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Wednesday 8 May 2013

Xanti, Saul and the Olivetti Studio 45 Typewriter

This Olivetti Studio 42, made in Ivrea, Italy, was imported into Australia and sold by Chartres. Its serial number is 840413, meaning it was made in 1952. 
Today's Google Doodle
Saul Bass' artwork
At least one blogger out there believes this artwork from an Olivetti Lettera 22 manual is "Bassist". Schawinsky did design the manual for the Olivetti M40.
Saul Bass
Xanti Schawinsky's artwork
Xanti Schawinsky
This is possibly the only blog where one will ever find an image of a typewriter designer's naked backside. Xanti's on the right. Herbert Bayer's is on the left, South of France 1928.
Some of Saul Bass' famous movie posters
Saul Bass-designed logos
Xanti Schawinsky's 1935 poster for the Olivetti ICO MP1
This is Giovanni Pintori's 1938 poster for the Studio 42. Pintori was responsible for almost all of the most memorable post-war Olivetti typewriter posters, especially those connected with the Lettera 22.
Store displays for the Studio 42, put together by Pintori and Leonardo Sinisgalli in Milan in 1939.
 Giovanni Pintori (1912-1999)
Leonardo Sinisgalli (1908-1981)
 

The team that designed the body of the Olivetti Studio 42: top, Swiss-born artist Alexander "Xanti" Schawinsky (1904-1979), centre architect Gino Pollini (1903-1991), bottom architect Luigi Figini (1903-1984).
Figini and Pollini working together
Below: Some examples of Schawinsky's art





8 comments:

Vikram said...

Thanks for the great pictures and posters! I love the way that pearl Studio 42 looks.
Question: did you ever put the carriage lock mechanism back into place?

Miguel Chávez said...

What a beautiful machine! I'm impressed to know it was made around the same time as the functional, yet not-so-pretty Studio 44.

Rob Bowker said...

Hi Robert, he's unmistakable. Here's the Google Doodle link for anyone who missed it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64lDaAmpvSo

TonysVision said...

Thanks for collecting some of the work of Saul Bass. Everyone "of a certain age" knows his work, whether they know it or not I didn't, until reading your post. To me, his movie posters are as much a part of the movie as the film itself.

Spiderwebz said...

Ah, the machine that started my whole obsession. It's truly wonderful. :-)

Scott K said...

I think the Studio 42 is a beautiful machine. I'm yet to own one, but I'm sure I will. Thanks for this magnificent post. I rather enjoyed the google front page yesterday. Great design work!

Richard P said...

Classy modernism!

Saul Neto said...

Do you know where the serial number is on the Studio 42?