Visited Birminghams pen museum today

[kelly41]

Today I visited Birminghams pen museum. It was fascinating and I even got to have a go at making a nib.
During the 19th century 2/3 of all pens worldwide were made in Birmingham.

[kelly41]

[kelly41]

[kelly41]

[WalterC]

Thank you for posting this. This place looks really fascinating.

[kelly41]

Can't seem to delete this 

[kelly41]

1 hour ago, WalterC said:

Thank you for posting this. This place looks really fascinating.

It really was and the staff were very knowledgeable. Its not huge but its located in one of the original factories so very atmospheric 

[Nethermark]

That's really interesting. I didn't know the fountain pen industry - or at least nib manufacturing - was so big in Birmingham and neither did I know there was a museum about it there. Can one read about it somewhere?

 

 

[kelly41]

15 hours ago, Nethermark said:

That's really interesting. I didn't know the fountain pen industry - or at least nib manufacturing - was so big in Birmingham and neither did I know there was a museum about it there. Can one read about it somewhere?

 

 

You can have a look at their website here https://penmuseum.org.uk/

[inkstainedruth]

Very cool thread!  Thanks for posting all the photos, kelly41!

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Surlyprof]

I love little museums like these.  Thanks sharing your photos.

[Penguincollector]

Wow, that’s amazing. I wish that was my nib case. I could spend hours there. Thank you for sharing your pictures and your thoughts on the museum.

[Nethermark]

7 hours ago, kelly41 said:

You can have a look at their website here https://penmuseum.org.uk/

Thanks for the link; very interesting!

[W Mitchell]

Fascinating, once upon a time Birmingham steel nibs ruled or rather wrote the world. I could spend hours at that museum.

 

Thanks for all of the photos.

[amberleadavis]

Wow, what fun! Thank you for sharing your adventure.

[Barry Gabay]

 

On 9/11/2023 at 7:48 PM, kelly41 said:

You can have a look at their website here https://penmuseum.org.uk/

Thank you very much, kelly41. Your interesting and comprehensive photo essay is fascinating. Your efforts are much appreciated for educating us all and in pointing us in further directions for more pen history. Thank you again. Best wishes, Barry

[PPPR]

On 9/11/2023 at 12:59 AM, Nethermark said:

That's really interesting. I didn't know the fountain pen industry - or at least nib manufacturing - was so big in Birmingham and neither did I know there was a museum about it there. Can one read about it somewhere?

 

 

I read a very informative book earlier this summer you might consider, People, Pens & Production in Birmingham's Steel Pen Trade, edited by Brian Jones, MBE.

 

HTH

[AAAndrew]

Fantastic photos. So fortunate to get there. Thanks so much for sharing. 

 

@PPPR mentioned a good book to introduce you to some of the characters and companies in the British steel pen trade. People, Pens & Production was put together by some of the founders of the museum. If you're interested in learning more, there are others I can recommend as well. For the US pen trade, I'm afraid you'll have to read my writings as no one else has really written about its history to any great extent. I have published 14 articles on the subject in The Pennant, the magazine you get when you join Pen Collectors of America organization. The PCA is a worthy organization and the magazine is very well done. 

 

If you're in the US and can't get to Birmingham, you can see some amazingly rare steel pens at the Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City. It's a steamboat that sunk in the Missouri river in 1856 with all of its cargo, which included a whole lot of early steel pens. Some of them are on display. Other than that we don't currently have a similar museum to the Pen Museum in Birmingham. 

 

Thanks again for sharing. I'm a life member but have not had the opportunity to see it yet in person. It's definitely on my bucket list. 

 

Cheers!