Vintage Guru Reveals Her Glamour Secrets
V
intage can be intimidating. It's certainly not as simple as going to the mall, finding your size, and buying a mass-produced outfit. You have to dig through racks and racks of wildly diverse items, with mysterious sizing, looking for…
The Killer Mobile Device for Victorian Women
Adrift in a sea of digital apps for every imaginable function, we often feel our needs are met better today than in any previous era. But consider the chatelaine, a device popularized in the 18th century that attached to the waist of a wo…
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
The meerschaum pipes carved in Eastern Europe at the end of the 19th century are among the most bizarre and improbable concoctions in decorative art. Some feature …
The Beautiful Chaos of Improvisational Quilts
What would jazz look like if it had a physical presence? According to Sherry Ann Byrd, a celebrated quilt maker who posts on Show & Tell, it might look something like the hand-made "M-provisational" q…
Our Dad, the Water Witch of Wyoming
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of …
This 1959 Goggomobil Is Insanely Cute and Gets 55 MPG. Why Can’t Detroit Do That?
The last time we spoke to Justin Pinchot, he took us on a guided tour of his collection of toy robots. Recently, J…
California Cool: How the Wetsuit Became the Surfer's Second Skin
When Bob Meistrell started surfing in Northern California during the early 1950s, 20 minutes was about all he could stand in the frigid coastal waters. Despite the constant rush of …
The Unfiltered History of Rolling Papers, Plus Tommy Chong's Big Fat Jamaican Vacation
It’s kind of ironic that Tommy Chong, the smokiest half of Cheech and Chong, i…
World's Smallest Museum Finds the Wonder in Everyday Objects
Tucked away in a lower Manhattan back alley, the freight-elevator-sized, generically named Museum is one of New York City's newest curiosities.…
Fightin’ Femmes: Unmasking Female Superheroes with Author Mike Madrid
When I was growing up in the ’60s and ’70s, reading comics wasn't as popular as it had been in the ’40s or ’50s. But my older sister had comics, including a big collection of “Betty and Veronica.” Our parents encouraged us to read everything, so at 6 years old…
Swan Pens Envelope & Pen! | Paper889 of 1185 |  |  |
Posted 2 years ago
BeauxPurdy
(113 items)
I don't know why I kept this... I just couldn't bring myself to throw it away. I was wondering, what part of a pen fits into a flat envelope? I like the graphics also. Now I want a Swan pen. I didn't even know birds could write...How Bird Brained of me. Ha-Ha.
Create an account or login in order to post a comment.
PaperBefore the Internet reduced all correspondence and information to colorless…
AdvertisingFrom colorful Victorian trade cards of the 1870s to the Super Bowl commerci…
Interesting history on them . Maybe this was a order form ? Love the graphics
Swan Pens
Henry Todd and John Mabie started in business in New York City about 1845. they were joined by J. S. Bard in 1873 to form Mabie Todd & Bard. Initially the firm mass produced pen holders and pencil cases. Production of fountain pens began in the US in 1878 and in the UK only 6 years later. They were able to utilise the firms advanced production facilities to produce highly decorative pens which were an immediate success.
Following the departure of J.S.Bard in 1906 the firm was renamed to the familiar Mabie Todd. The famous Swan trademark was developed in 1909 as the firm began production in the UK. Following the demise of the US operation the business was switched entirely to the UK
Around 1923, the firm began production of its line of “Eternal” pens. These offered a lifetime warranty to match those of the American competition. The Leverless pens appeared in 1932 and were produced alongside the famous self-filling (lever operated) models until well after the war despite both the factory and the companies headquarters being destroyed during the blitz. In 1946 pen production resumed in new facilities in Park Royal. In 1948 the company made a public offering of its shares in order to raise capital but the results were disappointing. Biro purchased a controlling block of the shares in 1952 and renamed the firm Biro-Swan. New models were introduced as were ball pens of Biro design but the post war decline in fountain pen sales everywhere doomed the enterprise and Biro-Swan was closed about 1960.
Wow. Manikin, you are awsome! Thank-You. I know some of my family traveled to London in the late 1920's early 30's. This was in the wooden boxes with other travel postcards, photos, brochures. I wonder where the pens are? I'll go back and look. Thank-You!
Yes find the pens they have a lifetime warrenty :-) Glad to help !
AR8Jason, I am so happy that you gave me that info!!! I looked, and guess what I saw! It's my pen that I adore so much! You are wonderful! Mine is engraved 0n top w/ initials of my greatgreatGrandmother '12. Amazing, Thank-you.
If I may ask, Why do they call these eyedropper pens?
Goodness. I am so glad that I found this pen before it was thrown away!
And, thank-you for eyedropper explanation, now I SEE the connection.
(corny,yes,but I could not resist)
I certainly do appreciate all your comments, You are generous in sharing your knowledge, and I am very grateful!
Thank-You for advice, Yes I keep it in locked desk drawer, w/ key out of reach. I have bad habit of wanting to play with these things. No good ever comes of that, I have found I am too curious of how things work and a bit clumsy!