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Spencerian Pens And Nyc Landmarks


AAAndrew

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Doing some quick research on Spencerian Steel Pen Co. I found that several of their old headquarters are still around.

 

Some of you may know that I'm gathering and writing up the history of the US steel (dip) pen industry. Spencerian was a bit of an exception to most American companies. They were an early company (supposedly founded 1858, the same year as Esterbrook), but they also never manufactured a single pen. All of their pens were made by the British pen giant Perry & Co., at least up into the 20th-century. (still haven't figured out the made in USA period).

 

Perry sold their custom imprinted pens through the bookseller, publisher and stationer Ivison, Phinney & Co.. (Ivison, Phinney & Co. up to 1864 when it changed to Ivison, Phinney, Blakeman & Co., until 1870 when Henry Phinney's death led to the creation of Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co.)

 

I'm only up to the mid-late-1870's, and only started in 1860, but already I've found three locations for the company, and all three structures, unusual for NYC, are still standing. I've marked them down on my map of the Steel Pen Historical sites I'm gathering.

 

Ivison, Phinney, and later, Ivison, Phinney, Blakeman were originally at 48 Walker St. in New York City. This is in the Tribeca neighborhood and is one of those great, old, cast iron facades you find from that period.

 

fpn_1547132814__spencerian_headquarters_

 

 

 

They next moved to 47&49 Greene St. just north of Walker. This also is a great old building with a combination masonry and cast iron front.

 

fpn_1547131054__spencerian_headquarters_

 

 

 

The last site I've identified is where they moved in 1870 when Phinney passed away and Augustus C. Taylor joined the company. 138 Grand St. is also close to the other two former locations. And it, also, is another cast iron facade building.

 

fpn_1547131069__spencerian_headquarters_

 

 

So, if you're ever walking around the area between Tribeca and SoHo, swing by and say hello to one of these beautiful old buildings and former sites for the Spencerian Steel Pen Co..

 

“When the historians of education do equal and exact justice to all who have contributed toward educational progress, they will devote several pages to those revolutionists who invented steel pens and blackboards.” V.T. Thayer, 1928

Check out my Steel Pen Blog

"No one is exempt from talking nonsense; the mistake is to do it solemnly."

-Montaigne

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