The Quill to Gold Pen Nib Revolution
From The Quill to Jefferson’s Pen
Thomas Jefferson is considered the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, although Jefferson's draft went through a process of revision.
On June 11, 1776, Jefferson holed up in his Philadelphia boarding house and began, quill in hand, to write.
Thomas Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence by being primarily responsible for writing the initial draft of the document while serving on a committee of five appointed by the Continental Congress; he largely wrote the document in isolation, drawing from existing documents like the Virginia Declaration of Rights and incorporating Enlightenment ideals, before presenting it to the committee for revisions and then to the full Congress for further edits and final approval on July 4, 1776.
In the early 1820s Thomas Jefferson commissioned a silver pen holder with gold pen nib from William Cowan of Richmond, Virginia, based upon a fountain pen principle described by French Engineer/Inventor Nicolas Bion in his Instrument Traite’ de la Construction in 1709.
Click on the image to view more Virginia roots.
Collectors Find Few Clues
Traces of 19th century or older Quill, Silver or Gold pen manufacturing and sales is scant in the 21st century. Moreover, larger numbers of writing equipment items are discovered more often from the last quarter of the 19th century.
According to Michael Finlay in his 1990 book Western Writing Implements in the Age of the Quill Pen “The intensity of competition for business in the supply of pens during the 1820s is well-illustrated by the records of the Bank of England … In 1820, for example, more than a million and a quarter quill pens were purchased for a staff of one thousand…”.
Despite the massive consumer hunger for writing equipment in the 1820's, few examples survived. Vintage feather Quill pens are extremely rare today.
The Gold Pen nib revolution in the second quarter of the 19th century resulted in far longer lasting pen purchases, however; most Gold Pen nibs were "used up" and perhaps recycled for the gold content.
Acquiring a collection of the traces of American pen makers and calligraphers is a daunting project, and for many collectors it becomes a long-term pursuit. The process of confirming attribution of the makers and reconstructing the history of design and manufacture of such equipment is primarily dependent on financial and newspaper accounts.
In some instances, patent award dates and the patent language, including claim language and declarations of "prior art" (meaning previously created or invented portions discussed within a patent's language) can provide clarity regarding who really invented and created items.
In many instances, collectors simply view the drawing(s) accompanying the patent and rationalize that the patent award relates to the entirety of drawings. Without interpreting the claim and prior art attribution language, it becomes easy to wrongly conclude who an inventor was.
The story of the Gold Pen nib revolution in America has just begun to be re-discovered and likely holds a few more surprises. The content within this website will be updated to reflect new discoveries as we all learn more about this technology paradigm shift.
Early 19th Century London to New York
John Isaac Hawkins, having successfully bonded iridium to a gold pen nib, invented the “Gold Pen” in London in 1834. The Hawkins Gold Pen nib was sold initially in London for $3.00 in 1834 and later, imported and sold in New York. From 1834 to 1845 the Hawkins Gold Pen nib was produced only in a No. 3 size, and sold for $5.00 in 1840 in New York.
Depicted is an original circa 1835 hand inked Trade Card with 4 Gold Pen nibs still attached, acquired in Britain. This item is detailed in the link below.
Mr. Hawkins sold his iridium bonding technique to American Aaron Porter Cleveland. Mr. Cleveland returned to New York in October 1836 and instructed Detroit goldsmith Levi Brown in the process. Mr. Brown became the first maker of the Gold Pen iridium tipped nib in the United States.
Albert G. Bagley apprenticed under Simeon Hyde alongside Levi Brown until 1838 when Bagley opened a Gold Pen business at 1 Front Street, just down the street from Brown's 10 Front Street address in Brooklyn.
Brown and Bagley competed at the Fair of the American Institute for best gold pen at least as early as 1843. Bagley had worked with John Rendell at the Hyde firm and Rendell's industrial and mechanical genius assisted Bagley and others in mechanizing the manufacturing operation of gold pens and pen holders. Thus, enabling Bagley to rapidly expand his product line and offer goods wholesale to others in the trade.
From 1846 to 1850, Bagley patented several of the most important designs and methods in the American Gold Pen Revolution. The patent awards solidified a foundation for the growth of his manufacturing operations.
Thanks in part to John C. Loring the story of Bagley and his paradigm shift in American pen holder design and production techniques is told here.
American Writing Revolution Beginnings
Early advertising for Gold Pen nibs in the United States began as early as 1838 at 18 Wall Street in Manhattan.
Ever-Pointed Gold Pens were offered for sale in early advertising in The Evening Post of New York in December 1838..
American Writing Revolution Beginnings
Early competition between Levi Brown and Albert G. Bagley for best Gold Pen nibs in the United States began in the early 1840s at the Fair of the American Institute in New York.
The depicted silver medallion is an authentic period award. Brown and Bagley were recognized separately for their quality gold pen products in 1843 at the Fair of the American Institute. The report states that "Levi Brown, 61 Nassau street, Brooklyn, for the best gold pens Silver medal. A. G. Bagley, 189 Broadway, for the second best gold pens".
Maiden Lane in 19th Century New York
Maiden Lane plays a compelling role in the American Gold Pen maker revolution.
More than 20 separate addresses on Maiden Lane housed Gold Pen makers between 1840 and 1915.
Platt and Brothers provided gold and silver bullion to early Gold Pen Makers Brown and Bagley among others.,
Levi Brown
Levi Brown was first in the United States to manufacture Gold Pen nibs. Evidence of his work including Gold Pen nibs and gold pen holders is part of the permanent collection.
Depicted are 4 different original Levi Brown Brooklyn Gold Pen nibs.
More about Levi Brown and the progression of his business may be found by clicking the Levi Brown button below.
Albert G. Bagley
The intensity of demand in the United States produced the competitive spirit that America is renown for and Albert G. Bagley was one of the most successful and influential in the Gold Pen nib and pen holder business in the United States. Evidence of his work including Gold Pen nibs and gold and silver pen holders is part of the permanent collection.
Depicted is an original Bagley's United States Pen Gold Pen nib. As John C. Loring opined in one of his iconic articles titled “The Birth of American Writing”, I think we can assume from the foregoing [The Scientific American] that Albert Bagley was among the workmen in Simeon Hyde's new gold pen factory, initially trained in 1836 by Aaron Cleveland and Levi Brown"
Between 1838 and 1850, Bagleys Gold Pens manufactory and wholesale/retail operations had developed a worldwide market. Locations in New York were numerous and growing. The graphic below, an excerpt from an advertising dollar sized “bill”, touts 4 locations.
Learn about Albert G. Bagley and the progression of his business may be found by clicking the Albert G. Bagley button below.
Albert G. Bagley’s United States Pen
The Savannah Georgian Newspaper, June 27, 1849
John H. Rauch
John C. Rauch was a pencil maker whose inventive mind saw novel opportunity in the Gold Pen nib revolution. He created beautiful gold pencils adorned with jeweled tops. He also created novelties for the growing Gold Pen holder market.
Rauch worked with the Bagley factory to incorporate his patent pencil slider mechanism, utilizing Bagley extension pen holders for early experimentation and creation of his first generation pen holder.
Mr. Rauch was listed as a Pencil Case Maker in 1850-1851 in the New York Merchantile Union Directory, indicating that he was not recognized as a Gold Pen nib or pen holder maker at that time.
Click on the John C. Rauch button to learn about this and his second generation pen holder art
1st Patent Revolution in America
1st Patent Litigation Explosion
The writing revolution became embroiled in the first patent litigation explosion beginning in the 1840s & 1850s.
In 1822, John Isaac Hawkins and Sampson Mordan were awarded the first patent for a mechanical pencil mechanism in England.
French inventor Edme-Nicolas Favreau filed what may be the first fountain pen patent application in France was filed with the Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle (INPI) on March 23, 1827, and his 5-year patent number 3177 was issued on May 4, 1827. The patent was for a pen holder that serves as an inkwell and that is placed in a wallet like a pencil.
Charles Goodyear began to develop vulcanite in 1839 and was awarded a patent in 1844 for a durable vulcanized rubber. In 1851, his brother Nelson Goodyear patented the production process and experimented with writing instrument development in the 1840s. The Goodyear Dental Vulcanite Company of Boston fiercely enforced its patent as vulcanite rapidly gained popularity as a denture base material.
In the early 1840’s Albert G. Bagley invented his extension pen & pencil holders. In 1847, Mr. Bagley was awarded a patent for his pioneering invention for metal tube extrusion.
Bagley vigorously enforced his patents, threatening litigation action against anyone who infringed.
William S. Hicks lodged a patent validity challenge based on lack of novelty in the 1850s against less well known pen holder inventor John Richardson for his 1854 patent pen and pencil holder, and Mr. Richardson used follow-on litigation to turn the tables on Mr. Hicks.
In 1856, the Manhattan District Attorney accused Mr. Bagley of violating the patent law of August 29th, 1842, by not properly marking his extension pen holders with only the patent award date, and failure to add the inventor’s name. The judge sided with Mr. Bagley.
Within this website, various patents from this era will be highlighted
1st Patent Litigation Explosion
The 1840s through the 1860s, the number of patents in force grew from just over 7,000 to more than 22,000.
Patent suits and litigation per 1,000 patents in force exploded from the 1840s to the 1850s, with individual patents litigated highest in 1850.
The Writing Revolution patents were contested in many instances during this period accelerating the sophistication of patent claim language beyond the simple 1 to 2 page patent language in earlier years.
Claims of invalidity based upon lack of novelty were sometimes manipulated by biased witness testimony, requiring the expense of appellate action to delve for the truth.
Hicks Novelty Claim
Richardson & Son were listed as pencil case makers in 1850 located at 4 Liberty Place in Brooklyn, near several other pencil case makers including J.J. Lownds and Edward Deacon. Richardson & Son shared 4 Liberty Place with other pencil case makers Isaac W. Stewart and Alexander Johnston.
William Richardson was the senior pencil case maker and son Richard joined the business to become Richardson & Son.
The patent application of John Richardson was filed on October 20th, 1853.
William S. Hicks had filed a patent application that was at first rejected then later Mr. Hicks was told he could move forward with an interference declaration.
On November 25th, 1853, the commissioner addressed a note to Hicks, stating that “there is an application for letters-patent before the office for alleged improvements in the construction of pen and pencil cases. The devices are equivalents for yours rejected on the 26th of September last, but now considered to be patentable. If you desire the opportunity to prove priority of invention, an interference will be declared in accordance with the rules contained in the thirteenth section of the enclosed circular.” In reply to which, on the 30th of November aforesaid. Hicks notified the commissioner of his desire to have the opportunity to prove his priority of invention; and accordingly, on the 2d of December, an interference was declared for the trial of the issue so made by the declaration of interference....on March 11th, 1854, the commissioner awarded priority of invention to William S. Hicks, effectively invalidating Mr. Richardson's patent application.
The resulting decision of the commissioner of patents for interference, awarding priority to William S. Hicks.
This prompted Richardson to appeal the decision and request an appeal hearing .
During the appeal hearing, one of Richardson’s witnesses testified that he saw the pen-pencil case in June 1847.
Other employees testified to seeing or working on the models of the pen and pencil cases in question at later periods during the year 1847, and that he was engaged diligently for years afterwards in endeavoring to make his pen and pencil case more perfect.
Richardson Patent Model
The pen holder patent model superimposed upon a portion of the drawing accompanying his patent application.
Note the cutaway area of the pen holder skin, exposing the quite intricate mechanism
Patent No. 11,480 Claim Language
The patent claim language is
- The combination of the adjusting-pin g, arranged and operating, as described, with the pen and pencil holders and the sliding ferrule for moving them in and out, arranged and operating substantially as described.
- The parallel slots f and f in the frame, in combination with the adjusting-pin, as described, whereby the holder may be increased and diminished in length by extending and contracting its upper end, as described.
In the illustration above the described parallel slots f and f & adjusting pen g are highlighted in yellow.
Richardson Working Model
The instrument is marked ”Richardsons Patent Octr 24 1854”
This is the working model Richardson endeavored to perfect his patent design from at least 1847.
Richardson Lengthwise View
The pen - pencil holder full length view exhibits the splendor of this working model of Mr. Richardson’s patent work-up.
The pen - pencil holder is engraved with a contrasting floral pattern on the thin 18k gold extension mechanism.
The foundation extension mechanism is based upon the Bagley 1850 patent from its outward appearance, and is likely a To-The-Trade purchase from the Bagley factory quite similar to the early Bagley produced extension holders designed to accommodate the patent Rauch pencil mechanism. Mr. Richardson, having worked for a period of time to perfect his patent design, then produced a working model of his novel concepts.
The complexity of the mechanism likely resulted in a high failure rate during daily handling or writing, which may explain why few, if any, other examples exist.
Early Patent Litigation
In conclusion, the Judge decided that the commissioner erred in determining, on the issue of this case, that William S. Hicks was the prior inventor of the pen and pencil case, and that he was entitled to a patent.
He further stated that John Richardson is the prior art creator and inventor of the pen and pencil ease, as described in his specification, and that a patent would issue to him accordingly.
Patent number 11,480 was issued to John Richardson on December 24, 1854.