The Olivetti Typewriters
From mechanics to electronics: let's discover the most famous Olivetti typewriters
By Museimpresa
Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti
Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti - Olivetti "M1" typewriter (1911/1911) by Designed and engineered by Camillo OlivettiMuseimpresa
Olivetti M1, the first Italian typewriter
The M1 is Olivetti's first typewriter, presented to the public at the International Exhibition of Industry and Labor in Turin in 1911. The machine, designed and engineered by Camillo Olivetti, features a simple and elegant design and was sold for 500 lire in 1912.
Advertisement poster for the Olivetti M1
Advertisement poster designed in 1912 by the Venetian painter Teodoro Wolf Ferrari for the M1, the first Olivetti standard typewriter designed by Camillo Olivetti.
Olivetti MP1
The MP1 is the first portable typewriter designed by Olivetti. It is characterized by a lightweight design and structure and it is the first step towards the mass market. The machine was introduced in 1932 and the following year production reached 9,000 units.
Advertisement poster for the Olivetti MP1
Advertisement poster designed by the painter Xanti Schawinsky in 1935, by reworking a photographic image, for the Olivetti MP1 typewriter released in 1932 based on the project by Riccardo Levi and designed by Aldo Magnelli.
Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti - Olivetti "Lexikon" typewriter (1948/1948) by Mechanical project by Giuseppe Beccio, designed by Marcello NizzoliMuseimpresa
Olivetti Lexikon 80
The Lexikon 80 typewriter is a true innovation compared to previous models from Olivetti both from a mechanical standpoint and in terms of design. Between 1948 and 1960 Olivetti sold around 800,000 units of it. The machine is in the permanent collections of the MoMA in New York.
Advertisement poster for the Olivetti Lexikon 80
Advertisement poster designed in 1955 by the graphic designer Giovanni Pintori for the Olivetti Lexikon 80 typewriter, released in 1948 based on the design by Giuseppe Beccio and Marcello Nizzoli.
Olivetti Lettera 22
The Lettera 22 is probably Olivetti's most famous and successful typewriter. It’s in the permanent collections of the MoMA in New York and in 1954 it won the international design award Compasso d'Oro. Until the mid-1960s it reached a peak annual production of over 200,000 units.
Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti - Olivetti "Lettera 22" portable typewriter poster (1954/1954) by Designed by Raymond SavignacMuseimpresa
Advertisement poster for the Olivetti Lettera 22
Advertisement poster designed by the graphic designer Raymond Savignac for the Olivetti Lettera 22 portable typewriter released in 1950, based on a project by Giuseppe Beccio and designed by Marcello Nizzoli.
Olivetti Valentine
The Olivetti Valentine portable typewriter features a "nonconformist" design, made in ABS plastic and in Valentine red color. It’s in the permanent collections of the MoMA in New York and it was produced from 1969 to 2000 in the Italian, Spanish and Mexican factories.
Advertisiment poster for the Olivetti Valentine
Advertisement poster designed by the graphic designers Roberto Pieracini and Maurizio Turchet for the Olivetti Valentine portable typewriter released in 1969, based on the design by Ettore Sottsass jr.
Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti - Olivetti "Paxis 35" portable electronic typewriter (1980/1980) by Designed by Mario BelliniMuseimpresa
The Olivetti Praxis 35
The Olivetti Praxis 35 is the world's first electronic portable typewriter. It uses the "daisy wheel" print element, which allows for excellent printing speed and quality. In 1981 the typewriter won the international design award Compasso d'Oro.
Advertisiment poster for the Olivetti Praxis 35
Advertisement poster designed in 1980 by the graphic designer Milton Glaser for the Olivetti Praxis 35 electronic typewriter, released in the same year and based on the design by Mario Bellini.
Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti
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