mechanical and later-generation office typewriters
Imperial Model 50, 55, 60, 65, 66, 70, 80 and 90
A numbered family of Imperial office typewriters produced across the company's mature manufacturing period. The Model 80 is identified with Royal-related production, reflecting the integration of Imperial into Litton Industries' broader typewriter operations.
Portable typewriter
The Good Companion
The Good Companion was a prominent Imperial portable typewriter family, with models ranging from Good Companion 1 through Good Companion 6 and 6T. The line extended Imperial's products beyond fixed office machines for household, educational and mobile writing use.
Portable typewriter
Imperial Messenger
A compact portable typewriter designed for users who needed a transportable writing machine. It was part of Imperial's portable range and reflected the company's effort to serve consumer and personal-writing applications.
Portable typewriter
Imperial Signet
The Signet was another Imperial portable typewriter model. Available model information identifies it as a distinct portable offering within the company's later product portfolio.
Electric typewriter
Imperial Electric
Imperial's electric typewriter range represented the company's response to the market's transition away from purely mechanical machines. Electric technology improved key actuation and supported the changing requirements of professional office users.
Portable typewriter
Imperial Safari
The Safari was listed among Imperial's portable models. Available source material confirms the model name and portable positioning but does not provide enough detail to describe its specifications or launch chronology.
Military-period typewriter
Imperial War Finish
A model identified by its wartime finish, associated with Imperial's production during the period when typewriters were supplied for military and government use. Detailed specifications are not established in the supplied references.
Specialized music-writing machine
Imperial Pavey Musigraph
A specialized Imperial machine associated with Lily Pavey and music notation. It illustrates the company's work beyond conventional prose typewriters, although the supplied sources do not establish complete technical or commercial details.
Controversies
1974
Imperial Typewriters labor and discrimination dispute
Migrant workers at Imperial's Leicester factory struck over unequal bonus payments, limited promotion opportunities and alleged racial discrimination. The walkout grew from 39 workers to more than 500 and lasted nearly fourteen weeks. The refusal of the relevant union branch and shop stewards committee to support the action made the dispute an example of both workplace inequality and tension between migrant workers and established union structures.
Brand decisions
1975
Closure of Leicester and Hull typewriter manufacturingStrategyBackground
Electric typewriters, word processors and personal computers were reducing demand for traditional mechanical typewriters, while German and Japanese producers increased competitive pressure.
Action taken
Manufacturing was ended at the Leicester and Hull facilities.
Aftermath
Imperial ceased to operate as a typewriter manufacturer, ending a major chapter in Leicester's industrial history.
1966
Integration into Litton IndustriesM&ABackground
Imperial was operating in an increasingly international typewriter industry with pressure from manufacturers in Europe, Japan and the United States.
Action taken
Litton Industries acquired Imperial and gradually introduced Royal Typewriter Company models, many assembled from parts shipped from Hartford, Connecticut.
Aftermath
The Leicester operation became part of Litton's international manufacturing network, but it ultimately failed to withstand cost competition and technological change.
1939
Prioritization of typewriter production for the armed servicesStrategyBackground
During the Second World War, military and administrative organizations required large quantities of reliable writing equipment.
Action taken
Imperial focused on typewriter production and supplied approximately 150,000 machines to the armed services.
Aftermath
The supply relationship became one of the company's most significant wartime production achievements.
1914
Diversification into wartime munitionsStrategyBackground
The First World War created demand for industrial suppliers able to support Britain's military production system.
Action taken
Imperial adapted part of its manufacturing operations to produce munitions.
Aftermath
The wartime change demonstrated the flexibility of the Leicester factory, although the available references do not quantify its munitions output.
Recent events
- 1975
Typewriter manufacturing ends at Leicester and Hull[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
Imperial ceased manufacturing at its Leicester and Hull facilities amid financial losses, competition from German and Japanese producers and the shift toward electric office equipment and emerging computer technologies.
- 1970
Imperial receives recognition for export performance[1]
Other
The company was reported to have achieved the highest export figures among United Kingdom typewriter manufacturers and received the Queen's Golden Medallion.
- 1966
Litton Industries acquires Imperial Typewriter Company[1]
M&A
Imperial was acquired by the United States conglomerate Litton Industries. Some accounts date the transaction to 1967; the available references do not resolve the discrepancy.
- 1961
Imperial reaches its reported employment peak[1]
Other
The Leicester business employed approximately 2,500 people, making it one of the city's largest industrial employers.
- 1939
Imperial supplies typewriters to the armed services during the Second World War[1]
Other
Imperial prioritized typewriter production during the Second World War and supplied approximately 150,000 machines to the armed services.
- 1914
Imperial expands its manufacturing activity during the First World War[1]
Other
The company adapted part of its industrial capacity to produce munitions for Britain's wartime effort while maintaining its broader manufacturing identity.
- 1902
Imperial Typewriter Company is established in Leicester[1]
Other
Hidalgo Moya established the enterprise that developed into Imperial Typewriter Company in Leicester, beginning the company's long association with British typewriter manufacturing.
Sources3 sources
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