Giovedì 11 marzo ore 18.30, su Zoom
Secondo appuntamento degli Olivetti Design Talks per ricordare uno dei più famosi oggetti di design del XX secolo: la macchina per scrivere Lettera 22. Portatile progettata da Giuseppe Beccio con design di Marcello Nizzoli, ha compiuto 70 anni nel 2020 confermando il proprio successo internazionale.
Maggiori informazioni ed iscrizione sul sito dell’Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti
Lettera 22: 0,36 u.e.
Da zonista, nel 1956, sono arrivato a venderne 12 in un mese, tutte a rate con cambiali .
Mediamente ne avevo una trentina fuori in prova.
Avevo una zona poverissima, Quartu S. Elena , provincia di Cagliari. immediato dopoguerra, povertà assoluta, gente scalza, abbandono scolastico, prevalenti attività economica l’agricoltura e albori di piccola edilizia privata.
Ricordo che ne ho venduta una ad un imbianchino analfabeta convincendolo ad imparare a scrivere (cosa che ho dovuto insegnargli a fare per alcuni giorni).
Avevo vent’anni o poco più.Non sono rimasto lì! Sono anche diventato direttore di Area OS&N,…come si dice…dalla gavetta…!
Curgiolu buonasera,
ci conosciamo perchè tu fosti il mio istruttore al CISV dal 1° al 31 dicembre 1970 al corso di 1^ formazione , si “lottava” sulle Divisumma 26 GT .
Ben rivisto, è un gran piacere.
Saluti, a te e tutti gli olivettiani.
Luciano Martocchia
Pescara
Martocchia!
Grande piacere mi reca il Tuo ricordo.
Spero di essere stato un buon istruttore, Tu eri un buon allievo.
Ti abbraccio!
E’ stato un gran piacere salutarti , un saluto !!!
Luciano
non sapevo avesse compiuto 70 come me,lei le porta sicuramente meglio !!! ricordo che nel maggio del 73 quando entrai in azienda ,mi mandarono a venderne una al responsabile degli acquisti di una azienda ns cliente, fu l’unica che vendetti ,ciao a tutti
I started with Olivetti in NYC and found the Lettera 22 on a marble pedestal in the street (5th) avenue; we collected the writings from that machine and someone should write a book from the thousands of pages and variety of comments from that machine. We sold many thousands of them from that office and our dealers sold multi thousands of them over the years. I eventually worked in most capacities in the US Olivetti and when I left I was CEO. Three times in my life i came across products like this: Lettera 22, P101 and I was CEO of Commodore and introduced the Commodore 64.
Those moments in a career were all fed by my Olivetti Education over 30 plus years.
Hi Leon, it was a real pleasure to read your comments and your news after so many times.
We met in NY area ( ( Bridgewater and Morristown) in the years’90 with Salomon – new 1notebooks line and quaderno – and SAM’s Club.
Great time, great Olivetti
Regards Ignazio
Leon, great to see your note and learn about your on-going adventures within Olivetti and after. We hope you are in good health. My brother Irwin Davidson and David Napell also worked at Olivetti, NY in the fifties and sixties too. In different years we all won sales contests that took us to Ivrea. We were all there with you when you ran the supply division and other tasks. I ended up working on Copia copier sales and marketing, Irwin wound up as Branch Manager, Mountainside, NJ, and David became National Sales Manager of Consumer Products He helped introduce the Prima hand-operated adding machine (with a tape). With regard to the Lettera 22, David was responsible for the sales of thousands of them to Dealers throughout the USA. We all agree that The Olivetti experience was the best business foundation one could have gotten anywhere. It was also the best place we ever worked and the most fun. It was a “family” and no one ever needed to be told to work. Work was enjoyable and gratifying. We were all there through “the Underwood merger” and Hartford, Tarrytown and Long Beach training. Olivetti trained each of us for successful careers post Olivetti, and we will always be grateful for the experiences and friendships we made there. Best wishes Harvey, Irwin and David.
PS: David met and married Elsie Beslanovits at Olivetti and they have been married for fifty-five years.