HISTORY OF DESIGN BY RIDDHI SHARMA

HISTORY OF DESIGN- INDIVIDUAL PROJECT

OBJECT NAME- PEN



MAGICAL CATALYST

Did it ever occur to you that  why we call a pen 'Pen'?
It isn't because someone woke up one morning and thought I should call this object a pen. It came from Latin word penna "a feather, plume," in plural "a wing," in Late Latin, "a pen for writing," from Old Latin petna, pesna, from PIE *pet-na-, suffixed form of root *pet- "to rush, to fly.
When a pen came into existence? That question can only be answered by first defining the word pen. If we think about a pen as an instrument used for only making marks on another surface, we must consider that the pens are in existence since the stone age. Cave drawings were achieved by using a tool dipped in pigment to leave a mark on stone walls. Throughout history reeds, feathers, sharpened sticks and bones were used to leave marks on various surfaces, but they weren't considered as pens.


HEIROGLYPHICS EGYPT


Writing instruments evolved throughout time and civilizations. The stone age, iron age, the Egyptian, Roman and Persian Empires all had their means to leave documented writings and drawings. They didnt use pens. They used any instrument that could be dipped in a liquid and applied to another surface to dry and leave a mark, drawing, or words. It could be considered as  the forerunner of pen, but not a pen. The pigments and paints used by ancient civilizations provided the base for ink as we call it now


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PAPYRUS


It can be argued that the Egyptian Reed was a pen, the Roman Stylus was a pen, or even the Persian Feather was a pen. This is all true, only if we consider a pen as an instrument used to transfer pigment to a surface for communicating through pictures or words. The history of civilizations was written by making use of dyes, pigments and charcoal and applying them to walls, pottery, stone tablets, and wax. Ink and the means to use it to leave an indelible mark can be seen in every period of human history. In the ruins of Pompeii, a copper rib that was some form of writing instrument was found

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BAMBOO REED PEN
Source: learn.podium.school


THE EVOLUTION OF PENS IN HISTORY✎

Over the centuries writing instruments have evolved into the pen that we use now. Today’s definition of a pen is ‘an instrument for writing or drawing with ink, typically consisting of a metal nib or ball, or a nylon tip, fitted into a metal or plastic holder’. If we consider a constricted definition of the word pen, we must consider the Egyptian model used by the Arab Fatimids from 953-975 as the basis for today’s custom made pens. The ruler demanded a writing instrument that would prevent him from getting the dye and ink all over his hands and clothes while writing. His inventors provided him with a handmade pen that had a reservoir that fed the nib, preventing the constant need for dipping.

Quill pens with an ink well soon became the norm for writing, lasting atleast for centuries. Quill pens were used for artwork design, historical record keeping and also daily correspondences. The Quill pen can be looked upon as the first customised pen. Feathers of various bird species supplied fine tip points, wide points and every size in between allowing for art work design, fancy script and bold letters. The monks of the middle ages who painstakingly transcribed the bible had a collection of custom pens in the form of numerous sizes of feathers featuring tips from fine point to wide point.



QUILL PEN


An early reference of a metal custom pen containing ink, is first seen in the diary of Sir Samuel Pepy in 1663, when he mentions a custom pen made of silver to sustain ink. In 1792, The Times newspaper ran an commercial for a ‘newly invented metal tip pen’, advertising pens with ivory handles and a rustproof tip. Thelat commercial implied that metal pens had been in use for years and the improvement offered by the advertised pen was that the metal tip had been treated and would not rust.

THE FOUNTAIN PEN
In May of 1827, France issued its first patent on the fountain pen to a Parisian Student, Romanian Petrache Poenaru. The fountain pen which features a fine stainless-steel tip, still needs an ink well to be constantly filled with ink. Widespread production of these customised pens took another 30 years, with others improving on the filling techniques. Fountain pens later become a favorite within professionals and remained a mainstay for over a century. The pitfall of the fountain pen was its penchant for leaking onto documents at the most unsuitable time.



DIFFERENT FOUNTAIN PENS


The evolution in the fountain pen revolves around the filling process and preventing it from leaking. The button filler, the lever filler, the click filler and the matchstick filler were all innovations of the filling process. The steel nibs of the fountain pens would quickly corrode, leading to the introduction of the gold nib. Many professionals had their pens customized by engraving their initials onto their gold nib fountain pens. These custom pens were a status symbol in the professional circle. Custom artwork design was applied to the fancier fountain pens adding to the prestigious nature of owning a custom made fountain pen.

In the 1950’s filling the fountain pen became easier with disposable cartridges. With the advent of the disposable cartridges, the fountain pen was popularized among the college students. By the early 1960’s the fountain pen soon became known as the cartridge pen and was the most used writing instrument in many schools.



CARTRIDGE STYLE FOUNTAIN PEN
Source:https: www.penchalet.com


The surge in the popularity of the cartridge pen saw significant opportunity arise for businesses, both large and small. Organizations began to have their company logo, artwork design and slogans printed on pens and giving them out as promotional items that they knew people would keep and use every day. The marketing coorporation saw these custom pens as an effective advertising medium.

Presidents, Kings and Prime Ministers give away printed pens at State functions, signing ceremonies and as gifts to foreign dignitaries. Pens are taken for granted today but even in the age of computers and printers, everyone needs a pen.


If you’re interested to know more about the different types of fountain pens and how to fill them, watch the video below:
https://youtu.be/BOw7A4zZxug.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

                                                                                                                
                                                                                                          RIDDHI SHARMA
                                                                                                   {22BDC034}

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