Pens In Mad Men

[Mille]

There are many ways to watch Mad Men. One way is to see how pens are used. Indeed they play a very minor role, although I belive that it is as accurate as they possibly can make it. From the cheap ball points secretary use to the significance of pen handed to Don Draper when he signs his contract. I also noted the desk sets you see everywhere, which are never used. I have got the impression those pens were little used, and the show seems to confirm that.

[omicron]

according to the directors, they tried being as accurate as possible given the time period. I would Imagine whatever was popular during the (60s I think is the setting of that film)

[majorworks]

There was an episode last season where Don is sitting at a desk in his apartment writing in a notebook. I could swear he was using a Parker ballpoint.

[Ernst Bitterman]

I haven't made a study, but I saw a definite Jotter and something with a hood. There is apparently an episode in which someone finds an ink-stain on his shirt pocket after a longish flight, too.

[Mille]

I am on the third season, and I am just watching, so the pens are just something that passes by in the background. It is Harry who get an inky shirt. When I watch it on my own later, I know I will stop at every moment where there is a pen to see. If no one sports a PFM I think they have failed. I guess I will need a bigger telly to know for sure.

Edited April 27, 2011 by Mille

[CS388]

Purely from memory, thus fallible:

 

I remember Betty Draper (January Jones) penning a letter on her bureau, filmed using cutaway close-up shots (Maybe the letter contained important narrative etc)

I think it was a Parker ballpoint - but more memorable for the excellent penmanship (Cursive italic?). As if writing with a pen was second nature (which was true to the era of the series)

The writer was left-handed. I don't know if the close-ups showed the hand of January Jones, or a hand-double, or understudy, or specialist, etc etc - but top marks to them. Very nice.

 

I haven't seen the latest series,yet. (5?)

Am not as hooked as I was on 1&2, but it's still got legs.

Watched all the rest, so will probably get round to it when the BBC gets it on iPlayer.

 

Thanks.

[Mille]

It seems as we are supposed to look out for Cross products.

 

http://www.cross.com/companyinformation/event_007.aspx

 

Everything suddenly feels much less interesting.

[Flounder]

A while back, I read an article in one of the UK broadsheet supplements that was all about the Mad Men props. Apparently they use one guy who has a big collection of period ballpoints, to reflect the trend in those days away from using fountain pens. the only other detail that stuck in my head was about the typewriters. They couldn't use real period typewriters because it would have been too noisy for all the dialogue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[calhoun tubbs]

If I recall correctly, Pete Campbell used what looked like a Parker 51 in one scene. I remember it stood out because in several other scenes, the characters use Parker Jotter ballpoints. It is usually disappointing. In the scene where Betty writes a letter to Henry Francis, her writing looks like D'Nealian. I like how the paper is sideways.

 

Yeah, I'm kind of a fan

[dennis_f]

In the last scene of the first episode of Season 2 ("For Those Who Think Young"), Don is sitting at his desk reading Frank O'Hara's Meditations in an Emergency.

 

There's a voice-over as he reads a few stanzas*. As he finishes reading he inscribes the front page of his copy of the book ("Made me think of you. Don"), and then he takes a walk to the mailbox to post the book to someone.

 

The pen is definintely an FP, but I don't think it's possible to identify the make; only the nib and the bottom of the section are visible.

 

In Canada we can view the clip here: http://watch.ctv.ca/#clip69584

 

I think international viewers should be able to view this as well. It usually takes a few seconds for the page to load (you may have to refresh your browser).

 

Zoom ahead to minute 5.05 and view from there. The pen appears briefly around 5.15-5.21.

 

 

 

*

Now I am quietly waiting for

the catastrophe of my personality

to seem beautiful again,

and interesting, and modern.

 

The country is grey and

brown and white in trees,

snows and skies of laughter

always diminishing, less funny

not just darker, not just grey.

 

It may be the coldest day of

the year, what does he think of

that? I mean, what do I? And if I do,

perhaps I am myself again.

[Mille]

Purely from memory, thus fallible:

 

I remember Betty Draper (January Jones) penning a letter on her bureau, filmed using cutaway close-up shots (Maybe the letter contained important narrative etc)

I think it was a Parker ballpoint - but more memorable for the excellent penmanship (Cursive italic?). As if writing with a pen was second nature (which was true to the era of the series)

The writer was left-handed. I don't know if the close-ups showed the hand of January Jones, or a hand-double, or understudy, or specialist, etc etc - but top marks to them. Very nice.

 

I haven't seen the latest series,yet. (5?)

Am not as hooked as I was on 1&2, but it's still got legs.

Watched all the rest, so will probably get round to it when the BBC gets it on iPlayer.

 

Thanks.

 

Betty is left handed. I guess just because the actor happens to be left handed. That all people had very good hand writing is not true, my father is one example, but of course Betty's is perfect. But being left handed was not a good thing back then, at least not in Sweden, as they were forced to learn to use their right hand for writing. Hence Betty should not be able to show off good penmanship. Was it different in US back then?

[Oosu]

Just thought I would add my sentiments on this issue for what it is worth,

 

I was very interested to read this thread as this is an issue that has annoyed me whilst watching Mad Men recently. Firstly, in Menken's department store... current range cross boxes, point of sale and products are prominently displayed when Don is being picked out some cufflinks and in the first episode of series 4 Joey is seen with what appears to be a Mont Blanc 145 Platinum Trimmed fountain pen dangling off his notepad (about 25 minutes in - this was really the incident that broke me!)... These are just two examples I have picked up on.

 

Whilst I agree that the 'everyday' ball pens and desk sets are great period touches (which you would expect from such a production) I feel these two inconsistencies undermine that good work and are no less than blatant product placement which assumes that in the mind of the viewer 'a pen, is a pen'. Surely it would not have taken the production team a great deal of effort to source sufficient 'vintage' pens in New York City?

[ThirdeYe]

I know one of the folks that provides some of the pens to Mad Men. I haven't seen the show, but from what I understand they really go above & beyond to use things that were correct for the time period.

[njh1974]

You can see it on youtube here -

 

There is no way fountain pen ink wouldn't bleed through a modern paperback. Can't identify the pen.

 

 

In the last scene of the first episode of Season 2 ("For Those Who Think Young"), Don is sitting at his desk reading Frank O'Hara's Meditations in an Emergency.

 

There's a voice-over as he reads a few stanzas*. As he finishes reading he inscribes the front page of his copy of the book ("Made me think of you. Don"), and then he takes a walk to the mailbox to post the book to someone.

 

The pen is definintely an FP, but I don't think it's possible to identify the make; only the nib and the bottom of the section are visible.

 

In Canada we can view the clip here: http://watch.ctv.ca/#clip69584

 

I think international viewers should be able to view this as well. It usually takes a few seconds for the page to load (you may have to refresh your browser).

 

Zoom ahead to minute 5.05 and view from there. The pen appears briefly around 5.15-5.21.

 

 

 

*

Now I am quietly waiting for

the catastrophe of my personality

to seem beautiful again,

and interesting, and modern.

 

The country is grey and

brown and white in trees,

snows and skies of laughter

always diminishing, less funny

not just darker, not just grey.

 

It may be the coldest day of

the year, what does he think of

that? I mean, what do I? And if I do,

perhaps I am myself again.

[Ernst Bitterman]

The pen in that clip seems to be a Cross, although I wouldn't hazard the model, and WOW does he ever lean on it-- watch the gap open between point and feed when he makes the period.

 

I feel these two inconsistencies undermine that good work and are no less than blatant product placement which assumes that in the mind of the viewer 'a pen, is a pen'. Surely it would not have taken the production team a great deal of effort to source sufficient 'vintage' pens in New York City?

 

Having just seen some Waterman Hemispheres in the hands of mid-1930's characters in the new Upstairs Downstairs, I'm inclined to praise rather than condemn Mad Men for how well they've managed to get things mostly right. London, and the BBC Property Room, should be at least as a-swarm with the right sort of pen as New York.

[Maja]

This fellow supplied some props for the show (it's an interesting blog post from March 30, 2010 ---with photos!):

 

http://mysupplyroom.blogspot.com/2010/03/pens-for-mad-men.html

 

From his blog post:

A few weeks ago I was contacted by the Property Master for the AMC TV show "Mad Men".They wanted some older working pens. I put together these ten pens as a start. They have already requested more. All are required to work and they do. Pictured are four Sheaffers, three Papermates and three Scripto. The scriptos are the hardest to get to work and the cheapest. If we were talking about the early 70s the scriptos would not be a problem but scripto pens from the early 60s and late 50s are harder to deal with. If you lay out five of the same scriptos the replacement refills may not all be the same size. I use Fisher brand refills because you can cut them off for the right size but even that sometimes does not work. This has been big news around the supply room and I do appreciate that people are reading the blog. We are also looking forward to seeing our pens on TV.

[OcalaFlGuy]

(Surely I would never actually type out loud that I'd consider watching a certain TV show *just because*

it's supposed to have a bunch of fountain pens in it. Naw. That'd just be crazy talk.)

 

(Bruce in Ocala, FL -naw, would never type THAT)

[Mille]

Last night Don's secretary asks him to sign a few documents. I was hoping to see him pick out his pen from his jacket, but instead there was a click from his trousers and he took out his ballpoint. After all it is 1965, although I do not want it to be accurate. I want fountain pen porn.

 

As some kind of confort Pete used the desk set. Probably the first time I see it used. It seems by the way to be the same set for all desks, both for the old and new company. Anyone who has been able to identify it?

[Maja]

Just an update: I found this link to an article on the gentleman who is the official supplier of vintage pens to the "Mad Men" tv show:

http://www.kdhnews.com/news/story.aspx?s=61564

 

(I referenced his blog a few posts up).

 

We are a couple of seasons behind in watching the show, but I'll keep my eyes peeled for some of the writing instruments spotted above

[jjlax10]

Roger Sterling autographs a copy of his memoir for his second wife. Before doing so, he pulls a pen out of his jacket and unscrews the top. It looked like a fountain pen.