Olivetti Lettera 22

A Lettera 22, first model

The Olivetti Lettera 22 [oliˈvetti ˈlɛttera ˌventiˈduːe] is a portable mechanical typewriter designed by Marcello Nizzoli in 1949 or, according to the company's current owner Telecom Italia, 1950.[1] This typewriter was very popular in Italy, receiving the Compasso d'Oro prize in 1954.[2] In 1959 the Illinois Institute of Technology chose the Lettera 22 as the best designed product of the last 100 years.

The typewriter is about 27x37x8 cm (with the carriage return lever adding another 1–2 centimeters in height), making it quite portable for the time's standards, even though its 3.7 kg (8.2 lb) weight may somewhat limit portability.

3/4 view of the Lettera 22
A front view of the Lettera 22
The Lettera 22: "Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera"
The Lettera 22

The Lettera 22 was rebranded and marketed in the United States as the Sears Courier and Diplomat, with red bodywork and white keys. It was succeeded in 1963 by the Olivetti Lettera 32.

  1. ^ Olivetti design Archived 2005-04-09 at the Wayback Machine at Telecom Italia
  2. ^ "LETTERA 22 TYPEWRITER". ADI Design Museum. Retrieved 2024-07-25.