Connecting Two Steel Pen Manufacturers - Mrs. M. Jacobs, Samuel Isaacs

[AAAndrew]

It started out with trying to find out more about the only female manufacturer of steel pens I have yet to run across: a Mrs. M. Jacobs of Chicago.

 

In the May 26, 1892 issue of American Stationer I first ran across this ad.

 

 

 

The next month, June 23, page 1282, you find this announcement.

"The London Incandescent pen, so frequently inquired for, is manufactured by Mrs. M. Jacobs, 45 Franklin street, Chicago. Buyers should note this address and be posted when this popular pen is wanted."

Then I was able to find this box of pens for sale and purchased them.

I began digging and found out a bit more information.

M. Jacobs was Myer Jacobs who ran a stationery story and manufactured pens in Chicago from at least 1887. (ad in the San Francisco Chronicle from 7 July, 1887 warning of attempts to counterfeit their pens, only genuine with signature, etc... - A. Carlisle Co sole agents in SF, and a listing for M. Jacobs stationer at 2441 Prairie in and 1888 Chicago directory)

His store was located at 2441 Prairie Ave. which is now the drive into the parking garage for McCormick Place.

Myer died in 1891 and his wife Rebecca, continued to manufacture pens and run the stationery business from a new location, 45 Franklin St., until her death in 1897.

While researching Rebecca I discovered that she was born Rebecca Isaacs, daughter of Aaron Isaacs of Philadelphia. Well, that name sounded familiar and digging a bit further discovered that she was the older sister of Samuel Isaacs, another pen manufacturer, this time of Philadelphia.

Samuel Isaacs has puzzled me for a while. There were three pen brands using "Isaacs" in the name in the late 19th-early-20th-centuries: Leon Isaacs of Philadelphia, Samuel Isaacs of Philadelphia and J. L. Isaacs of New York. Leon was the biggest and most successful of the three. His Glucinum pens were quite popular and very well-regarded for their quality. He was the first to produce and also to register a trademark on the words Falcon Stub and Stub Falcon several years before Esterbrook came out with their first falcon stub, the 442 Jackson Stub.

Leon died in 1889 and in 1899 his former business partner, Michael Voorsanger, and his son Judah Leon Isaacs, who had been running the business since Leon's death, sold the company to Turner & Harrison who promptly made the Leon Isaacs Glucinum Pens their flagship line.

Judah Leon Isaacs, who had been his father's top salesman in NYC, then founded his own pen company importing English pens with his own branding. The J.L. Isaacs pens are still fairly easily found, especially his NevaRuss and Silver Plated lines.

Samuel Isaacs is another matter. I've yet to be able to connect Samuel to Leon in any way, despite their both being from Philadelphia, and both Jewish with parents born in Holland. The first mention I can find of his pens is in 1900 when he is off in Little Rock, Arkansas selling his "celebrated new platinum-tip pens." It's likely that only after Leon Isaacs was sold did he venture to set up his own "Isaacs" branded pens from Philadelphia.

You wonder where he got his machinery to set up a pen-making shop? Did he get his sister's pen factory? Did he move the machines to Philadelphia? There were plenty of skilled workers in the area with Esterbrook, Turner & Harrison and Hunt all within a few miles of each other on both sides of the river.

There are still some big gaps to be filled, like where in Chicago Jacobs actually made pens? Can we confirm that they were of his manufacturing and not just a re-brand from another maker? There is plenty of decent circumstantial evidence that these are not from one of the big houses, but his alone. But that final bit of evidence is still missing. The same can be said of Samuel Isaacs. There's no absolute proof that these pens were made by him, but there are definite indications in that direction. Still so much to be nailed down.

But this unforeseen connection between Mrs. M. Jacobs of Chicago and Samuel Isaacs of Philadelphia is one that opens up possibilities for future research and further elaborates the rich history of the steel pen trade in the US.

Edited September 18, 2017 by AAAndrew

[rwilsonedn]

Fascinating! I assume that with all that pen-making activity in Philadelphia there would have been many machinists capable of producing the equipment--maybe even eager to make improvements that they had thought of while making or maintaining machinery for the other companies. So S. Isaacs might have only needed access to capital in order to fit out a state-of-the-art factory.

ron

[AAAndrew]

There was definitely fluidity of men (and women, as most of the jobs in making these pens were done by women) and machines between companies, and as one company folded, another would buy up its pen works. Turner and Harrison was founded off the folding of two companies: Warrington & Co. and Bradford and Harrison. It seems Turner was able to buy out what was left of Warrington (after a couple of bad fires) and start off in the same location. Later, when Harrison died, Turner brought in his son-in-law, George Malpass, who had his own "Keystone Pen Works" making his own branded pens, and folded Keystone Pen Works into Turner and Harrison. When Turner & Harrison bought Leon Isaacs, there are indications they brought the same machines, dies and some of the workers over to join T&H and continue making the pens there.

 

It's quite reasonable to assume that all Samuel Isaacs needed to do was to get the machinery from Chicago of his late brother-in-law and sister and he could find enough workers to set up his own shop making pens. It's also unlikely that anyone else would be making his pens for him, as the largest of the custom imprint shops was Turner & Harrison, and they were too busy complaining about others putting "Isaacs" on their pens when they weren't the real Leon Isaacs. Esterbrook may have provided them, but the S. Isaacs I've seen just don't look like Esterbrook pens in imprints, finish or coatings.

[amberleadavis]

You are so knowledgeable. Thank you for sharing your discoveries.

[AAAndrew]

You are so knowledgeable. Thank you for sharing your discoveries.

 

Thank you for reading.

 

I'm afraid I'm often straying into the far esoteric, of interest to few or none. I mainly post just so these discoveries don't completely disappear, just in case someone in the future is wondering, for example, how a woman ended up running a pen manufactory in Chicago in the 1890's.

[pen2paper]

 

Thank you for reading.

 

I'm afraid I'm often straying into the far esoteric, of interest to few or none. I mainly post just so these discoveries don't completely disappear, just in case someone in the future is wondering, for example, how a woman ended up running a pen manufactory in Chicago in the 1890's.

I pleasantly disagree with you. Pen related history is a fascinating important foundation of why we're here. A lack of historic focus has been a complaint of serious long timers. Following the topic, and thank you!

[Stoney]

Hello

Thank you for all this information. M Jacobs was my Great-Great-Great Grand-Uncle. His father David Jacobs was my GGGG Grandfather. I'm looking at my family tree and was really interested when I discovered this website and your articles.

This might help with any further research.

M Jacobs (Meyer M Jacobs) was born in Whitechapel, London in 1835. His father was a Fishmonger.  Meyer obviously had other ideas and set up business as a fountain pen manufacturer.  He died in April 1891 in Chicago.

In 1871, he, Rebecca and their children were living in Quebec, Canada. Prior to that, some of their children were born in New York. Meyer M Jacobs was a travelling merchant.

His wife Rebecca Jacobs (nee Isaacs) took over the business when Meyer died.  She was born in 1840 in Philadelphia and died on 28th December 1897 in Chicago.

Rebecca's brother, Samuel Isaacs (1849-1930) was born in Philadelphia and died in St Louis, Missouri. He was living in St Louis on the 1910 census.

Best wishes.

 

[Stoney]

1887 Advert in San Francisco

[AAAndrew]

2 hours ago, Stoney said:

Hello

Thank you for all this information. M Jacobs was my Great-Great-Great Grand-Uncle. His father David Jacobs was my GGGG Grandfather. I'm looking at my family tree and was really interested when I discovered this website and your articles.

This might help with any further research.

M Jacobs (Meyer M Jacobs) was born in Whitechapel, London in 1835. His father was a Fishmonger.  Meyer obviously had other ideas and set up business as a fountain pen manufacturer.  He died in April 1891 in Chicago.

In 1871, he, Rebecca and their children were living in Quebec, Canada. Prior to that, some of their children were born in New York. Meyer M Jacobs was a travelling merchant.

His wife Rebecca Jacobs (nee Isaacs) took over the business when Meyer died.  She was born in 1840 in Philadelphia and died on 28th December 1897 in Chicago.

Rebecca's brother, Samuel Isaacs (1849-1930) was born in Philadelphia and died in St Louis, Missouri. He was living in St Louis on the 1910 census.

Best wishes.

 

 

Wow!! Thanks so much for the info! Their stationery store in Chicago seems to have escaped the Chicago fire, but, unfortunately, is under a highway right now. 

 

After Rebecca died, there's no more record of the pen or stationery businesses until Samuel begins making his own pens in 1900 just as the more famous Isaacs pen maker, Leon Isaacs (no relation), gets sold to Turner & Harrison. From what I can tell, Samuel was a traveling salesman before starting his pen business and continued traveling to sell his own product. (in 1901 I have an announcement that he's in town in Little Rock, Arkansas to sell his pens. It mentions that he's traveled to Little Rock for 19 years and is impressed with the town's growth.) His business didn't last very long but you can still find some of the pens around. 

 

I also have a notice from 1891 (see image) where he is mentioned as being a guest at a party with a bunch of the other Dutch Jewish immigrants in Philadelphia, including several Voorsangers. Michael Voorsanger was a partner to Leon Isaacs (also a Dutch Jew). There was a community of pen makers in Philly of Dutch Jewish birth or origins that included the Voorsangers, the Isaacs, the DeHaans, and the Koshlands. Samuel seems to have been connected to them as well. 

 

[Stoney]

22 hours ago, AAAndrew said:

 

Wow!! Thanks so much for the info! Their stationery store in Chicago seems to have escaped the Chicago fire, but, unfortunately, is under a highway right now. 

 

After Rebecca died, there's no more record of the pen or stationery businesses until Samuel begins making his own pens in 1900 just as the more famous Isaacs pen maker, Leon Isaacs (no relation), gets sold to Turner & Harrison. From what I can tell, Samuel was a traveling salesman before starting his pen business and continued traveling to sell his own product. (in 1901 I have an announcement that he's in town in Little Rock, Arkansas to sell his pens. It mentions that he's traveled to Little Rock for 19 years and is impressed with the town's growth.) His business didn't last very long but you can still find some of the pens around. 

 

I also have a notice from 1891 (see image) where he is mentioned as being a guest at a party with a bunch of the other Dutch Jewish immigrants in Philadelphia, including several Voorsangers. Michael Voorsanger was a partner to Leon Isaacs (also a Dutch Jew). There was a community of pen makers in Philly of Dutch Jewish birth or origins that included the Voorsangers, the Isaacs, the DeHaans, and the Koshlands. Samuel seems to have been connected to them as well. 

 

Thank you so much for this further info.