Jean Esterbrook.

[ANM]

Musings last page

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/matthewsno/musingslastpage.jpg

[kreinhard]

Great article!

[ANM]

Late last night, I looked out an old address book of mine to find the telephone number of Jean's house in Bronxville NY, I dialed the number, and a man answered, but it obviously wasn't Patrick, so I didn't pursue it any further.

Truffle Finder.

 

It just occurred to me that the number you called was probably re-assigned after her death and the person you reached probably never lived at that address either.

[Truffle Finder]

ANM,

Thank you so much for finding, and posting the article here for everyone to read, you have gone above and beyond the call!!! It really brought home to me so much more about the great lady, and some of the things [that appeared in the article] that she had said to me when I was with her during my week in New York. Her telling of the intrinsic quality and care that went into the manufacture of the pens [right down to the testing of each individual nib before being boxed] reminded me of her telling me exactly those words, which she obviously felt deeply to be true.

I was aware that she had visited the grave in Halbathick in Cornwall, she gave me a photograph which I still have of her sitting on the grave with a key in her hand! The photograph was taken by her driver Patrick!

The only thing that I would like to 're-state' having read Jean's lovely article:- "The value of anything that is bought or sold has NO value unless it contains that which cannot be bought or sold, namely the honour and integrity of it's maker."

She was a really great lady! She quite clearly believed that last sentence, and tried to live by that belief during her life.

Thank you once again for digging out the article, you are a man of integrity and honour, ANM!!!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

I just want to say how very pleased I am to see that you have made this 'thread' a permenent message on this forum, I presume that the powers that be felt [as indeed I do that she was an amazing lady,] but the article says so much about the ethos of the Company, and the principals by which they worked, as she stated in the article for Pen World, the family were Quakers, and they obviously believed strongly about those principals which made the practicality of their pens so good. All this of course should be of interest to the collectors and enthusiasts of Esterbrook pens.

I think that gratitude must go to ANM for keeping, and then finding [after all this time!] the PWorld article, which says so much more than my first attempt at reminiscing about Jean Esterbrook.

Truffle Finder.

[WendyNC]

This thread and the article by Miss Esterbrook were entirely worth the time it took to read them. Thanks so much to the contributors.

[OneRiotOneRanger]

Let me add my voice, as well - a wonderful recollection of a great lady, it seems. Many thanks for sharing it with us.

[Truffle Finder]

Yesterday evening , I spent some time looking through some 'old things', and found all the letters that Jean had written to me between the time of our first meeting, and ending after my return to UK following my week long visit to her in New York. She had sent me all sorts of information [some printed, others hand written] about family members, the history of the company, even a picture of 'Tremedon' which she visited, and is now an 'old folks home' for ladies who can no longer look after their own homes.

It was a real nostalgia trip looking through the stack of papers. It brought it all back to me.

I did manage to send a PM to Polly Mc Connell, and she responded, I do hope that she has looked at the article that ANM posted on this thread.

I have read it several times since it was put here, and when I do it is almost as though I can hear Jean's voice as I am reading it! By now you will have gathered that I am a 'Card-Carrying Nostalgia Freak'!

Thank you once again ANM.

Truffle Finder.

[ANM]

I am very pleased to have been able to find and post her essay. I'm glad that it was deemed satisfactory to post here for all to enjoy.

[Truffle Finder]

I have a confession to make, [and I do feel very guilty about it] I told you a little while ago that I had 'dug out' a folder with all the letters and photographs that I had received from Jean before she died, well, whilst what I had told you was correct, I had only looked through about half of the sheets of papers and memorabilia, I've just gone through the whole lot, and right down the bottom of the pile was the pages of the Pen World article [in full, with her hand-written note to me on the bottom!

I feel that I must apologise to ANM, if I had been a little more patient I could have saved him a lot of trouble.

Truffle Finder.

P.S. Once I have been given a few more lessons on this machine that is a computer, and learnt how to 'scan and send,' perhaps I will be able to 'post' more information about this subject here!

[Chris Chalmers]

Well, TF get a move on - please!!!!!

[Truffle Finder]

I just called in to see how things are going. It's really heartening to see that so many people have viewed this thread.

I hope that it stays here for a long time to come!

Truffle Finder.

[dhlr14454]

This is a great thread. Have you managed to master scanning as yet?

[musorah]

A little searching turned up this image:

 

Esterbrook Grave

 

Rick

Edited October 10, 2010 by musorah

[Truffle Finder]

I think it only right to reveal that Truffle Finder is in fact me, Henry Simpole.

I feel that it is necessary to explain that my intention was not to deceive anybody, but merely to remain anonymous within this network.

I sincerely apologise for my actions in doing this particularly if it has upset anybody, it was not my intention to annoy anyone, but purely to write about an experience I had earlier in my life which I thought might be of interest to collectors of Esterbrook Fountain Pens.

Henry Simpole, [AKA Truffle Finder.]

[PaFitch]

No need to apologize to me. This story has entertained me more than once. Let me add my thanks for telling it to us and prompting so many other good tidbits of knowledge.

[Truffle Finder]

Since I first sat down to put this article together, [mainly because I thought that if I didn't, then it would not be told, and then so many people would not know about this wonderful lady] but having met up with Paul Erano at the Little Rock pen show last weekend, I handed over all the letters and photographs that Jean had written and sent to me, while I knew her, so that he could compile some more information about this amazing family.

As you probably know, he has just recently become the editor of the Pennant Magazine in the USA,[bTW, there is talk of an 'article-sharing' scheme between them and the Writing Equipment Society in the UK happening soon I gather, it should be beneficial to both organisations I think.] and hopefully he will be able to put something together soon.

I just thought I would share this news with you all!!!

Truffle Finder.

[djkpens]

never thought of esterbrooks as cheep or worthless

having been given one by gran in the 8th grade '

my handwriting was dreadful and scrawling

here --she said-----file the pointy nib off make an italic nib !!!!

went to victor drugs -cardinal ink

drawers with old forgotten fountain pens

a parker geometric

my mothers stained old wearevers

--------

most people had gladly given up those stained hands

when ballpoints came out

however i hardily embraced esterbrook and those stains forever

-------------------

[AndiN]

What a fantastic thread, both Truffle Finder's memories of meeting Jean Esterbrook and the article from Pen World! I loved reading them. Jean seemed like a wonderful lady. I wish I could have met her myself.

[Truffle Finder]

For those who might be interested, I am planning to visit the hamlet where the Esterbrook family home was in Cornwall, and if I have time, I will be going to the Quaker burial ground where some of the family members are interred. With the help of a new digital camera, and someone who knows how to 'post' such things on here! some pictures might appear!

Truffle Finder.