Marcello Nizzoli - Olivetti, Lettera 32 - Typewriter - 1960-1970

Olivetti Lettera 32, beautiful and perfect, with case.
The present lot includes:
1) The portable typewriter Olivetti Lettera 32, first series. Original piece from 1963. Beautiful and flawless, perfectly functioning, color blue "diaspron".
2) Original case in decent condition.
3) Original instruction booklet.
4) Original black/red ribbon in use.
5) Additional new ribbon from the era: Kores with case and ribbon guarantee certificate.
Heir to the famous Lettera 22, it marked the history of the Italian economic boom generation, was very popular among journalists and students, and achieved great commercial success worldwide.
History
The Lettera 32 is a portable typewriter produced by Olivetti and marketed from 1963. Designed by engineer Adriano Menicanti, under the guidance of Natale Cappellaro, the casing was the work of architect and designer Marcello Nizzoli and conceived as the heir to the Lettera 22, the 32. With a base dimension of 35 cm by 34 cm in depth and a height of about 10 cm, the Lettera 32, by the standards of its time, was very suitable for transport; also the weight (a little over 5.5 kg) was functional in that sense. In its various versions it was produced in Italy in Ivrea, in Mexico and in Yugoslavia. Its mechanical base was used to produce also the models of Olivetti Dora, Olivetti Lettera DL, Olivetti Valentine, but also the sisters Olivetti Lettera 25 and Olivetti Lettera 35.
Mechanical
The Lettera 32 is a typewriter with typewriter levers that strike by pressure. Every time a key is pressed, the corresponding hammer, via the cinematic mechanism, hits the ribbon with red or black ink, behind which lies the sheet of paper on which the corresponding symbol is printed. A lever located at the upper right of the keyboard can be used to control the ribbon position and select printing in black, red, or no ink (in case of carbon copies or for preparing ink matrices for the cyclostyle). The ribbon winds with every keystroke and automatically changes winding direction when it reaches the end of either spool on which it is wound.
Keyboard
The Italian version of the machine uses the QZERTY layout. The alphanumeric keys are 43 for a total of 86 symbols. In addition to these, the keyboard includes a space bar, two keys to set uppercase, a caps lock key, a lever to bypass the set margins, a backspace key, a tabulation lever and a key (red) to move from one tab to another.
Famous users
Oriana Fallaci: journalist - Indro Montanelli: one of the greatest Italian journalists of the 20th century - Cormac McCarthy: American writer winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2007, in 2009 he decided to auction his Olivetti 32, donating the proceeds to charity, obtaining about $254,500. - Angela Giussani: creator of the famous comic character Diabolik. - Antonello Falqui: the king of Italian television variety.
Technical sheet
• Technology: Mechanical
• Drive: Manual
• Dimensions: 34 x 34.5 x 10 cm
• Weight: 5.9 kg
• Writing element: type hammers
• Keyboard: QZERTY (Italian version)
• Bodywork: metal, with removable cover
• Colors: blue, blue diaspron, yellow-green, red (with smooth paint in early versions, debossed in later ones)
• Keyboard: 43 keys, corresponding to 86 signs
• Ribbon: fabric, height 13 mm
• Lineing-up device: present
Line spacing: three positions plus zero