Aussie Ink History

[Pjay]

Back in the days when fountain pens and dip pens were common Down Under, we had an ink manufacturer called Swan Ink. I was able to retrieve the top ink bottles when my wife's parents passed away a few years ago, but the other two items were given to me by a kind brother who haunts op shops.

 

I know exactly what the thimble is, but have no idea of the purpose of the bakelite screw top container. Any clues would be appreciated!

Edited September 11, 2020 by Pjay

[inkstainedruth]

The thimble is pretty cool. A few years ago I saw an Esterbrook logo thimble in an antiques mall, and am now kicking myself that I didn't buy it -- because I've never seen another one anywhere.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[silverlifter]

The bakelite container looks like it would fit perfectly into the recess in the top right hand corner of the desks I sat at as a child.

[ParramattaPaul]

I'm not seeing any pictures for some reason. Looking at photos I found elsewhere, I believe the bakelite screw top container is a 'travel' ink well.

 

 

ADDED: pictures found on your other posting.

Edited September 11, 2020 by ParramattaPaul

[vicpen123]

Too fancy for a school desk.

 

We in Victoria had simple white coloured pots that slipped in to a circular opening in the desk. No threads, no lids.

 

And ink well holes in desks were located for right handers only.

 

For some reason I cannot recall using dip pens for long in the mid to late 50s. Pencils and early ballpoints dominated.

[corniche]

Hi Pjay,

 

Neat stuff - I feel bad for Ruth not grabbing that Estie thimble; that sounds very unusual.

 

Agree with vicpen that the ink pot may be too fancy for a school, (at least for the students; maybe for the teach), but banks, post offices, and general offices had ink wells in tables and desks, too, (probably from one of them).

 

Thanks for showing.

 

 

- Sean

[ParramattaPaul]

Hi Pjay,

 

Neat stuff - I feel bad for Ruth not grabbing that Estie thimble; that sounds very unusual.

 

Agree with vicpen that the ink pot may be too fancy for a school, (at least for the students; maybe for the teach), but banks, post offices, and general offices had ink wells in tables and desks, too, (probably from one of them).

 

Thanks for showing.

 

 

- Sean

With the above mention of ink pots in banks, etc., I had a remembered mental image from 60 plus years ago of a similar Bakelite pot on an pen stand in an pen stand on a desk, in an office I visited with my dad.

[inkstainedruth]

Neat stuff - I feel bad for Ruth not grabbing that Estie thimble; that sounds very unusual.

 

Thanks. It was definitely a dope-slap moment in retrospect. I don't tend to collect stuff like that (collector plates, spoons, etc.) normally. And it was early on (about seven or eight years ago).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Pjay]

Too fancy for a school desk.

 

We in Victoria had simple white coloured pots that slipped in to a circular opening in the desk. No threads, no lids.

 

And ink well holes in desks were located for right handers only.

 

For some reason I cannot recall using dip pens for long in the mid to late 50s. Pencils and early ballpoints dominated.

Things were different in Queensland. We used dip pens into the mid sixties. Recently I acquired copies of the copy book used for Year 3 and Year 6, in an Education Queensland archive facility, and they make for a fascinating time capsule. Many of the sentences we had to write out were about road safety, personal hygiene, nutrition, the environment and hard work. Even a mention of whaling on Moreton Island!!!! There's a PhD in there somewhere...