Typewriters of the rich and famous: John Lennon on an anonymous SCM

December 20, 2025

John Lennon used many different typewriters for many different purposes. This photo gets passed around because Lennon had photos of the Beatles in the lid to the case.

John Lennon hunting and pecking away at a typewriter, a portable SCM, with a photo of the Beatles in the lid. Year and location unknown to me.

I found the photo on Reddit. Consensus is it’s an SCM Galaxie model typewriter, a manual. More details? If you got them, let me know.


Typewriter of the moment: John Lennon’s Imperial

October 4, 2009

John Lennon's manual Imperial typewriter, used when he was a teenager - now owned by Steve Soboroff - Image from Playa Vista Today

John Lennon's manual Imperial typewriter, used when he was a teenager - now owned by Steve Soboroff - Image from Playa Vista Today

Steve Soboroff, CEO of Playa Vista Capital in Playa Vista, California, collects celebrity typewriters on the side.  Earlier this year he acquired the typewriter John Lennon used as a teenager, according to Playa Vista Today.

Lennon’s Imperial (The Good Companion Model T) was among the late Beatle’s possessions originally auctioned by his Aunt Mimi to a Liverpool charity involving musical therapy. Soboroff came across Lennon’s writing instrument during an estate sale overseen by Bonhams auction house in England. The portable was originally auctioned through Sotheby’s in 1999. However, the owner succumbed to the economic downturn and put it up for sale earlier this year.

‘I was going to get on an airplane to go get it,’ Soboroff says regarding his summer purchase, which was probably used in the late Beatle’s first attempts at songwriting as a teenager. ‘He was living with his aunt when he owned it,’ he says.

And here’s a photo of John Lennon working at a typewriter other than the Imperial:

Autographed photo of John Lennon working at a typewriter - Image from Playa Vista Today

Autographed photo of John Lennon working at a typewriter - Image from Playa Vista Today

Soboroff also owns typewriters used by sportswriter Jim Murray, Ernest Hemingway, George Bernard Shaw, Tennessee Williams, and Jack London.