Designed by Ettore Sottsass and Perry A. King for the Italian company Olivetti, the firm started the production of the revolutionary typewriter Valentine in 1969, and not only just one year later its extraordinary design won the ADI Compasso D’Oro, but also, in 1971, the Italian typewriter was added to the prestigious collection of MoMA.
But, why was Valentine so successful and its design so unique? Because it has been the first all-plastic typewriter!
Curiosity: The large fold-out handle on the back of the machine overtly invites picking up the Valentine and taking it along for a joy ride. So, its easy portability became one of the object’s distinctive features and the case itself, custom-designed to match the general aesthetic, is another example of Sottsass’ thinking about the whole user experience (as we would call it today).
The photo was taken at the Triennale di Milano in the area dedicated entirely to the history of Italian Design.
To learn more about the history of the Italian company Olivetti we recommend to start with one of the following options:
1. visit the Museum and Educational Laboratory of Ivrea, built in the areas that once were the Olivetti factory;
2. visit the halls of the Milano Triennale for a brief look at the most iconic Olivetti’s products;
3. visit the Olivetti Showroom in Plaza San Marco in Venice;
4. read the book “Città dell’uomo” published by Edizioni Comunità;
5. watch on Rai play “Adriano Olivetti – La forza di un sogno”.
