Required Reading for Stylophiles
The Parker ‘51’ is in many ways the pinnacle of fountain pen design. The ’51′ looked forward in a way the industry has not seen since. Yes, there have been steps forward, but many of those technological advancements have furthered older designs rather than reinventing the fountain pen, the way Parker did when it developed the ‘51’ in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. So it should be no surprise that the history of this important pen would be recorded for our enjoyment.
Parker ‘51’ by David and Mark Shepherd is a coffeetable edition. Though I read it cover to cover, it is the sort of book that invites one to simply browse and see where the eye falls.
It is to be expected that an entire book devoted to one model of pen should be rich in detail. Parker ‘51’ is quite full of information: anecdotal trivia, details of production and development, attributes of models of various years, photographs of rare models and so on. But the Shepherds opt for breadth rather than depth of information. At many times I felt teased, hoping for more, but at the turn of the page found the beginning of a new topic.
Nevertheless, this is a highly informative look at one of the best and most popular pens ever made.
Of particular note were photographs and reproductions of advertisements and other ephemera. Much of this material is nearly lost to the ravages of age, so to see some of these advertisements was a real treat. (Of course one example was posted here a week ago.)
In case you were wondering (and even if you weren’t) the first draft of this review was written in one of my Moleskines with my Parker ‘51’.
Parker ‘51’, Mark and David Shepherd
6/10
Surrenden Pens Limited Hardcover, 2004
176 pages
ISBN: 0954687515
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