Vintage Fountain Pen Advertisments

[Shangas]

Hi folks,

I got this idea after reading through Unlucky Berman's delightful collection of vintage watch advertisments for the Hamilton Watch Company. I thought I'd start up a thread with assorted fountain pen advertisements. Rather than restricting it to a particular pen-maker, I decided to create a thread of vintage fountain pen advertisements, regardless of branding.

I think it's a great pity that ads like this aren't printed anymore. They're so colourful and well-illustrated...

Sheaffer Skrip fountain pen i...ahem...WRITING...FLUID. 1953.

These 'skripwell' bottles as they were affectionately known as, disappeared from shops fairly recently. It's a pity they're not manufactured anymore.

A little older than the period of this forum, Waterman's Ideal Fountain Pens were manufactured during the 1900s-1910s.

Waterman Pens. 1935.

Conklin Crescent-Filler fountain pens. 1917. The Conklin Crescent-Filler was one of the first successful fountain pens, and it spelt the doom of the dip-pen, as this advertisement clearly suggests.

One of the several ads advertising the famous Parker '51', from the 1950s.

 

[FountainPenGirl]

Hi, I'm a Fountain Pen Nut. I can relate to the ads. I have some of the pens shown. I pretty much only use fountain pens all the time. I probably have about 50 working pens from an assortment of manufactures. Not only are they a dream to write with but it's fun for what I call the shock value of it. Most people aren't expecting you to pull out a fountain pen to write a check with. Some people don't pay any attention to anything but some do. I've heard things like " I haven't seen one those for a long time." or "My mother used to use one." or "We used those in school.". Well it's all fun. I live a lot of the vintage thing in many parts of my life. Are there any other pen nuts out there?

 

[John in Covina]

Yes there are a number of Fountain Pen threads that get posts now and again in the General Attire & Accouterments section. If you go to that section you can search for these various pen threads.

 

[Shangas]

I'm a hard-core fountain pen nut. Have been for 16 years.

And I'm only 22.

 

[John in Covina]

The invention of a working fountain pen was a boon to business allowing the public to move away from the dip pen. The concept of the feed that allowed for what is a controlled leak of ink was what Waterman came up with that made fountain pens a workable item.

Overtime materials, filling systems and later colors became hot items for the fountain manufacturers as areas of competition. These advancements were actually considered as news worthy items and there were publicity stunts such as Parker Duofolds dropped from the Parker Aeroplane to show how strong the latest materials were. It's neat how the ads reflect an idealized picture of the time.

 

[Widebrim]

To give equal time, I may have to start a Vintage Inkwell Advertisements thread...