So Not an iPhone: Olivetti Valentine Typewriter

I’ve wanted one of these classics, designed by Ettore Sottsass and Perry King in the late 60’s, since I was in design school 20 years ago. By chance I found one on Craigs List the other day for a great price locally. There’s a lot that can go wrong with them, so I’ve been wary about buying them on eBay, where they come up quite frequently (though usually for much more).

This one is a Valentine S, and it’s in pretty good shape. The rubber straps that attach the case are in OK shape, these are a common failure point as the rubber dries out, cracks and breaks. The case is a little scuffed up, and the top of the typewriter itself is a bit scratched from going in/out of the case. Otherwise it’s cosmetically pretty decent. It doesn’t work right now, I’d have to get it serviced, but I’m not planning on doing any actual typing…

I will scan the instruction manual also, as it’s very cute.

Update on Thursday, April 15 by Adam

A lot of people have emailed me asking about the manual. I did get finally get around to scanning it, you can find it here.

Boeing 747, A Design Classic, 40 Years Old

Jonathan Glancey of The Guardian has written up a nice piece about one of those products we take for granted, the Boeing 747. It had its maiden flight in February 1969, forty years ago. We take it for granted because it is so ubiquitous and does its job with so little drama (very few ever crash, it’s one of the safest planes around despite its size). I remember flying in a 747 after not having been in one for a couple of years, and being taken aback all over again how gigantic they are inside. They are cavernous, and you feel like you have to walk for miles to get to the loo.

To say that the Boeing 747 revolutionised civil aviation would be an understatement. Not only was the aircraft huge – a mechanical elephant - but it promised lower fares for millions of people who may never have flown at all, let alone long-haul. For better or worse, the jumbo jet did its bit to democratise air travel.

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Hat tip, City of Sound