Lot: 641

Ettore Sottsass; Perry A. King
Rare 'Valentine' typewriter, 1969 (design)

H. 11.5 x 34.5 x 35 cm.
Olivetti, Ivrea.
Green, black, and red plastic, black rubber.
Marked: Manufacturer's stamp Olivetti.

The blue and green Valentine typewriters were used exclusively in Olivetti showrooms in Italy (green) and France (blue) and were not originally intended for resale.

The grand master of Italian design—this impression is unavoidable when viewing photographs of him. After classical architectural studies, his career began with the founding of his own studio. He first achieved fame through his collaboration with Olivetti. The fact that office machines from this company and their accompanying advertising posters are still collected and exhibited worldwide today is due to the ingenious design of Sottsass. The most famous object of this collaboration is undoubtedly the "Valentine" portable typewriter, designed in 1968. Our collection includes not only the classic and world-famous red version, but also light gray, green, and blue versions, which were produced in very small numbers at the time. Sottsass's rejection of the representational design intended to impress and amaze led to the founding of Memphis in 1980.

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Estimate: 2,500 € - 3,000 €