Marcello Nizzoli designed the Olivetti Lettera 22 portable typewriter in 1950. MoMA records an enameled-metal housing and dimensions of 8.3 by 29.8 by 32.4 centimetres. The shallow body and compact keyboard distinguish it from the larger office machines that had made typewriting a fixture of business interiors.
The casing curves closely around the keyboard, with a low cover over the mechanism and a clearly exposed carriage above. Dark keys provide a strong contrast against the pale body, while the red key in the photographed example becomes a small visual accent. The outline remains coherent even though several different moving parts have to remain accessible to the typist.
The Lettera 22 can be read alongside the Lexikon 80 and the later Valentine as three different Olivetti responses to the writing machine. The Lettera emphasizes portability through its dimensions and close-fitting shell. Its design also connects with the archive’s small radios: in each case, compactness changes how a familiar activity can move between settings.
Olivetti Valentine portable typewriter
