The following article is reprinted from the September 21, 2019 issue of the Kankakee Illinois County Daily Journal, with permission from the author, Jack Klasey. The links throughout the article were added by me. I hope you enjoy it. Gary Jack Klasey: Beckman Park monument mystery solved For more than 50 years, people visiting Kankakee’s Beckman Park have been puzzled by a dome-shaped construction on a grassy area along the north side of Cobb Boulevard. …
Introducing: An Entrepreneur and a Pioneer The ability of a person to beat the odds, emerging triumphant, constitutes their character. Some would call it a “trait.” But not all people have in them the wherewithal to overcome adversity and chart their way to success. When this happens, success and admiration are justly earned. And what’s more, seldom do we come across a person who can pass on this trait to his or her heirs. Continue …
Is a Solid Gold Pen Nib Worth the Extra Cost or are or Modern Alloy Nibs Just as Good? For most people, including myself, the goal is an amazing writing experience rather than simply having a beautiful pen. I’m always excited about writing a new article for our blog because it gives me the opportunity to clarify misconceptions and address common issues that fountain pen users often confront when choosing the right pen. This article …
Carter’s History – A Timeline (Thanks mainly to Wikipedia) 1858: William Carter Company founded. Sold paper and repackaged other companies’ ink as his own. 1860: His brother, Edward Carter, joins the company, now called William Carter and Bro. ca. 1862: Ink manufacture began. Another brother, John H. Carter joins the company, now called William Carter and Bros. 1865: Cousin John W. Carter, joins the company, now called Carter Bros. & Company. 1868: Ink sales now …
How did the Paper Mate Ballpen come to be? Read on… In 1943 the Biro brothers set up a ball pen manufacturing plant in Argentina. Their first design failed because it relied on gravity to feed the ball. Their second design was much more successful, using capillary attraction for the ink flow. While better, this design also failed in the marketplace, mainly due to problems with the ink. Eventually they closed up shop. The rights …
A monster poster, 48 feet wide and 32 feet high, was erected by M. Jules Fagard in the late 1920’s on the Grande Boulevard in Paris. Fagard was the head of Waterman’s French subsidery. Even though other pen companies such as Parker, Sheaffer and Wahl Eversharp modernized by switching to celluloid pens, Waterman stuck to hard rubber (having just invested a small fortune developing colored hard rubber — think Rose Ripple, Olive Ripple and Blue-Green Ripple). Even though Waterman eventually …
You ask, “Why include Remmie LeRoy Arnold running for Governor of Virginia in a fountain pen blog?” Well, read on, by the second paragraph you will know. Read more and I’m sure you’ll say to yourself, “Wow, what a guy!” The following is from the Virginia Chronicle Recorder, November 26, 1948. “Highlights in the Life of Remmie Leßoy Arnold. A biographical sketch of the life of Remmie Leßoy Arnold, who has announced himself as a candidate …
Bruno’s Pen and Pencil was located on “Steak Row” in New York City, at 205 East 45th Street between Lexington and 1st Avenues. Nearby were other steak restaurants, three of which were opened by former Bruno employees: The Pressbox, The Editorial and Danny’s Hideaway. Others included the Fourth Estate, Late Edition and Front Page. Why called the “PEN and PENCIL?” The area was literally flooded with journalists, …
Taken to the Moon in 1969 During the first NASA missions the astronauts used pencils. For Project Gemini, for example, NASA ordered mechanical pencils in 1965 from Tycam Engineering Manufacturing, Inc., in Houston. The fixed price contract purchased 34 units at a total cost of $4,382.50, or $128.89 per unit. That created something of a controversy at the time, as many people believed it was a frivolous expense. NASA backtracked immediately and equipped the astronauts …
Matchbook Advertising A “matchcover”, or “matchbook cover” is a thin cardboard covering that folds over match sticks in a “book” or “pack” of matches. Covers have been used as a form of advertising since 1894, two years after they were patented [“Flexible Match” patented by Joseph Pusey]. Many historians point to the Mendelson Opera as the first to use matchbooks for advertising purposes; they hand wrote their promotional information on blank matchbook covers made by …
