Espresso Machine No. 1

A Victoria Arduino Venus 2, the first machine in the Bakke Collection, and the one that started the story...

This Victoria Arduino Venus 2 (1973) is actually a re-issue of the classic vertical "express coffee" machines that were the standard at European bars and cafes before World War II. Not knowing anything about espresso or espresso machines, Kent Bakke discovered this Venus in the back of his Pioneer Square restaurant Hibble & Hyde's when he first opened the establishment. The visual drama of the machine sparked his interest, and he set about learning how it worked. Kent soon became a sort of accidental espresso machine repairman at a time when there were only a handful around Seattle. Not long after he began importing espresso machines and then travelled to Italy where he visited La Marzocco and the rest is history...