6.5 Electromechanical calculators
Electric calculators are able to perform operations and write results simply by pressing a button, thanks to the presence of electrical circuits inside them. In our collection there are several Olivetti calculators, instantly distinguishable by their colors (gray, light blue) and their sleek design, signed by Marcello Nizzoli.
They were much faster than their mechanical alternatives, more comfortable because they eliminated the need to turn a crank, had a reduced keyboard, and printed on paper sheets. Produced from the early 1940s to the late 1970s, they did not supplant mechanical calculators, but coexisted until the widespread adoption of electronic calculators.