On the heels of the exhibition Yes, No and WOW: The Push Pin Studios Revolution, The Church in Long Island is hosting Some of Tom’s Typewriters: From the Collection of Tom Hanks. Featuring 35 typewriters from his cache of more than 300, the show spans nearly the full history of the object and was designed by Simon Doonan, the former creative director of Barneys New York. As he writes, “These machines—strange, complex but also ridiculously simple—have so much to teach us about history and culture.” The Church, purchased by Eric Fischl and April Gornik, is currently the “home for these magical machines in all their iconic, sadly obsolete glory.” I asked Church Executive Director Sheri L. Pasquarella to tell us how this unique personal collection came to be a living testament to late 19th- and 20th-century writing tech.
Who came up with the concept, and how did this unique exhibition come to be at The Church?
The concept came from Eric Fischl, artist and co-founder of The Church. He was inspired by the film California Typewriter, in which Hanks is featured among a community of typewriter enthusiasts in and around LA, then reached out through a mutual friend to Tom Hanks. We felt it was the perfect next iteration of our annual exhibitions that focus on material culture through the lens of whimsy and innovation. Simon as the designer of the show also came through Eric, as the two do tai chi together in Shelter Island. The companion exhibition, Some Odes: Sam Messer with Paul Auster, Eleanor Gaver, Denis Johnson and Sharon Olds, was organized by me.
Did Hanks and Doonan curate the 35 typewriters together?
Only Tom curated that selection of works on view. We’re not entirely sure how and why he selected these particular objects from his 300+. There is a strong sense of chronology, and as well we shared with him our typical approach to material culture, which is to focus on form, innovation and whimsy (rather than historicity or scholarship, by contrast … though each work in the show was meticulously researched by our team).
Where does Hanks keep his treasures?
They are kept in California. We shipped the 35 of them in custom boxes that were designed by an LA–based typewriter specialist that Tom’s office introduced us to, the Typewriter Connection.
Where are the vintage typewriter posters from?
There are two types of vintage posters shown. First, there are four actual vintage Olivetti posters, dated from 1968 through the early 1990s, that were lent by the great designer Mirko Ilic. As well, there are reproductions at large scale from the history of 20th-century typewriter advertising; these images were selected by Simon and then sourced in-house for reproduction permission and then printed using commercial vinyl printing companies.
Are there any plans for expanding or doing some more venues after the show ends at The Church?
We hope so! Nothing to announce yet, but we are attempting to get this show out there.
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