Wirt/en

Wirt was founded in 1894, and for about twenty years was the biggest world fountain pen manufacturer, well above the production numbers of more famous brands like Waterman and Parker. In the 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

Wirt advertisement from 1907.

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, none ?

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