Fountain Pen
Zoe Gilligan
! Mr. Pope
! Modern History 112
!
! ! ! !
History
The first known model of a reservoir pen dates back to 10th century India. In the Western world, they used
! !feather
quills before fountain pens.
By the early 18th century, metal pens commonly were known as fountain pens.
!
In 1884, Lewis E. Waterman was granted a patent for his Waterman pen.
!
Subsequently, his company ‘Waterman’ took off at the turn of the century, and still remained very popular throughout the twenties.
!
The Waterman pen remained the people’s favorite throughout the 1920’s, though BIC bought it in the 1950’s because during the Great Depression, WWII, and a post-war America, Waterman’s conservatism and adamant belief in traditional fountain pens allowed other new and competitive companies to take hold of the market.
!
Five years before BIC bought the company, Waterman released a pen that introduced the modern plastic ink cartridge.
!
By the 1960’s, the ballpoint pen was leading the market and the fountain pen fell behind as an “oldie” for older generations.
!
!
Life of Waterman ! ! ! ! !
! !
Waterman was born born November 18, 1837 in Decatur, New York, USA.
!
!
He was the inventor of the capillary feed fountain, on which he worked for ten years before releasing it to the market.
Waterman founded his company in 1883 in New York City with his new invention. Known for its sound flow of ink, he got a patent for his pen in 1884.
!
He first began selling his fountain pens — for which he gave a five year guarantee — in the back of a cigar shop.
!
Not only did he ‘invent’ the fountain pen, but he also devised effective means by which to preserve and condense grape juice.
!
Waterman died in Brooklyn in 1901. His nephew took over the business, brought the products oversea, and sales both at home and foreign ones sky-rocketed.
! ! ! !
!
! !
Although many inventors patented their ‘new and improved’ fountain pens, Waterman still is immortalized as the inventor of the first practical fountain pen.
!
In 2006, Waterman was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Impact on Society !
! ! !
The fountain pen forever changed the ways for man to write. We no longer needed a feather quill to dip in ink because the fountain pen was much more efficient. A post WWII America — the dawn of a new consumerism age — was not interested in the dated writing instruments of their forebears, however. So, in the 1960’s, the ballpoint pen took the world market by storm. The fountain pen isn't as credited as it ought to be, though. It was the standard — by design and function — for all other invented pens following it.! Presently, collecting and using fountain pens are seen as a sort of art, such as calligraphy. Fountain pens still have a great use in official matters. They mainly are used for signing documents, for example.
! !
!
Further Reading ! ! ! ! ! !
Wikipedia — Fountain Pen Wikipedia — Lewis E. Waterman About.com — The Fountain Pen | Lewis Waterman | Inventors Calibre Magazine — A Quick History of Fountain Pens Vintage Pens — Who Invented the Fountain Pen?
! !