-Super G- portable typewriter c. 1960

Editor: This is the Super G portable typewriter, designed by Carrozzeria Ghia SpA around 1960. I’m struck by how its bright orange color and racing stripes give it a sporty, almost rebellious feel, a real departure from the stodgy image I usually associate with typewriters. What can you tell me about it? Curator: I see this typewriter as a fascinating artifact reflecting shifting cultural values around labor and leisure. The sporty design disrupts the traditional association of typewriters with office drudgery. Its portability promised freedom and challenged fixed locations of intellectual work. Editor: So, it's a symbol of liberation? Curator: Potentially, yes, although we need to be critical about whose liberation was being promoted. This aesthetic was part of a broader modernist drive that often ignored class divisions and the perspectives of marginalized workers. Who had access to such freedom and tools of creative expression? Was it equitable? Consider the historical context of its production. Editor: That’s a really important point. I hadn't considered the social implications of its design in that way. It makes you wonder who exactly was this object intended for, and how was it marketed? Curator: Precisely! Examining design through an intersectional lens reveals how objects can embody complex and sometimes contradictory messages about progress and access. Consider what other objects from the period look like, or how labor changed at the time for office workers and designers alike. Editor: I’m walking away from this conversation recognizing it's important to dig deeper to fully appreciate design's broader context. Thanks! Curator: Absolutely, and considering such nuance makes our interpretation much richer.