Scholarly Works On Fountain Pens? A Research Project

[Chazzy91]

I am an American history MA student considering designing a thesis around fountain pens -- maybe their technological and social significance during the dawn of mass communication, maybe their fluctuating roles as status symbols, utilitarian workhorses, gifts, "obsolete" techology, etc. It's still in the works. I collect FP's and perform rudimentary restorations as a hobby, and I foresee benefit in mixing work and pleasure. With some quick Googling, I have found a handful of texts by collectors and FP connoisseurs, including

• Fountain Pens: the Collection Guide to selecting, buying, and enjoying new and vintage fountain pens and Identifying Fountain Pens by Jonathan Steinberg
• The Illustrated Guide to Antique Writing Instruments by Stuart Schneider and George Fischler
• Fountain pens Past and Present by Paul Erano
• Fountain pens: A Collector's Guide by Peter Twydle
• The Chronicle of the Fountain Pen: Stories within a Story by Joao Martins, Luiz Leite, & Antonio Gagean

The last text sounded promising, though to be honest, I am fearful most of these texts will have more photos and cursory model information rather than in depth passages discussing the FP in a broader historical significance. That is not a knock to them, but rather an explanation of what I expect will be my greatest challenge, i.e. gathering sources. Again, this is very early in my MA (I haven't actually started the semester yet), but I'd like to hone this idea into a specific question asap. Speaking of questions, here's a few...

• Do you have any more text recommendations? I'm really interested in ones detailing specific manufacturers or innovations (Parker 51, Waterman C/C Pens, Sheaffer Snorkel)
• Have I missed any threads on here talking about scholarly work on fountain pens, especially anything published by a university press?
• Any FP questions that haven't been answered by the fine FP authors already mentioned or otherwise?

Thanks for your time!

 

[birchtine]

I have just run a quick search and the book by T.P. Thornton Handwriting in America: A Cultural History seems quite promising.

 

I'd also try some specialist publications like Journal of the Writing Equipment Society.

 

 

Hopefully helpful blogs and web pages

 

George Kovalenko's blog: http://fountainpenhistory.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery_Bibliography.htm

http://newpentrace.net/

http://www.peneconomics.com/blog/ - some controversial but interesting analysis and ideas on the fountain pen market, producers and pen users

 

 

Good look with your thesis!

[dfo]

I have just run a quick search and the book by T.P. Thornton Handwriting in America: A Cultural History seems quite promising.

 

 

I think this is a good place to start. I am a PhD student in history and I do not think that there is much academic work written exclusively about fountain pens. It will probably be attached to histories of handwriting and the culture of writing. Best of luck and keep the community informed.

[tmenyc]

Absolutely find George Kovalenko's blog, and work your way down his list of sources on the right (IIRC) side of the blog page. A gold mine.

 

Tim

[Brianm_14]

Unfortunately, there is seemingly nothing yet for pens like Henry Petroski's magisterial work, The Pencil. (You might send a letter or email to Professor Petroski at Duke for a start; his book is surely a model effort!!!.)

 

While my background as a college professor is primarily in biology and chemistry, I have done graduate work in history, and have taught courses in the history of science and technology since the mid-80s. My primary focus today is researching the history of the relationship and history between religion and science in the USA., as well as some other, more technical, science-related topics that are slow-slogging. So I know my way in similar deep waters. You don't need to be a strong swimmer, just a well-paced one.

 

I suspect a lot of interesting, perhaps pivotal information is located in company records, often of firms long defunct or absorbed into other companies. Another complication is that some information may be considered quite proprietary - that is certainly the case with inks. Still, you might start by contacting some pen manufacturers, perhaps one you could visit, or historians and historical societies in communities which hosted the factories of many once-familiar brand names.

 

Patents can provide many clues, too. But you should for now concentrate on one area, one manufacturer even, to create a realistic thesis topic. For a Master's, you need to be focused, perhaps even concentrating on how you can create a foundation for a topic worthy of doctoral work supported by grants.

 

There could be a lot of help available here, on FPN, although it will be up to you to find the requisite scholarly documentation. But this community is rich in information that could provide many leads.

 

If I can assist you in any way, please PM or email me, and we'll exchange our *.edu addresses. I might not be able to be much more than a sounding board (or cheering section) at first. But lordy, this is a topic ripe for someone to research!

 

In any case, as has already been said, keep us informed.

 

Best wishes, and good luck! Be persistent!

[catbert]

The works of Andreas Lambrou for brand history.

 

Fountain Pens: their history and art by Jonathan Steinberg has some analysis of marketing over the years.

[DanDeM]

You might also scan a few decades of catalogs for insight into the

economic and educational evolution of pen users

In 1910 a typical fountain pen was about $2.00; nearly two days’ pay

for a school teacher. Some were sold for $10.00. Nearly two weeks

pay for most Americans. But at that time the professionals who wrote

— physicians, lawyers, authors, educators — were the small, highly

educated elite. By 1930, as literacy and mobility increased so did the

number pens, while the price dropped sharply.

Before that, say 1890ish, pens in general, including those that were

carried, were meant to be dipped. Scribes were anchored to an

inkwell. Increased mobility was another element in developing demand

for a fountain pen.

Many catalogs can be found in the archives maintained by the

Pen Collectors of America.

 

All best

[dcwaites]

Also consider the use of pens by the different social classes.

My uncle's enlistment papers for WWII clearly shows that the officer witnessing the document used a fountain pen, but the lowly signatories (i.e. my uncle) used a dip pen, presumably supplied for their use.

 

There is also the use by authors. H.P. Lovecraft wore out several fountain pens during his writing history (Waterman, I believe, but I may be wrong), but others, like Hemingway, used pencil.

[Chazzy91]

Oh my goodness! I apologize for my delay of thanks; I did not anticipate such wonderful feedback and didn't receive any alerts or notices that there had been replies. I suspect there is a setting on here to remedy that and shall check on it presently. Thank you all for such spectacular feedback and suggestions! I will spend considerable time pouring through the blogs and webpages. The thoughts about examining sales catalogues by decade is a great idea and will also grant insight into how marketing changed over time and between the sexes. I especially appreciate Brianm_14's recommendations and encouragement. I hope to provide updates if all should go well with getting this endeavor off the ground!

[prf5]

I went to the H.W. Wilson Humanities Full Text index, entered "fountain pens" in the search box and got 435 results. Here are the first five:

 

A Fountain Pen of Good Repute. Cohen, Michael. New England Review (10531297) , Fall2010, Vol. 31 Issue 4, p176-180

Some Pages from "The Story of My Hand." Hanson, L. K.. Ploughshares , Fall2012, Vol. 38 Issue 2/3, p71-82

The fountain pen in France: a relic of the present. Berwald, Jean-Pierre. French Review (0016111X) , April 2001, Vol. 74 Issue 5, p891-899

T. S. Eliot's pen. FERGUSSON, JAMES. TLS , 4/19/2013, Issue 5742, p6-6

Paperwork. ZAKIM, MICHAEL. Raritan , Spring2014, Vol. 33 Issue 4, p34-56

[Jerome Tarshis]

I went to the H.W. Wilson Humanities Full Text index, entered "fountain pens" in the search box and got 435 results.

 

Yes, yes, yes. If you're a graduate student, consider academic databases. Your cup or computer screen will run over. I haven't done the search for more than a year, but if you go to JSTOR and input fountain pen or fountain pens as a search term, you will in a very short time have quite a few reading recommendations.

[kazoolaw]

David Nishimura of vintagepens.com is an excellent source of history and research methods. On another board he has a recent article about recent discoveries regarding Waterman. I think he has recommended the book about the history of the Cross company as a good example in the field.

 

You can do some research into early PenWorld issues which had history articles.

 

The PCA has opened access to its library on its website, which has many early catalogs.

 

With a little time online you will find people with special interests in particular brands. The penhero site has a list of links to collectors with historical articles.

 

The pen nuts site has some of the serious collectors sharing some of their research.

 

Good luck, and please let us know how your research progresses,

 

 

 

PS-Have you checked the booksaboutpens site?

Edited August 16, 2015 by gary

[Chazzy91]

 

Yes, yes, yes. If you're a graduate student, consider academic databases. Your cup or computer screen will run over. I haven't done the search for more than a year, but if you go to JSTOR and input fountain pen or fountain pens as a search term, you will in a very short time have quite a few reading recommendations.

 

I am indeed making use of my university's electronic databases, but I haven't hit results anywhere near 400. I'll have to see if I can get a hold of H.W. Wilson Humanities Full Text. Thanks for the heads up!

 

David Nishimura of vintagepens.com is an excellent source of history and research methods. On another board he has a recent article about recent discoveries regarding Waterman. I think he has recommended the book about the history of the Cross company as a good example in the field.

 

You can do some research into early PenWorld issues which had history articles.

 

The PCA has opened access to its library on its website, which has many early catalogs.

 

With a little time online you will find people with special interests in particular brands. The penhero site has a list of links to collectors with historical articles.

 

The pen nuts site has some of the serious collectors sharing some of their research.

 

Good luck, and please let us know how your research progresses,

 

 

 

PS-Have you checked the booksaboutpens site?

No, I had not checked out this site yet. I shall!

 

Not arbitrarily, I think I'd like to approach this subject with a gender component, possibly in comparing which features and models of major pen producers were designed and marketed (vintage & modern ads would be awesome) specifically for women, versus the majority of marketing and pen features which seem to be aimed at a male consumer. Correct me if you'd contend otherwise. The goal would then be discussing the significance of those design and marketing differences in terms of social attitudes and gender roles.

[Jerome Tarshis]

 

Not arbitrarily, I think I'd like to approach this subject with a gender component, possibly in comparing which features and models of major pen producers were designed and marketed (vintage & modern ads would be awesome) specifically for women, versus the majority of marketing and pen features which seem to be aimed at a male consumer. Correct me if you'd contend otherwise. The goal would then be discussing the significance of those design and marketing differences in terms of social attitudes and gender roles.

 

I do not have experience of being a graduate student. I do have experience of working in advertising. I understand that one of the aims of graduate students is to have their work accepted by their superiors and to have their employment opportunities improved by that. Finding and telling the truth are also values, to whatever extent.

 

You may wish to consider that, like graduate students, people who prepare advertisements wish to have them accepted, the better to procure advancement or at least keep one's job. One way to do that is to prepare advertisements that somewhat resemble already-published advertisements. How much one should infer about attitudes, about gender or anything else but the wish to have one's work paid for, can be a delicate matter.

 

When reading academic writing I ask myself to what extent the writers actually believe that whereas they themselves are trying to get on as well as do something possibly useful, out in the world of commerce what happens is a revelation of truths. The truth about trying to get a project approved, yes; the truth about what's going on, possibly not so much. But I am not advising the OP to *do* anything different from what appears publishable at the time.

 

As for old pen advertising being addressed mostly to men except where it is explicitly addressed to women, there is also the possibility that much of it addresses both men and women. For example, neither men nor women wanted a pen that leaked a lot, and advertising leakproof qualities is arguably not gendered.

 

We may also ask how many people writing pen ads believed that in addressing prospective customers they should consider that men and women are not so very different. In his autobiography Anthony Trollope said that he had received much comment from women that his novels were written with greater understanding of women than was usual. He explained that he had proceeded by assuming that men and women were more alike than was conventionally believed, and writing accordingly. He can't have been unique.

[dfo]

 

Not arbitrarily, I think I'd like to approach this subject with a gender component, possibly in comparing which features and models of major pen producers were designed and marketed (vintage & modern ads would be awesome) specifically for women, versus the majority of marketing and pen features which seem to be aimed at a male consumer. Correct me if you'd contend otherwise. The goal would then be discussing the significance of those design and marketing differences in terms of social attitudes and gender roles.

 

Most advertisements are gendered in some way or another, just as language is itself gendered. This is very interesting to me. Please keep me informed. You will want a solid grasp on gender theory: e.g. works by Joan Scott and Judith Butler.

 

However, what do you mean by social attitudes? Do you mean the public's reaction to gendered advertisements? If so, that would be a much harder project for a master's thesis.

 

Also, I am a PhD student in history and my research centers on early modern religious exiles, but I also deal primarily with gender and women's history. Please let me know if you ever need any help or peer editing.

[kirchh]

Not arbitrarily, I think I'd like to approach this subject with a gender component, possibly in comparing which features and models of major pen producers were designed and marketed (vintage & modern ads would be awesome) specifically for women, versus the majority of marketing and pen features which seem to be aimed at a male consumer. Correct me if you'd contend otherwise. The goal would then be discussing the significance of those design and marketing differences in terms of social attitudes and gender roles.

 

Penmakers frequently targeted women with certain models, and men with others; they also promoted others as being suitable for either. A look through catalogs from the '30s will show this.

 

Sheaffer articulated a "genderizing" approach to their line in 1958, introducing the extensive Lady Sheaffer line of cartridge fillers in a variety of "feminine" finishes; they contrasted these with 1959's Pen For Men, which, obviously, was aimed squarely at male buyers. This genderizing strategy was discussed in their annual report as well as in the trade press at the time.

 

--Daniel

[markh]

Another book to consider -

 

Pen, Ink, & Evidence: A Study of Writing and Writing Materials for the Penman, Collector, and Document Detective

 

by Joe Nickell

[PS104]

Richard Binder might be a source of works re fountain pens.

He seems to absorb any and everything re fountain pens

He may point you in some fruitful directions

[mhguda]

Interesting topic for a thesis. I seem to sense a focus on the American history of the fountain pen, but it is not expressly stated. I am wondering if it might be worthwhile to also look at the context of countries - certainly if you are looking at the 19th and early 20th century you'd have to take into account that immigration into the USA was an important part of population growth, and so the immigrants brought their countries' culture, also with respect to writing, with them. That in itself might open the field too wide to be manageable!

Just some thoughts - hopefully they help you focus your topic more.

[Chazzy91]

Again, thank you to everyone who has generously provided advice. The semester started, and I have been busying myself with the sources you've mentioned and those that SLOWLY trickle in via interlibrary loan. This is no excuse for rudeness however, and I should have thanked you all earlier. I am disheartened that some believe I might purposefully skew my research to appease the historical community or my tenured betters; moreover, academic communities are thoroughly (by which I mean brutally) policed through peer review, and conclusions reached through brown nosing and stretched sources are likely to never be published. That aside, a visit with my department's women's historian revealed that, though a paper discussing gender in fountain pen advertising is quite possible, it would take very specific resources and more time that I have allotted this semester. Instead, I am swapping to a study examining fountain pens and the US military community in the first half of the 20th century. I apologize I cannot be more specific right now, somewhat because I'm polishing the claim, mostly because specific research claims have a sobering tendency to be "borrowed" prior to the completion of one's research. If I can post further updates or have questions, I feel spoiled to have a community of enthusiasts and experts just a click away...Happy writing to all, and, again, thank you for your help!