Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Education: Carbons to Computers: The Typewriter
Created a little less than 150 years ago, the typewriter was the forerunner for the computer. This page offers a detailed history of the birth of the typewriter along with several visual examples.
Other
Classic Typewriter Page: A Brief History of Typewriters
With many links and photographs, this is an excellent site to discover the history of the typewriter.