One of the early Protestant missionaries to Korea, Horace Underwood, left behind a lot more written records than most other missionaries. There are several reasons for this, but one important reason is that he was really good at using a typewriter.
Underwood's family had been involved in the typewriter business since the 1870s, which was a cutting-edge industry at the time. In 1896, they even launched their own brand called “Underwood,” which became one of the most famous typewriter brands in the world.
I once visited Shanghai and was surprised to see that Soong Ching-ling, the wife of Chinese leader Sun Yat-sen, had used an Underwood typewriter. That moment really stuck with me.
Since Underwood came from a family that made typewriters, it makes sense that he was comfortable using one. He probably used it often in his work as a missionary.
From what I’ve read, typewriters started being sold in the U.S. in the 1870s. By the 1880s, they were being used in government offices and banks, and by the 1890s, they were being used in regular offices and even at home.
The Underwood family got involved in the typewriter business in the 1870s, and their brand launched in 1896. So they were definitely ahead of their time.
I also wonder if some of the money they earned from selling typewriters was used to support missionary work in Korea. And thanks to Underwood’s skill with the typewriter, he was able to leave behind a lot of valuable information about his time in Korea.
Because of this kind of technology, we’re now able to learn about what Korea was like back then. Typewriters also helped publishing and printing develop faster.
One day, I’d like to study more about how the Western tools and ideas brought by Catholic and Protestant missionaries changed Korean society.