Later add: I revived this thread after some HB members contacted me with questions about a Lady D for sale on eBay. There were no reviews of using one and concerns about a possibly dented lever housing. The seller asked me about the denting and then referenced it in his listing. Back to my earlier text.

Here are a few more pictures while drinking my morning capp:







And with the pilot light on.

Hello All:

With the help of two Italian members, Gianluca (vinalopo) and Lucio (LVX), I wrote to several Italian journalist sites in Parma, Italy, to find out more about the Duchessa story. Today, one of those sites published the story and got an immediate response with pictures. I have written asking permission to post those photos and will write more. But meanwhile, here is a link to the story: http://parma.repubblica.it/cronaca/2011 ... 7346948/1/

and the response:

http://parma.repubblica.it/cronaca/2011 ... 7388846/1/

I found it easy to translate from Italian using online translators.

Not not need for a translator there - belisima says it all.

The more I come to love espresso the more I love spring lever espresso makers. Could be effect and cause.

PC

Great information, thanks Gary. Hope to see the little beauty at the upcoming SF / South Bay get together.

I've been using the Google Chrome browser for links that need translation because it'll ask you after it loads the page if you want it translated without having to click on any buttons or links to kick off the translation.

drgary wrote:Hello All:

With the help of two Italian members, Gianluca (vinalopo) and Lucio (LVX), I wrote to several Italian journalist sites in Parma, Italy, to find out more about the Duchessa story. Today, one of those sites published the story and got an immediate response with pictures. I have written asking permission to post those photos and will write more. But meanwhile, here is a link to the story: http://parma.repubblica.it/cronaca/2011 ... 7346948/1/

and the response:

http://parma.repubblica.it/cronaca/2011 ... 7388846/1/

I found it easy to translate from Italian using online translators.

Thanks for the post drgary. That was a great read.

Hello All,

(Later add: My next two posts were originally made June 8 and updated June 13 to include additional information about the company, vintage machines and the family of one of its founders.)

This is turning out to be very exciting. I am now in contact with the family of one of the founders of the Ducale Company, Ugo Sandei, who died recently. The Sandei family still owns the company, and it is headed by Ugo's sons Stefano and Pietro. The third generation is now represented by Marcello Sandei, who recently joined the company The family gave permission for me to post the photos they sent and they indicate willingness to tell me much more about the company history. So here are the pictures they sent yesterday, to start. I will post more information when it becomes available. I hope you find this unfolding story as delightful as I do! About the first photo, Pietro Sandei, CEO of Ducale (formerly Duchessa), wrote that it represents the team at the company in 1954-55.









He wrote that the company name Duchessa was the factory name in Parma starting in 1954, and that it changed to Ducale to honor Parma, also known as "the Ducal City." The company invented the first fully automatic espresso machine in 1968 and gradually moved to producing automatic coffee vending machines, becoming one of the leaders in that category by 1970.

Wow! Awesome old pictures. Thanks. Never seen a commercial Duchessa/Ducale lever.

Clint,

More eye candy ... I just got permission to post images from Extravaganza Parma, a company that leases vintage espresso gear for catering events. Pietro Sandei also saw these and commented on them in his response to the online article, as follows. When seeing the photo of my red machine, "modello Lady prodotto dalla fine anni 50 sino agli inizi anni 70." Translation: Lady model produced from late 1950 to the early 1970s. Then,

"Duchessa, 1955-56"



and for the next two: "Duchessa, 1956-58"





And this is from the Ducale web site. They also made beautiful grinders, and from one of the photos it looks like Extravaganza Parma has at least two of them! Pietro Sandei wrote:

Duchessa, 4 group lever, Australian model, 1954-55



In response to my question about how many were produced, Mr. Sandei wrote: "Non si conoscono con precisione i numeri degli apparecchi prodotti, che comunque variano da poche decine a poche centinaia per tipo." In rough translation, this is: "I don't know the exact numbers of units produced, which however vary from a handful to a few hundred per type."

Gary,

Thank you so much for posting those photos. They are just terrific to admire.

cheers,
~j

drgary wrote:Hello All,

This is turning out to be very exciting. I am now in contact with the family of one of the founders of the Ducale Company. They have given permission ... I hope you find this unfolding story as delightful as I do!

I delight in a "storied coffee." Thanks for making this a "storied lever" as well.

B|Java