Presidential Pens

[AAAndrew]

I found the reference and realized it was President Garfield who used a fountain pen in the last days before he died.

 

http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=cent;cc=cent;g=moagrp;xc=1;q1=fountain%20pen;rgn=full%20text;idno=cent0023-2;didno=cent0023-2;node=cent0023-2%3A18;view=image;seq=0312

 

It was on August 10th, 1881 he wrote his name using a fountain pen.

 

Not much, but it shows a president using a fountain pen at a fairly early date.

[Florida Blue]

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

 

For all the pens Obama and other presidents use to sign important legislations:

 

Who pays for these pens? And don't tell me taxpayers...

 

I would assume so. I believe there are laws regarding this. When Eisenhower was president Parker gave him very expensive 51s (with 14kt gold caps) for free because he was loyal to the Parker brand and the free advertisement would have greatly outweighed the expense of a few hundred dollars would of pens. I think such a practice today would be illegal. The president can't except such lavish personal gifts from companies.

[rwilsonedn]

I found the reference and realized it was President Garfield who used a fountain pen in the last days before he died.

 

http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=cent;cc=cent;g=moagrp;xc=1;q1=fountain%20pen;rgn=full%20text;idno=cent0023-2;didno=cent0023-2;node=cent0023-2%3A18;view=image;seq=0312

 

It was on August 10th, 1881 he wrote his name using a fountain pen.

 

Not much, but it shows a president using a fountain pen at a fairly early date.

A very early date. That may be early enough to rekindle a previous thread about just when fountain pens were first available.

ron

[AAAndrew]

Should such a thread be revived, I could add the specific references for...

 

In 1857, in Putnam's Monthly magazine, there's a reference to a fountain pen being listed in a student's inventory in 1751.

 

And in a description of newly added rare books to the Univ. of Michigan collection...

 

"In science, several interesting works were received. Daniel Schwenter's Deliciae physico-mathematicae, oder, Mathemat. und philosophische Erquickstunden... was published posthumously at Nuremberg in 1636, and followed in 1651 and 1653 by two more volumes added by his pupil, Georg Philipp Harsdorfer, the baroque poet. The three make up an encyclopedic work covering mathematics, astronomy, astrology, physics, chemistry, architecture, music, and all kinds of experiments and mechanical inventions, with fascinating illustrations, and descriptions of such wonders as a magnetic telegraph between Paris and Rome and a fountain pen for use in traveling..."

[Rhonlynn]

I found the reference and realized it was President Garfield who used a fountain pen in the last days before he died.

 

http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=cent;cc=cent;g=moagrp;xc=1;q1=fountain%20pen;rgn=full%20text;idno=cent0023-2;didno=cent0023-2;node=cent0023-2%3A18;view=image;seq=0312

 

It was on August 10th, 1881 he wrote his name using a fountain pen.

 

Not much, but it shows a president using a fountain pen at a fairly early date.

What a cool find!

[vibhi204]

really nice and valuable information is provided about presidential pens they are for a niche market but beautiful pens and want to vtry hard and buy one.

[Misfit]

Rhonlynn, it's worth the trip to go to the Truman Library. The recreation of the Oval Office was one of my favorite parts.

 

Have you been to his house in Independence? That's well worth a visit too.

[tringle]

President Woodrow Wilson's pen he used to sign the Declaration of War for the US entry into WWI.

 

Declaration of WW I Pen.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Wilson was certainly old school! Great photo.

[Kansas Pen]

Florida Blue:

 

You have a lot of knowledge about Eisenhower.

 

I live in Abilene Kansas less than 12 blocks from the Eisenhower Library and Museum.

 

Thanks for the information. Very interesting.

[Florida Blue]

Florida Blue:

 

You have a lot of knowledge about Eisenhower.

 

I live in Abilene Kansas less than 12 blocks from the Eisenhower Library and Museum.

 

Thanks for the information. Very interesting.

 

You're welcome. I've never been to Kansas, but I've visited his home in Gettysburg, PA a few times.

 

Part of my knowledge of Eisenhower came from my love of Parker pens.

[Inky Tom]

Long ago, I saw Pope John Paul II use a Panthere de Cartier on TV to sign something.

[Rhonlynn]

Rhonlynn, it's worth the trip to go to the Truman Library. The recreation of the Oval Office was one of my favorite parts.

 

Have you been to his house in Independence? That's well worth a visit too.

I have been to the house. I'm going to the Truman library in a week...then make my rounds. I didn't think of this in Little Rock, but my mom wants to go, so I'll take her, and also go to Mt. Ida and Eureka Springs.

[gregamckinney]

A variant on what you are looking for may be pens with Presidential signatures (replicas) on them.

The Parker 45 was produced this way for several Presidents.

 

I don't know with certainty, but was told that these were White House gift shop items (the four on the right.)

 

http://gergyor.com/images/parker_45_and_pres.jpg

 

Regards, greg

[AAAndrew]

hey, Greg

 

very interesting to see, thanks for sharing!

[GTOZack]

would be nice if Obama gets on this forums and tells us his favorites!

 

or some of former presidents

[Rhonlynn]

A variant on what you are looking for may be pens with Presidential signatures (replicas) on them.

The Parker 45 was produced this way for several Presidents.

 

I don't know with certainty, but was told that these were White House gift shop items (the four on the right.)

 

http://gergyor.com/images/parker_45_and_pres.jpg

 

Regards, greg

Wow, really interesting. I'm stopping by Little Rock in July. I have an Obama signature pen, but it's more of a souvenir. Can't wait to go back to Little Rock.

[Alexandra]

The pen that is used today by President Obama is the black lacquered Cross Townsend rolling ball pens at a cost of $130.00 each.

 

 

So POTUS uses a roller ball. I guess I can live with that.

[highlander1307]

Somewhere in these forums is a picture of President Obama and a Montblanc in his inside coat pocket.

[HBlaine]

Nixon apparently had a weakness for Parker 75's.

 

There's an excellent article, with some excellent pictures, over on parker75.com. The direct link is:

 

http://www.parker75.addr.com/Reference/Keepsake/President_Nixons_Keepsake_75.htm

[scannon18]

The fact that he uses a rollerball is important because it shows that a nice pen is not always a fountain pen and that rollerballs have really come a long way in writability. Fountain pens in the United States can almost be considered a niche market, in my whole life I've only face-to-face met one person who uses them regularly.