Wirt
Wirt was foundend in 1894, and for about twenty years was the biggest world fountain pen manufacturer, well above the production number of more famous brands like Waterman and Parker. In initial period of fountain pen development the company was very innovative.
The company fate is substantially related to that of the founder family, Paul E. Wirt. His son, who was taking over from his father in running the business, died in 1921, and only after four years Paul E. Wirt went out of business by selling the company. The company remained active for a short time in the production of plastics, but the great depression of 1929 led it to a premature end.
History
The Wirt company was founded in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania by Paul E. Wirt around 1884 as a family business, even if the founder, a lawyer by profession, became involved in the production of fountain pens since 1880.
Chronology
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1882 | First patent assigned to Paul Wirt in the fountain pen production field |
| 1884 | Wirt is born as family business |
| 1885 | Paul Wirt patents overfeed feeder |
| 1885 | Paul Wirt open a plant in Iron Street, Bloomberg |
| 1890 | An advertisement on Ainslee's Magazine claim the selling of 350,000 fountain pens |
| 1925 | The Paul Wirt Pen Co. is incorporated |
| 1925 | Paul Wirt Pen Co. is sold and Paul Wirt retires |
Models
| Model | Period | Dimension/Version |
|---|---|---|
| XX | 19XX | XX, ? |
External references
- http://www.kamakurapens.com/Paul_Wirt/Paul_Wirt_Company_History.html
- http://www.penbid.com/Auction/showarticle.asp?art_id=105 sito non pià disponibile
- http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.wirtpens.com/ sito non pià disponibile, la versione archiviata si vede male
- http://www.paulwirt.com/
- http://www.kamakurapens.com/WirtCollectionIndex.html
- http://www.pensandwatches.com/_pages/pen_company_photos/paul_wirt_fountain_pens.htm
- http://forum.styloplume.net/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=843