FP Ads in the Tech Part VI: 1942-1960

[antoniosz]

Getting back to the rest of the ads in "The Tech". As always corrections and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

Obviously this student newspaper reflects the microcosm of the university which is however affected by world events such as WWII.

As early as 1939 the newspaper reports on the adventure of a student was "escaped" from Germany where he was studying German

(http://www-tech.mit.edu/archives/VOL_059/TECH_V059_S0154_P001.pdf ) as well as the arms embargo and the neutrality act.

And while the news from the war become more prominent in the Tect as time goes, it is not till the Peal Harbor attack that the US joins the action.

Immediately things change.  Military research takes over. Whole buildings are now devoted to military research.  The MIT Radiation Lab

improves the radar and helps install them on planes that are patrolled the Atlantic for German Submarines.  In 1943 the Institute goes into a

year round schedule of training Army, Navy and Air Force personnel. 

 

9/29/1942

While the war dominates the life and the thoughts of people fountain pens are made and sold and advertised

The most prominent advertisements of this period are focusing on Parker 51.

According to www.parker51.com "development of the Parker "51" was completed in 1939, the 51st anniversary of the Parker Pen Company, thus its name. Pre-production models were test-marketed in Venezuela and other Caribbean countries in early 1940, before the pen's general introduction into the U.S....  Later in 1940, from August to November, three store tests were conducted stateside in Chicago, Philadelphia and Champaign, Illinois with great fanfare and success. This was followed by further introduction in San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver and the state of Wisconsin. The world premier took place in January 1941".

 

The first "51" ad in the tech appears in 1942 where the pen is shown next to a Vac.  The ad has clearly a military theme. "Off to camp - Off to Campus"

The ad also points that both 51 and Vac carry a military clip. Also note the quote: "Parker pens contain no rubber sac" Really?

 9/25/1942

A number of ads during this period focus on Quink, the Parker made ink. With a typical Parker gimmicky approach this ad of 9/30/1941 shows that together with

a bottle of Quink you get a Walt Disney Book of 100 Songs....

 9/30/1941

But soon the tone of advertisements change.  While Sheaffer got into manufacturing artillery fuses and bomb components, Parker used "fear" tactics in their ads

See examples below!.. "PEN REPAIR MATERIALS MAY SOON BE UNOBTAINABLE", "QUINK PROTECTS YOUR PEN AGAINST WARTIME FAILURE",

"FOUNTAIN PENS ARE RATIONED". "SHORTAGE OF PENS IS INCREASING" ...

 9/29/194210/2/1942

 

10/1/194310/15/1943

Also notable in the two last ads is the list of colors for Quink: 7 permanent colors (microfilm, blue-black, Royal Blue, Green, Violet, Brown, Red) and two washable (black and blue).

I love the "V.... -MAIL" expression, as if they are so superstitious that do not dear to spell it out.

From 1943 to1946 there are no ads of fountain pens at MIT. Another victim of the war, I guess.

At the end of 1946 Parker returns strong. Parker has always been using celebrities to advertise its pens.

In the ads below refer to Lauritz Melchior,Albert Spalding, and Arthur Rubenstein, all three important music personalities of the era.

11/15/19462/15/19474/4/1947

Parker 51 dominates the holiday advertisements (even if some of them are a bit early).

 10/31/1947 11/19/1948

In 1948 the picture of the Cuban ambassador to the US signing the1947 Inter-American Reciprocal Defense Treaty completes the Parker 41 ad.

 4/2/1948

Even Jefferson Declaration of  Independence, Washington's Fairwell address and the Gettysburg address find their way in the ads.

I did not know that they were written with the Parker 51

1/8/19483/5/1948

PARKER 51 AEROMETRIC

Parker aerometric makes its appearance in the Tech in February of 1949 few months after its official introduction.

 2/18/1949 3/15/1949

It is not a surprise that the "51"-like targeting the student population were very quickly and prominently advertised in the Tech.

The 51 Special, the 21 and even the Parkette - the ONLY lever filler produced by Parker, can be found in several ads in the early 50s.

9/16/19499/2/1950

Special emphasis was placed on 21 as a student pen. Several versions of 21 ads were posted.

2/6/19514/6/19512/5/19529/22/1953

SHEAFFER

Sheaffer had almost disappeared during this period. Only two ads appear in 1953 and 1957. They were not placed by Sheaffer but by the MIT Coop (bookstore).

The first ad in 1953 toots the FINELINE which is a cartridge pen. The second appears in 1957 and promotes the Snorkel.

 10/25/1953 11/26/1957

Entering the1960 and the swan song for the fountain pens started to be heard around.  The decade opens with an ad for sales of Snorkel pens.  Like Christmas cards after Christmas, they are 1/3 off .

1/10/1960

one more installment to go .....

Edited July 10, 2007 by antoniosz

[aunt rebecca]

antonios,

 

thanks so much for researching and posting these ads. i remember as a child reading my treasure trove of national geographics and drooling over the pen ads. this must have been from 1947 on. the adds were full pages -- both sheaffer and parker and i do remember eversharp too. you have brought home many memories-- thanx

 

:bunny1: :bunny1: :bunny1: :bunny1:

 

:ltcapd: :roflmho:

 

[RonB]

Thanks, Antonios! Very interesting.

 

Ron

[BMWRT]

Thanks for sharing.

I do not know much about Parkers. They never spoke to me. I am in awe that the 51 aerometric was so expensive when it came our $13.50 in 1950 was a lot of money.

[HDoug]

These ads are always so fascinating! Thanks for posting them.

 

Doug

[RLTodd]

Thanks for sharing.

I do not know much about Parkers. They never spoke to me. I am in awe that the 51 aerometric was so expensive when it came our $13.50 in 1950 was a lot of money.

About $112.87, adjusted for inflation.

[Video11]

...snip

I love the "V....-MAIL" expression, as if they are so superstitious that do not

dear to spell it out.

snip...

Well, actually the advertisers were not being superstitious, that IS the way it was spelled out. If you are interested check out this page at the National Postal Museum for information and some pictures on the wartime Victory Mail or V-Mail.

 

The Postal Museum site does not mention that the '...-' between the 'V' and 'MAIL' is Morse Code for the letter 'V'. <shrug> Sometimes I am just full of useless information.

 

Great article antoniosz. Love seeing these old ads.

[antoniosz]

...snip

I love the "V....-MAIL" expression, as if they are so superstitious that do not

dear to spell it out.

snip...

Well, actually the advertisers were not being superstitious, that IS the way it was spelled out. If you are interested check out this page at the National Postal Museum for information and some pictures on the wartime Victory Mail or V-Mail.

 

The Postal Museum site does not mention that the '...-' between the 'V' and 'MAIL' is Morse Code for the letter 'V'. <shrug> Sometimes I am just full of useless information.

 

Great article antoniosz. Love seeing these old ads.

Awesome nice tidbit about the V-... mail I love it.

 

To all, the pleasure has been entirely mine. I have had so much fun and learned so much by researching these articles.

 

Now I have to finish the last installment...

[arrow king]

Great ads. I've collected many from magazines from National Geographic to the Family mags. The war ones would be of interest to the 'Pens in the War' thread under pen history, I mentioned the like the other day while posting pics of service sets.