Good Museums For Pen Collections/history

[nanahcub]

As someone who is interested in pens, I'd be interested in visiting museums with a good collection of pens, and/or displays on the history of pens and writing - I'm sure I'm not the only one.

 

Does anyone out there have any recomendations? It could be for small specialist museums, a museum room at a pen factory that is open to the public, or a room or display in a bigger, general museum. Anything really.

 

Obviously a list of museums would be great for anyone wanting places to visit when travelling, but it might also tell us about a gem on our doorstep that we didn't know about.

Lets have your suggestions.

 

 

[jar]

There is the new Sheaffer Pen Museum in FT Madison, Iowa.

[nxn96]

As I recall, there's a Parker exhibit in the local Janesville, Wisconsin museum that contains a lot of Parker company stuff in addition to a selection of Parker pens produced in Janesville over the years.

 

Hope this helps.

[pen2paper]

Welcome, I see you are from the UK.

Birmingham, and The Pen Room might interest you.

Here are a few links to get you started : )

Pen Room

 

Pen Room Blog

 

Pen Room Facebook

 

[PAKMAN]

There is the new Sheaffer Pen Museum in FT Madison, Iowa.

 

 

+1 this is a great museum for a great pen brand!

[mchenart]

Visitors to Tokyo should not miss the impressive display of Pilot and Namiki pens at the Pilot Pen Station. Covering history of pen making (with particular emphasis on Pilot), and the largest collection of Namiki Maki-e pens anywhere, make visiting this museum a very special experience.

 

Here is an intro to the Pen Station by Russ Stutler:

 

Pilot Pen Station

[pencils+pens]

In footnote 15 to Chapter 1 of Handwriting In America, Tamara Plakins Thornston mentions the Penmanship Collection, 1762-1848 in the American Antiquarian Society located in Worcester, MA.However, I do not see this collection mentioned in the Society's Guide to their collections.

[Fernan]

If ever you consider going to France, do make it a point to pass through Figeac. The Musée des écritures du monde (the Museum of writing) is unique in that it displays a history of writing from the very beginning, 5000 years ago to the present. Not very much into pens, as the development of metallic nibs and their offspring, fountain pens, are a fairly recent development, and a very short one, in the history of the material aspects of writing.

 

Interestingly, the Museum is located in the birthplace of Champollion (the actual house where he was born), the scientist who deciphered egyptian hieroglyphs. This small village, and the surrounding region, is worth the visit in itself.

[ThirdeYe]

As I recall, there's a Parker exhibit in the local Janesville, Wisconsin museum that contains a lot of Parker company stuff in addition to a selection of Parker pens produced in Janesville over the years.

 

Hope this helps.

 

This is correct. It is part of the Rock County Historical Society, about 2 doors down from the Lincoln-Tallman house. Their museum has free admission, but the house tour has a fee (well worth it!). Their gift shop has some neat souvenirs, including some U.S. made Parker Vector rollerballs, and some Parker posters.

 

Also, as previously mentioned, there is the Sheaffer Pen Museum in Fort Madison, IA that is excellent.

Edited June 4, 2012 by ThirdeYe