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Home » Olivetti » Lettera 32 » 1964 #8559066
1964 Olivetti Lettera 32 Serial # 8559066 1964 Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter, Serial # 8559066 Mei Travis's 1964 Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter. 2021-09-17 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of Mei Travis: 1964 Olivetti Lettera 32 Serial # 8559066 Purchased locally from Mena, AR for only $20, because it was missing its bail. While searching for a replacement, I rigged the machine with a rod weight tucked into the platen, but that only works ok as the paper has to be smoothed with each return.

Pete Ebbink sent me a bail from an Underwood-Olivetti but unfortunately it's too different, and we all know that's not going to stop me, so I hacked it by lashing it with safety wire directly onto the margin rack. The bail can't be lifted, but with careful insertion, the paper slides easily underneath. Lo and behold, I finally got the thing to type enough to enjoy the perfect little characters and the mushiness of the keyboard.

Then later I finally located a proper bail with the European scale and replaced it properly. The vinyl case was harvested from a made-in-China clunker. It fits perfectly and the red velvet lining is a nice contrast to the soft green while matching the red tab key.

1964 Olivetti Lettera 32 #8559066

Status: My Collection
Hunter: Mei Travis (meilynne)
Created: 12-08-2020 at 02:36PM
Last Edit: 09-17-2021 at 12:44PM

Description Hunter 11 Photos 1 Like  Find on Ebay #AD  Find on Etsy #AD

Description:

Purchased locally from Mena, AR for only $20, because it was missing its bail. While searching for a replacement, I rigged the machine with a rod weight tucked into the platen, but that only works ok as the paper has to be smoothed with each return.

Pete Ebbink sent me a bail from an Underwood-Olivetti but unfortunately it's too different, and we all know that's not going to stop me, so I hacked it by lashing it with safety wire directly onto the margin rack. The bail can't be lifted, but with careful insertion, the paper slides easily underneath. Lo and behold, I finally got the thing to type enough to enjoy the perfect little characters and the mushiness of the keyboard.

Then later I finally located a proper bail with the European scale and replaced it properly. The vinyl case was harvested from a made-in-China clunker. It fits perfectly and the red velvet lining is a nice contrast to the soft green while matching the red tab key.

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:












Hunter: Mei Travis (meilynne)

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During the quiet summer of 2020, I longed to use a typewriter again. After some online research and browsing, two Brother machines landed on my doorstep. A 1971 Montgomery Ward's Signature 511D and a creamy 1985 Sears ultraportable both ignited a fire I haven't felt in a long time. I quickly found Ted Munk, the Facebook groups, and the rest of the typewriter online community, where I learned how to fix them and appreciate them. By summer's end I had collected 20 typewriters to cure my pandemic blues. Now I'm obsessed about the different styles, the mechanics & repair, and their important history. Typewriters are an endless source of fascination as a literary medium, for creativity, a tinker-fest for machine geeks, and they still contribute to the economy. I truly enjoy learning how to bring mid-century or later typewriters back to life, even the electric ones, while completely in awe of the unique antiques that folks brilliantly restore. It warms my heart that there are others, and here we are sharing the same passions about typewriters together.


RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Olivetti Lettera 32 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Olivetti Serial Number page and the Olivetti Lettera 32 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.

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