Instruments Extraordinaire

Instruments ExtraordinaireInstruments ExtraordinaireInstruments ExtraordinaireInstruments Extraordinaire
  • Introduction
  • Asia / Islam
  • Europe & Britain
  • French Origins
  • Stylus-Quill-Penner
  • Early Fountain Pens
  • Hawkins-Mordan Patent
  • Virginia Roots
  • Jefferson Pen Analysis
  • American Pencil Makers
  • American Gold Pen Makers
  • Gold Pen Advertising
  • Philip Poole ‘HIS NIBS’
  • Inkwells
  • Inkwells & Writing Sets
  • Writing Sets
  • Cyphers

Instruments Extraordinaire

Instruments ExtraordinaireInstruments ExtraordinaireInstruments Extraordinaire
  • Introduction
  • Asia / Islam
  • Europe & Britain
  • French Origins
  • Stylus-Quill-Penner
  • Early Fountain Pens
  • Hawkins-Mordan Patent
  • Virginia Roots
  • Jefferson Pen Analysis
  • American Pencil Makers
  • American Gold Pen Makers
  • Gold Pen Advertising
  • Philip Poole ‘HIS NIBS’
  • Inkwells
  • Inkwells & Writing Sets
  • Writing Sets
  • Cyphers

Early American Pencil Makers

Early Pen Case Makers

Source: New York Mercantile Union Directory 1850


Pencil Case Makers in 1850 New York - Note that some of the names in this list did produce Gold Pen nibs or utilized “to-the-trade” production by other Gold Pen makers, especially Albert G. Bagley & Successors)


Thomas Addison

Browne, Clarke & Co. 15 Beekman, New York 

Deacon Edward, 5 Liberty Place 

Dederick Zachariah, 16 & 18 Maiden lane 

Eaton, Grifiths & Co. 72 Spring 

Hague John, 12 Dutch 

Hart Moses, 561 Grand

Johnston Alexander, 4 Liberty Place 

Kennedy H. P. & Co. rear 17 John

Larcombe R. J. 30 Cortlandt 

Lownds Jacob J. 6 Liberty Place 

Manning, Mounter & Co. 59 Nassau 

Magee, Hulses & Blundell, 7 Dey 

Maycock Samuel, 10 N. William 

Pope, North & Co. rear 7 Dey 

Rauch & Co. rear 35 Cortlandt

Smith, Doro & Co May 1.

Stewart Isaac W. 4 Liberty place

Stewart James D. 65 An

American Pencil Makers

Thomas AddisonJacob J. LowndsJohn HagueThomas WoodwardJohn H. RauchJoseph Monaghan / Edward ToddOther Pencil MakersRichardson & Son (William & John)

Early Addison Calendar Pencil

Addison & Co. Silver Pencil with Onion Top

Gold Pen/Pencil Combo

Spectacular Gold, Engraved Dedication Columbia College

Addison was manufacturing pencils, and later combination pen/pencils from 1825.

Photo Gallery

John Hague circa 1840

    Richardson & Son

    John Richardson Pen-Pencil Holder Design

    Rarely is a working model of mid-19th century gold pen-pencil case design recovered for analysis or viewing. Identified as Richardson’s Patent OCTR . 24 1854, this working development model of John Richardson’s pen-pencil case is attractively engraved.

    Richardson & Son

    Listed in 1850-51 as pencil case makers, William Richardson and his son John were located at 4 Liberty Place in Brooklyn. 


    Next door was Edward Deacon at 5 Liberty Place, and Jacob J. Lownds, multi-patent awardee for his unique pencils and Gold Pen holders. operated at 6 Liberty Place.

    See  https://portecrayons.com/american-pen-nib-makers


    The Richardsons  are relatively unknown as pencil case makers, much less so was John as patent holder for a pen-pencil holder mechanism based on the Bagley  1850 extension pen-pencil holder. 


    John Richardson may have commissioned the Bagley factory to provide an extension holder blank or embellished  with the engraving we see. The cap may be an indicator of a Bagley To-The-Trade acquisition. The form of the extension holder is quite similar to the early Rauch form extension holders produced by the Bagley factory. 


    See https://portecrayons.com/john-h-rauch

    Bagley Patent Extension Mechanism

    The classic Bagley extension mechanism, including extruded, swaged fit for the top extension is present in the case.

    Patent Claims

    The simplistic claim language is further revealed in the accompanying patent drawing, providing insight into the complexity of the design.

    See more about Richardson’s Patent

    Magnified Images on Patent Drawing

    The photo images are overlaid onto a portion of the patent drawing to exhibit the work in progress on Mr. Richardson’s design. He cutaway a segment of the case to reveal part of the inner working mechanism. This may be an item that was carried and presented by John Richardson during his appeal of the Hicks award for Richardson’s novel design.

    Learn more

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    • Early Fountain Pens
    • American Gold Pen Makers
    • Levi Brown
    • Albert G. Bagley
    • Gold Pen Advertising
    • Cyphers

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