Olivetti Typewriters and Ivrea, Italy
The marketing and design of vintage Olivetti are iconic. Passing near Ivrea we decided it was definitely worth a small detour. Adriano Olivetti became manager in 1933 and grew the stylish typewriter business in Ivrea, it transformed the small town into a city of major Italian manufacturing. By the late 1950s there were more than 14,000 people working for Olivetti, mostly living in Ivrea. The 1990s saw the decline of Olivetti as we know it but the city has created an Open-air Museum of Modern Architecture. You can visit offices, factories and accommodation with outdoor information panels. I have to thank The Olivetti Historic Archive Association for opening especially for us when they found out we were visiting from Britain!
Leave a Reply