Fountain Pens In Movies And Tv

[inkstainedruth]

Currently watching what is apparently the first episode in a new series on PBS: Lucy Worsley Investigates.  I had run across a thing she had done a few years ago, The Twelve Days of Tudor Christmas, and discovered the show by accident while going through the on-screen guide of what was going to be on TV this evening.  This episode is about the mystery of "the Princes in the Tower" (the sons of Edward IV), supposedly murdered by (or at the instigation of) Richard III, the last Yorkist King of England.  At one point, Worsley (a historian by trade) is sitting in a pub somewhere drawing up a diagram about how the world revolves around the King of England and (if still a minor) whoever controls custody of the child.  Didn't get a good look at the pen she was using, but it was white and blue and had a somewhat odd shaped barrel -- and DEFINITELY was a fountain pen (you can see the nib in the close up of her diagram in a notebook).  She works at one point with some primary source documentation which was found in the 1930s, written by someone from Italy named Mancini, who was some sort of ambassador, or maybe a a tutor to Prince Edward and his little brother (and I'm DEFINITELY going to be saving this to watch again), and later talks to someone from the Richard III Society and someone who has found evidence that Sir Thomas More was in contact with the son of one of the possible actual assassins.

Later in the episode (about 45 minutes in) she's using what looks like a gel pen: thinner and translucent blue and it looked as if it said something like "HI-Tech" on the barrel -- but is definitely NOT the same pen as earlier (although the ink was a similar shade of blue in both pens).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ParramattaPaul]

FYI Lucy Worsley: Lucy Worsley | Lucy Worsley

 

She is a very accomplished historian who makes history come alive with her shows.

[inkstainedruth]

Yes, I recognized her from the other show, even though I hadn't placed the name at first.  I was particularly interested in this episode, since a few years ago I had to do a lot of research about the various "dramatic personae" during the Wars of the Roses for a heraldry project.

And also because of Josephine Tey's mystery novel The Daughter of Time; her detective, a policeman, is laid up in the hospital with a broken leg, and an actress friend of his -- to distract him from utter boredom -- shows him an image of Richard III and said "What would you say about this guy?"  "He looks like he's ill.  Who is he?"  And that leads him (with the assistance of his friend and a young American scholar) to read up about Richard and his reign and the cop becomes convinced that Richard DIDN'T have his nephews murdered -- that he didn't have a motive.  So he starts trying to figure out who DID....   (The book was voted "the best mystery of all time" by some British writers' group a few years ago, and I had first read it as a kid when my mom found it in the local library -- having read it years before.)

As for Worsley?  You're right.  She really does make history come alive -- her enthusiasm for the subject at hand is absolutely infectious, and that enthusiasm comes across and makes the viewer want to know more.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[CAG_1787]

It may have been mentioned before, but the recently released Operation Mincemeat has several pens noted. The most prominently featured, in the hand of Colin Firth (as Ewen Montagu), appears to be a Parker Duofold, which would be quite period-appropriate. 

[taimdala]

15 hours ago, CAG_1787 said:

It may have been mentioned before, but the recently released Operation Mincemeat has several pens noted. The most prominently featured, in the hand of Colin Firth (as Ewen Montagu), appears to be a Parker Duofold, which would be quite period-appropriate. 

I just watched that movie last weekend! I sat up, leaned in, and squinted whenever a pen showed on-screen. LOL! Thanks for ID-ing that pen. I was thinking it was a Parker DuoFold but couldn't be sure. ;D

[Paul-in-SF]

In the 1949 movie "Whirlpool," Gene Tierney is writing a note to her husband, who is out of town, with what appears to be a Sheaffer Triumph nib (I couldn't recognize the specific pen from what I could see). It didn't actually make sense to send him a letter since he was only out of town for two days and three nights over a weekend, but the pen did write very nicely.

 

Later on, she had to sign a statement at the police station and they handed her a pen, but I couldn't see it well enough to guess anything about it. 

[Larry Barrieau]

Before the 1950's there was a morning mail delivery and another one in the afternoon.  The mailman would give you your mail and take any of  your outgoing mail back to the post office.  They would sort it and put it in a sack and bring the sack to the train station.  Your mail could make it to towns not too far away in less than a day.  I have old postcards that have short messages like, "Can't wait to see you at the station tomorrow morning."   

 

That sort of thing had a name;  Hmm, what was it?   um   Oh, I know!  SERVICE.

[Gloucesterman]

Just finished watching the PBS mini series version of "Around the World in 80 Days" It was a decent presentation. It take place in 1872. Below are two screen shots from the episode set in India. So tell me, is the pen age-appropriate?? LOL.

[taimdala]

10 hours ago, Larry Barrieau said:

Before the 1950's there was a morning mail delivery and another one in the afternoon.  The mailman would give you your mail and take any of  your outgoing mail back to the post office.  They would sort it and put it in a sack and bring the sack to the train station.  Your mail could make it to towns not too far away in less than a day.  I have old postcards that have short messages like, "Can't wait to see you at the station tomorrow morning."   

 

That sort of thing had a name;  Hmm, what was it?   um   Oh, I know!  SERVICE.

 

Ahhh yes!

 

I know from my reading on Victorian London that the city had more than two deliveries per day. I didn't know that the US had something similar. Great to know! Thank you for sharing that lovely tidbit. ^_^ It's a pity we no longer have this kind of service.

[Gloucesterman]

1 hour ago, taimdala said:

 

Ahhh yes!

 

I know from my reading on Victorian London that the city had more than two deliveries per day. I didn't know that the US had something similar. Great to know! Thank you for sharing that lovely tidbit. ^_^ It's a pity we no longer have this kind of service.

And, IIRC, there were two daily issues of the larger newspapers in Boston, MA

[welch]

20 hours ago, Gloucesterman said:

Just finished watching the PBS mini series version of "Around the World in 80 Days" It was a decent presentation. It take place in 1872. Below are two screen shots from the episode set in India. So tell me, is the pen age-appropriate?? LOL.

 

Perfectly appropriate if the filmmakers added time-travel to "Around the World etc"

[Mr.Rene]

22 hours ago, Gloucesterman said:

Just finished watching the PBS mini series version of "Around the World in 80 Days" It was a decent presentation. It take place in 1872. Below are two screen shots from the episode set in India. So tell me, is the pen age-appropriate?? LOL.

 It is a Sheaffer Vacuum...made around 1930-40's years, in fact, in 1872 was dip pen period...

Whatever..nice to watch a f .pen...on screen...

Regards. 

[Carguy]

On 5/30/2022 at 7:43 AM, Larry Barrieau said:

Before the 1950's there was a morning mail delivery and another one in the afternoon.  The mailman would give you your mail and take any of  your outgoing mail back to the post office.  They would sort it and put it in a sack and bring the sack to the train station.  Your mail could make it to towns not too far away in less than a day.  I have old postcards that have short messages like, "Can't wait to see you at the station tomorrow morning."   

 

That sort of thing had a name;  Hmm, what was it?   um   Oh, I know!  SERVICE.

Indeed! My Dad traveled extensively for IBM and often wrote letters to my mom from hotels and airplanes. Apparently, Pan Am and Delta passed out their own stationary on the flights. I only wished I knew about the pens he used. He passed away long before my pen hobby started.

[ParramattaPaul]

54 minutes ago, Carguy said:

Indeed! My Dad traveled extensively for IBM and often wrote letters to my mom from hotels and airplanes. Apparently, Pan Am and Delta passed out their own stationary on the flights. I only wished I knew about the pens he used. He passed away long before my pen hobby started.

All the major airlines offered free inflight stationary and scaled-down playing cards to pass the time during the longer flights; even in the 1970s.  Having spent some time travelling with British Airways (BOAC back then), Air New Zealand, QANTAS, and Pan Am amongst others I can tell you that we not only had stationary to use, but our inflight meals were served on china plates and with linen napkins and stainless steel cutlery was de rigueur.  Times have changed. 

[inkstainedruth]

I flew Pan Am a lot in the 1970s on cheapie charter trips abroad.  I don't EVER remember stationery or playing cards.  Maybe 1st Class passengers got stuff like that -- but in coach?  Not so much (we were lucky if we got the movie to run).

I vaguely remember one flight where we did get our meals with real plates and serving ware -- but I think that was the (massively delayed due to engine problems) flight from JFK to Heathrow on Air India.  We felt sorry for the flight attendants because they ran out of steak -- and back then, when I was in high school, I had never had Indian food.  Now?  I'd be going "Oh sure I'll have the curry!"  But back then?  Not so much....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ParramattaPaul]

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

I flew Pan Am a lot in the 1970s on cheapie charter trips abroad.  I don't EVER remember stationery or playing cards.  Maybe 1st Class passengers got stuff like that -- but in coach?  Not so much (we were lucky if we got the movie to run).

I vaguely remember one flight where we did get our meals with real plates and serving ware -- but I think that was the (massively delayed due to engine problems) flight from JFK to Heathrow on Air India.  We felt sorry for the flight attendants because they ran out of steak -- and back then, when I was in high school, I had never had Indian food.  Now?  I'd be going "Oh sure I'll have the curry!"  But back then?  Not so much....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

'Cheapie charter flights' usually means reduced amenities. 

 

Dare I mention the 'reduced amenities' one receives on a military charter going anywhere?  One such military charter I experienced meant 36+ hours flight time crossing an ocean and the best part of two continents with numerous fuel stops and a whopping three inflight meals.  The straight-line distance from departure to destination on that particular flight was 13000 miles, but because it was military, we didn't go straight-line, but added another 5000 miles to our little journey in 'cattle-car comfort'.  With that in mind, I'll take travelling via a QANTAS Airbus and being served plastic food on plastic plates any time and appreciate it.

[dipper]

On 5/16/2022 at 2:09 AM, inkstainedruth said:

Currently watching what is apparently the first episode in a new series on PBS: Lucy Worsley Investigates. .../clip/.... This episode is about the mystery of "the Princes in the Tower" (the sons of Edward IV) ..../clip/.... At one point, Worsley (a historian by trade) is sitting in a pub somewhere drawing up a diagram about how the world revolves around the King of England and (if still a minor) whoever controls custody of the child.  Didn't get a good look at the pen she was using, but it was white and blue and had a somewhat odd shaped barrel -- and DEFINITELY was a fountain pen (you can see the nib in the close up of her diagram in a notebook).

 

Is this a Pilot disposable fountain pen? Branded as Pilot "V-Pen" in UK, and as Pilot "Varsity" in US?

 

It writes well. No skipping as Lucy whizzes big wet ink loops around the crown to illustrate her narrative.

 

Can't quite grab the barcode...

 

 

In UK the V-Pen barrel is heavily printed with the Pilot branding. But for transmission on BBC such branding is generally obscured, or removed. That could explain the plain barrel with barcode only visible.

[BorisoftheStars]

The Big Broadcast of 1967 had a fountain pen in it. I don't know if it had a brand or was made specifically for that movie, but when I saw it, I was like "Is that a fountain pen?" until there was a closeup of the pen, and it was.

[loganrah]

Antiques Road Trip (better than the Roadshow) season 25 episode 16: One of the contestants bought a Waterman’s silver overlay safety pen (possibly a 42 1/2? Didn’t look big enough to be a 42 or small enough for a 42 1/2v Baby) and made a reasonable profit on it at £150. I would say whoever bought it for that got it right about the right price. 

Link, although it is region locked to the uk:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001cs78/antiques-road-trip-series-25-episode-16?page=1

[inkstainedruth]

On 5/31/2022 at 11:41 PM, ParramattaPaul said:

'Cheapie charter flights' usually means reduced amenities. 

 

Dare I mention the 'reduced amenities' one receives on a military charter going anywhere?  One such military charter I experienced meant 36+ hours flight time crossing an ocean and the best part of two continents with numerous fuel stops and a whopping three inflight meals.  The straight-line distance from departure to destination on that particular flight was 13000 miles, but because it was military, we didn't go straight-line, but added another 5000 miles to our little journey in 'cattle-car comfort'.  With that in mind, I'll take travelling via a QANTAS Airbus and being served plastic food on plastic plates any time and appreciate it.

Well these were charter tours but the overseas flights were booked on regular airlines (often Pan AM).  There was often a refueling or flight change stop in Frankfurt (or sometimes Shannon Airport in Ireland; the trip to Rome the refueling stop was Milan).  But for the most part were not charter companies per se.  (The only one I remember that was?  Some Danish (I think) company when we were coming home from a trip to Copenhagen.  Halfway across the Atlantic, after a refueling stop in Iceland, the plane turned around and went back to Keflavik -- the pilots were apparently having trouble with the hydraulic brakes, and it was going to be easier to get repairs/parts done there than in Labrador, the next refueling stop, before going on to JFK.  When the plane turned around, I didn't realize that there was a problem at first until the pilot came on the speakers -- I just thought "Oh, are we to the point where we're doing the shorter route arc-ing around the Arctic Circle?"  

There was a guy and his dad in the tour group, and my mom was sitting next to the son; he was a big guy (easily 6'5") but my mom said that his hand was cold as ice -- the guy was PETRIFIED.  We got back to Keflavik okay, but when we landed there was a line of emergency vehicles along the side of the runway, just in case....  Then we sat in the terminal for several hours while the authorities tried to figure out how to put a 707's load of passengers up for the night in Reykjavik -- at the time (early 1980s, the population of Reykjavik was about 29K) and they didn't know if there would be enough available hotel space....  

Of course mostly I remember of that night in Iceland was that (it being May) the sun went down around 11 PM local time; and my mom woke up at 3 AM and looked at her watch and THEN realized that she hadn't had to turn on a light to see her watch....  Oh, and I could NOT convince my mother to let me buy an Icelandic sweater... (years later I got a Lopi pattern book and KNIT myself one...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth