- 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
- French Inkwell Makers
Ancient Stylus
Early Roman Stylus
Silver stylus. The pointed end was used to trace the signs on a clay tablet the flattened end was used to erase transcription errors or recover an available surface.
Length: 12.5 cm. Pre- or Early Roman epoch.
Obverse View Erasure Section
Cast of relatively pure silver, the tool is durable.
Reverse of Section
Wear lines and scratches are visible.
Porte Crayons
Porte Crayon
Fitted with Shepe Oodde or wadd of Borrowdale black graphite mined in the Cumbria region of England.
Calendar
The earliest perpetual calendar on a writing instrument may not yet have been determined.
Magnified View of the Graphite
Utilized in a variety of shapes and forms, this “wad” of black graphite is softer than most later pre-formed pencil lead which was formed from a combination of clay and graphite.
Favorite Tools of the Artist
Porte Crayon and Engraver’s Diamond Stylus combination. An 18th century London crafted item consistent with Strachan, Cowdery, Jago or other goldsmiths of the period. The maker marks are often rubbed and hardly visible from the soft silver from handling.
Diamond Engraver Tip
Under magnification the pyramid cut diamond is clearly visible and is a 17th-18th century cut diamond.
Silver Mount
Likely used for engraving glass, or similar softness objects, this combination porte crayon - diamond stylus is quite rare.
Pre-19th Century French Goldsmiths
The French mathematical instrument makers of the period, including Bion, Maulevaut, Lordelle, Langlois, Le Maire, Butterfield, Canivet, Lennel and Baradelle operated studios near the Quai de l'Horlage du Palais on the Île de la Cité. A recent study of this group, published in Artefact in 2017 (La dynastie Langlois – Lordelle – Canivet – Lennel, « fabricateurs » d’instruments de mathématiques à Paris au xviiie siècle by Patrick Rocca and Françoise Launay), revealed that less than 1% of instruments were made of gold, and silver instruments made up 5% or less of inventories.
Exhibited is an 18th century 18k French porte crayon, hallmarked.
Poinçon
The poinçon (hallmark) on each of the slider rings indicates a rooster head punch facing left with an open beak, for small gold works from June 19, 1798 to August 31, 1809.
Poinçon
The poinçon (hallmark) on the main body of the porte crayon is rubbed from handling and is undergoing further identification research.
Porte Crayon
19th century porte crayon with ebony handle and carved initial M. Gold plated brass or bronze.
Quill Pens
The Royal Windsor Quill Pens
Pen of Choice Early as 547
Quill production had risen in Europe to substantial levels by the onset of the Industrial Revolution, powering the documentary ability of scribes, banking, accountants, intellectual property developers, and businesses in general. Quills were customized for royalty and professional use by only right or left hand use and for style of writing to accommodate demand.
Estimates of the numbers are found to be quite impressive when exports to Britain alone exceeded 30,000,000 annually.
Poland and Russia were largely engaged in it, and immense flocks of geese were raised in those countries chiefly for their quills. In a single year St. Petersburg, Russia furnished to England over 27,000,000 quills. Germany and the Netherlands were also large producers of goose quills.
The Royal Windsor Quill Pens
E. De Young & Co. Quill Pens
E. De Young was a New York quill pen cutter from at least 1846 to 1854. The December 1891 issue of American Stationer reported, “There was a time some years ago when quill pens and unmade quills were standard articles and found ready sale from E. De Young, who is still in business and is still shoving the quill but not to the extent of years ago…”
E. De Young & Co. Quill Pens
E. De Young was a New York quill pen cutter from at least 1846 to 1854.
E. De Young & Co. Quill Pens
E. De Young was a New York quill pen cutter from at least 1846 to 1854. The precision, quality, and uniformity of manufacturing is consistent with that of product from England, Belgium, Russia, and the Netherlands.
E. De Young & Co. - The Congress Quill Pen
Emanuel DeYoung was born about 1819 in the Netherlands and he died on 1 October 1894 in Manhattan. He lived at 124 55th St., New York, NY, about 1 block from Carnegie Hall. The distinctive Congress Pen was trimmed uniquely, and was quite popular.
Official procurement records from the 1880s and 1890s indicate that ‘Congress’ quill pens were regularly supplied to courthouses and legislative offices in states such as Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota. This suggests that, despite the rise of Gold Pen nibs and fountain pens, inexpensive quill pens remained in institutional demand through the close of the 19th century.
Quill Cutting Machines
George Palmer Quill Cutting Machine
Palmer Qull Cutting Machine, circa 1815-1820, exhibited with its original leather covered case accompanied by a Fitzmaurice West quill holder marked West.Late.Palmer.
Cutler and Dressing Case Maker to the Royal Family
George Palmer, esteemed Cutler and Dressing Case Maker to the Royal Family, originally operated from 20 St James’s Street before relocating to No. 1 after 1815.
He was the son of Thomas Palmer, a renowned Quill Pen Manufacturer from East Grinstead. From 1815 to 1820,
Mr. Palmer provided a distinguished West End outlet for his father’s finely crafted pens, blending family craftsmanship with the elegance of London’s elite.
Palmer’s Improved
St James’s St with a Crown engraved into the ivory scale.
Quill Cutting Machine
Exhibiting the quilling cutting die.
G. Palmer Trade Card to the French
From St. James's St. in London
Extraordinary Cutelier of S.A.R.
The Prince Regent, the DUKES of YORK, KENT, and CUMBERLAND.
The soul Inventor and Manufacturer of Patented Needles with a gold and silver head and which are sold, wholesale at his Royal Depot, at the Palais Royal, No. 36, in Paris.
Mr. Palmer's correspondent, Calais, is MF Ducro CQ Hotel Bourbon.
British Museum archive.
Our Mission
At Porte Crayons, we strive to showcase the best and most diverse art from both established and emerging artists. Our mission is to provide a platform for artists to share their unique perspectives and for art lovers to discover new and exciting pieces.
Our History
Founded in 2005, Porte Crayons has been a cornerstone of the local art community for over a decade. We have hosted numerous successful exhibitions and events, featuring artists from around the world.
Our Gallery
Our gallery space is designed to showcase art in the best possible way, with ample natural light and open spaces. We believe that the right setting can enhance the beauty and impact of any piece of art.
Nib Cutting Die
Our gallery space is designed to showcase art in the best possible way, with ample natural light and open spaces. We believe that the right setting can enhance the beauty and impact of any piece of art.
Nibber
Our gallery space is designed to showcase art in the best possible way, with ample natural light and open spaces. We believe that the right setting can enhance the beauty and impact of any piece of art.
Nibber
Our gallery space is designed to showcase art in the best possible way, with ample natural light and open spaces. We believe that the right setting can enhance the beauty and impact of any piece of art.
Nibber
Our gallery space is designed to showcase art in the best possible way, with ample natural light and open spaces. We believe that the right setting can enhance the beauty and impact of any piece of art.
Brass, Horn & Wood Penners
Jessop Penner
Appearing in the 1787 Sheffield Directory among other makers is the name Jessop.
Overall length of this brass penner is xx cm / xx in.
Jessop Penner
In a classic British form, the travel writing set is complete with its own brass pen and pen knife blades to prepare quills along with an inkwell.
Jessop Penner
The makers mark is found on the bottom of the inkwell. All sections are threaded to compose the penner.
This item was acquired in Connecticut, indicating that it had been imported during the Revolutionary War for Independence.
W. Mycock Penner
The makers mark is found on the bottom of the inkwell. Both sections slide together to compose the penner, see below.
Another maker listed in the 1787 Sheffield Directory.
W. Mycock Penner
The lower section contains an earthenware inkwell and space for two quill pens, the length of which is limited by the height of the top cover.
W. Mycock Penner
The makers mark is found on the bottom of the inkwell section.
Exhibited is the mark W. MYCOCK.
Horn & Wood Penners
These 18th century penners are primarily composed of inkwell and sander.
Horn Penner
Another Revolutionary War item, this large horn penner contains multiple sections to accommodate wafer seals (patented in England as early as 1635), a sander, an inkwell, and ample space for quill pens.
Horn Penner
Five of the six sections displayed separately, the mica sprinkles are still present in the sander. Red wafer seals are stored in the top compartment of another section.
Leather Penners
Michael Finlay
In his book “Western Writing Implements in the Age of the Quill Pen” published in 1990,
Mr. Finlay discovered that quill pen usage began as early as 547. Through unpublished and ephemeral sources, his research has provided many collectors invaluable guidance regarding early British writing instrument developments with partial coverage of French, German, and other European writing instruments.
Finlay found that more then. 2,000,000 quill pens were produced for the India Office of Her Majesty (HM) alone in 1894.
This supports statements in the 1879 edition of American Cyclopædia that:
”A great trade grew up in these articles, and continued for several centuries. Poland and Russia were largely engaged in it, and immense flocks of geese were raised in those countries chiefly for their quills. In a single year St. Petersburg furnished to England over 27,000,000 quills.”
Greenland Sharkskin
Shagreen aka Galuchat leather penner with silver mounts, the hinged cover enclosing a glass inkwell and D-section pen compartment, late eighteenth century. The interior is cardboard.
Greenland Sharkskin
Shagreen aka Galuchat leather penner.
T?he hinged cover encloses a glass inkwell and D-section pen compartment, late eighteenth century.
16cm long.
Black & Red
Pigskin leather penner with earthenware ink bottle, the interior may have been black lead-glazed. 12.5cm length.
Black & Red
Space for two quills and a cavity for a pen-knife, which is present. Circa 1800
Thomas Clark
Leather penner with glass bottle and cork stopper, the hinged cover of the pen-case impressed T. CLARK, EDR.
A Thomas Clark, Paper Ruler and Law Bookseller worked in Edinburgh from 1817 until at least 1831.
A penner of such simple and serviceable form, the ideal working tool of a scrivener or law writer, would no doubt be part of the normal stock-in-trade of a law stationer.
Early nineteenth century, 216 mm.
Thomas Clark
Leather penner with glass bottle and cork stopper, the hinged cover of the pen-case impressed T. CLARK, EDR.
A Thomas Clark, Paper Ruler and Law Bookseller worked in Edinburgh from 1817 until at least 1831.
A penner of such simple and serviceable form, the ideal working tool of a scrivener or law writer, would no doubt be part of the normal stock-in-trade of a law stationer.
Early nineteenth century, 216 mm.
Thomas Clark
Leather penner with glass bottle and cork stopper, the hinged cover of the pen-case impressed T. CLARK, EDR.
A Thomas Clark, Paper Ruler and Law Bookseller worked in Edinburgh from 1817 until at least 1831.
A penner of such simple and serviceable form, the ideal working tool of a scrivener or law writer, would no doubt be part of the normal stock-in-trade of a law stationer.
Early nineteenth century, 216 mm.