The Olivetti Valentine portable typewriter was designed by Ettore Sottsass and Perry King. MoMA dates the design to 1968, while the Olivetti historical archive records production beginning in 1969. The Valentine belongs to the period when consumer products increasingly used color and plastic to establish a distinctive identity.
Its red body leaves the keyboard and working parts easy to recognize. A matching transport cover encloses the machine for carrying. The case is therefore part of the object’s everyday appearance, rather than simply packaging to discard after purchase.
MoMA lists ABS plastic and other materials in its construction. The bright shell and dark keys create a strong contrast, while the handle emphasizes portability. These visible features give a familiar writing machine an informal character that can be compared with the sculptural furniture of the same decade.
The Valentine extends the archive’s study of modern design beyond chairs and buildings to the tools of daily life. It is a mechanical typewriter; its place here is in the history of product design and portable work, alongside developments in domestic technology.
