Horizontal rectangular calculator with rounded corners in yellow plastic and rubber. Buttons on right and printer section at center.

1972

Calculator, Divisumma 18

Designed by: Mario Bellini (born 1935)

Material: ABS plastic, synthetic rubber

Produced by: Olivetti, S.p.A., Ivrea, Italy

Dimensions: 11.5 x 30.5 x 4.5 cm

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Liliane and David M. Stewart Collection, gift of Geoffrey N. Bradfield, D87.185.1*

This battery-powered printing calculator is noteworthy for its tactile qualities as well as its appearance. A synthetic rubber skin is molded over the keys, unifying the design and concealing the mechanical parts under a smooth surface that is pleasant to hold. An Olivetti advertisement for the calculator called it “the electronic printing calculator with the skin you love to touch.”

Bellini’s work ranged from architecture and urban planning to product design and furniture. He began to work at Olivetti in 1963 and succeeded Marcello Nizzoli as director of design.

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, photo: Giles Rivest.