 Description
|
“The fountain pen is today fast regaining its preeminence as a desirable personal accessory, its dignity and individuality appealing strongly as a means of personal expression in the impersonal world of computers and word-processors. Recent years have seen enormously increased public demand for new fountain pens and collectable vintage pens.
This authoritative and comprehensive reference book, tracing the development of the fountain pen from its beginnings in the 1880s to the present day, meets the needs of both the collector of fountain pens and the user of modern pens. Through extensive research and information drawn from expert sources, the histories and models of the principal pen manufacturers of the major producing countries – the USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy and Japan – are covered in detail. Manufacturers such as Parker, Westerman, Sheaffer, Soennecken, Pelikan, Montblance, Mabie Todd, De La Rue, Conway Stewart, Bayard, Omas, Aurora, Platinum, Sailor and Pilot, have long histories, many embracing a fascinating succession of technological periods – the hard rubber eye-droppers of the 1890s; the self-fillers of the 1910s; the new plastic pens of the 1920s; the beautiful, streamlined shapes of the 1930s; the ‘rocket-like’ and hooded nib pens of the 1940s; the thermoplastic injection models of the 1950s; the converter/cartridge and all-metal (including precious metal and lacquer) models of the 1960s and ‘70s; and the precision-engineered future classics of today.
Specially taken photographs, unique hand-produced technical drawings of important mechanisms and company advertisements show the breath-taking range of models produced throughout the fountain pen’s history. Rare models, prototypes and limited editions are included which will be of great interest to collectors. A guide to fountain pen care will be of help to everyday users.”
|
