For the first post of this little blog, we take a look at a little typewriter - the Olivetti Lettera 22. A real classic of the portable world, the Lettera 22 has been a favourite for many years. Truly portable, reliable, and comfortable to use, the Lettera 22 has been used for years by journalists and authors. Its design has earned it awards, including the prestigious Compasso d'Oro in 1954, and it has been on display in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). It was also chosen by the Illinois Institute for Technology in 1959 as the best designed product of the last 100 years.
The Lettera 22 has a surprisingly snappy feel. It has light touch, and its basket shift is easier to operate than the carriage shifts found on many similarly sized portables. Not all Lettera 22s are the same - some have a slightly 'spongy' typing feel, which can sometimes be resolved by a good cleaning or adjustment; however, some remain 'spongy' despite efforts to improve them. It is a bit of a mystery, but it is probably down to a combination of quality control and lifetime use.
Regardless, the majority of Lettera 22s are great typewriters, and they remain one of my favourites, both to use and service. I am partial to the earlier models with the round keytops, especially those that have the embossed "Olivetti" logo on the paper plate. There are also uncommon early iterations labelled "Scribe," which was the name given to the typewriter before it was titled "Lettera 22." The 22 is most commonly found in fawn (beige) and light blue, but, if you are lucky, it can also be found in uncommon pistachio green and in even more uncommon light pink and salmon red.
Quite a common typewriter, at least in fawn and blue, the Lettera 22 is often one of the first portables that typewriter fans come across, especially in the UK. For this reason, it is a great typewriter with which to tinker or develop 'typewriter diy' skills.
If you are so inclined, our next blog post will likely prove very useful: the disassembly of the Lettera 22.
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