Bidspirit auction | Vintage Typewriter by Ettore Sottsass

Vintage Typewriter by Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti, Model Praxis 48 - Ettore Sottsass, like many Italian designers, was originally trained as an architect before going on to a long career in multi-disciplinary design. That background may help explain the architectural look of the Praxis 48 typewriter that Sottsass designed for Olivetti. The model won the Compasso D-Oro Italian design prize in 1970. A wonderfully proportioned block presents up the keyboard cantilevered out the front in a dramatic gesture. And it's not cantilevered just by a little bit. The floating keyboard is a full third of the depth of the machine. There's a tension between the suspended keyboard (onto which you are pounding with your fingers) and the visually and actually heavy main block. Technical innovation by Olivetti's engineers led to a more compact keyboard mechanism. Another innovation allowed the carriage to be set lower into the main box for a sleeker look.Continuing the architectural theme, the side panels are corrugated on a fine pitch. This adds depth of texture to the otherwise flat, planar surfaces. There was also a manufacturing reason - the corrugations hid the fine off-color lines that can appear in injection-molded parts.Turning to the front we find another creative texture: the tops of the keycaps. The key bases are the same color as the surrounding body and extrude out of the slanted cantilevered surface. As a result, their dark green tips appear to almost float above the surface, like the keyboard itself floats above the desk. These keys are a prototypical version of the ”volcano” shape that we later see repeated in purer form on the Divisumma 18 by Mario Bellini. Like most electrics, when the typewriter is off the keys barely move when pressed. Once the machine is activated, they depress and click contentedly as the arms strike the paper.The key caps' dark green repeats on a few other touchpoints - the ends of the platen knobs, and two buttons on top for releasing the platen from side to side. The repeating color spots draw your eye around the product - again like a piece of architecture it rewards looking at it from 360 degrees.Continuing around to the back, when the platen is centered the silhouette is of a T-shape, like the bridge of a freight ship. Like many typewriters the Praxis 48's platen moves from side to side as typing a line progresses, but the visual effect is particularly striking with the 48. Due to its angular symmetry, when the platen moves to full-offset it cantilevers far off the side from the main mass, the same as the keyboard is cantilevered off the front. Measurements: 17.50 inches wide x 13.25 inches deep x 6.25 inches high. All items are sold as is. The auction house does not warrant authenticity on any specific piece. THERE ARE NO RETURNS. We can only offer our opinion and the material facts about the item and its condition. ANY CONDITION STATEMENT IS GIVEN AS A COURTESY TO A CLIENT, IS ONLY AN OPINION AND SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS A STATEMENT OF FACT. CAIN MODERN AUCTIONS SHALL HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERROR OR OMISSION. ALL BIDDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO OBTAIN AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE ABOUT ANY ITEM AND A SHIPPING QUOTE FOR THE ITEM ON WHICH THEY WISH TO BID, BY REQUESTING CONDITION REPORTS AND SHIPPING QUOTES BY EMAIL, OR PREFERABLY, BY PERSONAL INSPECTION. ALL ITEMS ARE SOLD AS IS WITH NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES STATED OR IMPLIED. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BIDDER TO EXAMINE ALL MATERIAL PRIOR TO BIDDING. NO LOTS CAN BE RETURNED FOR A FULL OR PARTIAL REFUND EITHER BECAUSE BIDDER CHANGED HIS/HER MIND OR BECAUSE SHIPPING IS FOUND TO BE TOO HIGH/EXPENSIVE. ITEMS NOT PICKED UP AFTER 30 DAYS WILL BE CONSIDERED FORFEITED WITHOUT REFUNDS. Condition: Used condition. Condition: The piece turns on and ir appears to be functional.