JUST `WRITE' [MAKING FOUNTAIN PENS] Part 2
Description
The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: “In prehistoric days messages were carved carefully in rock.” ‘Cave,’ carvings on rock, tools at entrance - ‘prehistoric man’ crawls out of cave, carves rock with stone chisel and mallet. “Later on the quill flourished in great style.” Man in colonial costume writes by candlelight with quill pen, sand-blots. “Then population, education, business, etc., demanded the use of the steel pen point.” Man writes in ledger, kerosene lamp. “Finally the businessman found it necessary to have the ink and pen continually at hand. This was accomplished by the fountain pen.” Several pens hooked up to one control, hand signs five checks at once. “Cutting and placing rubber into calendars.” Rubber refining process. “Forcing rubber into tubing.” Worker arranging rubber tubing from machine on circular turntable. “And cutting into tube lengths.” Machine cutting tubing for pen cases into small sections. “Turning the barrel by hand.’’ Worker using lathe, finishing off end of tubing. “Buffing.” Worker polishing several pen barrels in holder. “Engraving.” By machine - worker displaying barrel with design on it. “Slitting barrel for filler bar.” By machine. “Tapping thread in cap.” By machine. “Drilling vent and clip-holes in cap.” “Assembling cap and clip. Cross-section showing how clip is secured - worker at small lathe fashioning pen grip. “Fitting section to barrel.” Worker cutting pen grips on lathe. “Cutting, painting, and shaping channel feed.” Worker’s hands using machine for above operation. “Notching feed.” Close-up of worker’s hands, machine, notching pen feed. “The little ring holds the filler bar in place.” Worker using lathe, shaping ring. “Assembling pen and gluing ink bag to holder.” Woman worker at table. “Assembling the bar and bag to barrel.” Close-up of hands assembling pen. “Inserting pen.” By hand - using machine to set pen in holder. “-- which is thoroughly inspected.” Workers writing with, using jeweler’s glasses to inspect pens - close-up of finished pen. “Just ‘write.’” [1920]
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