Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti - Olivetti "Lettera 22" portable typewriter

The Olivetti "Lettera 22" portable typewriter replaces the previous "MP1" and features several innovations: the keyboard is incorporated into the body, as is the roller, of which only the knob protrudes; the space between the line spacing lever is minimal, to best satisfy the needs of portability and limited space; the performances are excellent, thanks to the precision of the printing hammers and to the kinematics studied in such a way as to make the pressure on the keys lighter and more agile. The machine was enormously successful, so much so that it was also used by famous journalists such as Indro Montanelli and Enzo Biagi. Entering the permanent collections of the MoMA - Museum of Modern Art in New York and awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1954, in 1959 the Lettera 22 was chosen by the Illinois Technology Institute as the best product in terms of design of the last 100 years. Remained on the market until the mid-1960s, it reached a maximum annual production of over 200,000 units.