Lettera 22 typewriter
Lettera 22 typewriter
Designed by Marcello Nizzoli and Giuseppe Beccio
Made by Olivetti
Italy, 1950
W: 270mm H: 80mm D: 320mm
The Lettera 22 was the result of a collaboration between Marcello Nizzoli, one of Italy’s finest industrial designers, and Giuseppe Beccio, who revolutionised the internal engineering of the machine. Beccio reduced the number of parts in the assembly from around 3000 to 2000. This shortened the assembly time, lowered the cost of production, and made the purchase of the Lettera 22 more competitive.
The Lettera 22 remained in production for 15 years (manufactured at Olivetti plants in Ivrea, Glasgow, Barcelona, Buenos Aires and Johannesburg). The sleek design was extremely influential and other companies produced similar designs.
Marcello Nizzoli (1887 – 1969) was a painter, designer and graphic artist. He worked as a graphic designer for Olivetti from the 1930s, creating a uniform corporate image. He became chief design consultant in 1936, a role he held for 22 years. Throughout this period Nizzoli’s work for Olivetti led the industry in the adoption of advanced manufacturing processes, new materials and the highest standards in mechanical engineering.
His designs for typewriters and calculating machines are especially important, and draw heavily on organic and modernist forms. In 1954 he won the inaugural Compasso d’Oro Award, the pre-eminent Italian design award.
Nizzoli also worked as an architect for Olivetti, designing houses for employees, and office buildings for the company. He actively sought new challenges throughout his career, moving from painting to stage design, followed by a series of seminal designs for exhibitions, trade shows and retail shops.
