Sometimes in antique or thrift stores you’ll see old desks with a place for an ink well and another indenture for the pen. Should look it up but I wondered (since they;re referred to as a well) if those rounded out indentures were meant to hold an ink bottle or if the ink was just poured in there. Probably for a bottle as they don’t look stained.
My dad had several ink pens, as described, where you pull down the little metal strip to suck up the ink. I just can’t part with them. They have the mottled coloring, almost like marble. They’re probably valuable by now but they’re not being sold. It’s fun to pull them out and marvel at how much work went into writing a simple note. Now I’m wondering if you were supposed to take the remaining ink out of the pen when you were finished writing. Anyone know?
Calligraphy – ah yes – took classes in that, probably in the 80’s and now that beautiful handwriting is available via computer fonts. Sigh….
We always know we’re going to have to think when we open Silent Sundays 🙂 but one learns a lot from other people so thanks for the photos that make us reminisce.
I remember my fingers being ink stained from my leaky fountain pen. Wish I still had that leaky old pen now, it is certainly an antique and held many memories.
Oh this brings me back to my grade seven class, I had a wonderful teacher Mr McCaully and he taught us all how to write with a fountain pen. Wish someone was still doing this.
I’ve been working on an historical research project going through old high school yearbooks at the library. I was very surprised to find that the earliest yearbook dates from 1915 (our community was started about 1871). In the pages set aside for autographs are all these names–in beautiful, flowing script, written in fountain pen. I am saddened to realize that soon “flowing script” will be a foreign language to our young people and in years to come, they will not be able to read what their fore bearers have written.
My daughter was a naval OR nurse in Norfolk, VA, it was Christmas & she had no gift for me, her mother. After exhausting many ideas, on her day off from duty she called a local stationer shop, stumbled around, & finally got the words out. “Do you have the kind of fountain pen that you have to put liquid, ink in to get it to work? By the way, it comes apart in big pieces & I think my mother calls it “Waterman.”
She had called during lunch when the stationer owner was alone in his shop, working so his employees could have a leisurely lunch. He told us that by the time suZZZ was through with her question he was practically rolling on the floor in laughter.
Yes, he did have what she had described in various colours & nibs. She hadn’t asked the price & they are on the pricy side. She went downtown that same afternoon for the purchase & she,the pen, & the stationer had a grand time together; he went to great lengths to illustrate its working order. suZZZ chose a mottled, green pen, learned to fill it (with Waterman, black ink) & reverently laid the pen in its satin nest.
I still have the mottled green, Waterman & always use it. It has only gotten better through these many years. Recipients are pleased to have a note from me & show their children how the ink will run when wet. Lessons learned by so many.
11 comments
Tavette
Sometimes in antique or thrift stores you’ll see old desks with a place for an ink well and another indenture for the pen. Should look it up but I wondered (since they;re referred to as a well) if those rounded out indentures were meant to hold an ink bottle or if the ink was just poured in there. Probably for a bottle as they don’t look stained.
My dad had several ink pens, as described, where you pull down the little metal strip to suck up the ink. I just can’t part with them. They have the mottled coloring, almost like marble. They’re probably valuable by now but they’re not being sold. It’s fun to pull them out and marvel at how much work went into writing a simple note. Now I’m wondering if you were supposed to take the remaining ink out of the pen when you were finished writing. Anyone know?
Calligraphy – ah yes – took classes in that, probably in the 80’s and now that beautiful handwriting is available via computer fonts. Sigh….
We always know we’re going to have to think when we open Silent Sundays 🙂 but one learns a lot from other people so thanks for the photos that make us reminisce.
Tavette – S. Fla..
Fabiana Sardi
Hermosas imágenes. Cada silencioso domingo es un bello encuentro. Gracias Lori
Carole
I remember my fingers being ink stained from my leaky fountain pen. Wish I still had that leaky old pen now, it is certainly an antique and held many memories.
Anne
Oh this brings me back to my grade seven class, I had a wonderful teacher Mr McCaully and he taught us all how to write with a fountain pen. Wish someone was still doing this.
Barb S
All the forgotten art of writing a thank-you note, with a beautiful pen.
Whiskers
I’ve been working on an historical research project going through old high school yearbooks at the library. I was very surprised to find that the earliest yearbook dates from 1915 (our community was started about 1871). In the pages set aside for autographs are all these names–in beautiful, flowing script, written in fountain pen. I am saddened to realize that soon “flowing script” will be a foreign language to our young people and in years to come, they will not be able to read what their fore bearers have written.
Marta. south Georgia
Reminds me of all my calligraphy classes and how I passed my pens down to my granddaughter when she became interested…Another good memory…
loosecannon2
My daughter was a naval OR nurse in Norfolk, VA, it was Christmas & she had no gift for me, her mother. After exhausting many ideas, on her day off from duty she called a local stationer shop, stumbled around, & finally got the words out. “Do you have the kind of fountain pen that you have to put liquid, ink in to get it to work? By the way, it comes apart in big pieces & I think my mother calls it “Waterman.”
She had called during lunch when the stationer owner was alone in his shop, working so his employees could have a leisurely lunch. He told us that by the time suZZZ was through with her question he was practically rolling on the floor in laughter.
Yes, he did have what she had described in various colours & nibs. She hadn’t asked the price & they are on the pricy side. She went downtown that same afternoon for the purchase & she,the pen, & the stationer had a grand time together; he went to great lengths to illustrate its working order. suZZZ chose a mottled, green pen, learned to fill it (with Waterman, black ink) & reverently laid the pen in its satin nest.
I still have the mottled green, Waterman & always use it. It has only gotten better through these many years. Recipients are pleased to have a note from me & show their children how the ink will run when wet. Lessons learned by so many.
Thank you Lori for a “WONDERFUL MEMORY!”
Pat Knight
I love the shamrocks at the top of the page. Just did a drawing of them to use on a tablerunner.
Janet
You’re welcome! And thank you.
Moki
Wonderful picture!
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