Collecting Ephemera

Collecting Ephemera
David L. Moak

It all started innocently enough – just a little blotter advertising Mabie Todd Eternal pens. Little did I know the steepness of the slippery slope on which I had tread so carelessly. After all, it was only five dollars!

My first acquisition

Since John Mabie began making pencils in 1843, the possibility of finding really, well – “ephemeral” ephemera is both tantalizing and frustrating. The earliest item I’ve found is a cardboard sign from the 1860’s - pictured below. The sign is in amazing condition for its age.

Next up is a calendar for 1878 from Mabie Todd & Bard. The reverse side of the calendar shows a list of different dip pens available at the time and examples of handwriting done with various nibs.

Literally hundreds of advertisements are available. In the late 1920’s and 1930’s, a variety of beautiful color ads were produced. They frequently serve as an important source of information - for dating production models or noting changes in address, for example. Public notices in the New York Times provide independent corroboration of the various changes in partners John Mabie made during his career. Here’s a favorite ad from Mabie Todd & Bard:

Correspondence from companies is harder to find. Below we have a card from 1905 which instructed the recipient that he must send in his pen if he wishes to have a clip attached. The billhead dates from 1894 and indicates that the Calli-graphic fountain pen was still being sold. Apparently, Nilson & Lewis bought six #3 nibs at $1.50 each.

The playing cards pictured below proclaim, “I always write with a ‘SWAN’ don't you?” I suppose this bolsters the oft-expressed view that I am not playing with a full deck.

Another unusual item is the miniature calendar. The two below, for the years 1922 and 1927, are only 1 3/8" x 2 1/8" closed. Ads for Swan pens are inside the front and back covers as well as a table of sunrise and sunset for the year, a calendar for the following year (on one page!) and a page listing the holidays for the current year. It’s much smaller than a Palm Pilot.

Ever seen a cigarette card? This card and five others were distributed by St. Dunstain's cigarettes (registered under the Blind Person's Act) in a contest to provide funds for aid to the blind. Among other things, prize winners won certificates as illustrated on the left. Mabie, Todd defrayed the cost of the printing and distribution of the cards. Closing date for the contest was March 31, 1924. The "Toddles" drawing, by Mabel Lucie Attwell, came to be recognized almost as a trademark for Mabie, Todd and was used extensively in advertising of the time. Actual size of the card as shown is 2 1/2" x 3 1/4"

Keep your eye out for various model cars with Swan logos and for about a dozen different ceramic items with Swan Ink logos. These were later creations inspired by the nostalgia craze of the 60’s and 70’s. Original display cases are beautiful and are a wonderful means of displaying your collection. My favorite all-time Mabie Todd piece is a two-foot tall papier-mâché Swan, pictured below .All pen manufacturers made collectables other than pens. These days, ephemeral items are an area of collecting often ignored by pen fanciers. Sometimes, that means an overlooked gem that’s a real bargain. Once your radar is attuned, you may be surprised by what you find. Good hunting!

It all started innocently enough – just a little blotter advertising Mabie Todd Eternal pens. Little did I know the steepness of the slippery slope on which I had tread so carelessly. After all, it was only five dollars!

	For those of you who believe your collecting dementia to be limited to pens and pencils, please step into the world of ephemera. Webster’s defines ephemera as : 1. A short-lived thing. 2. Printed matter of passing interest So technically, the term ephemera applies to paper products used for advertising or display, cardboard boxes, etc. The Ephemera Society of America website states, “Ephemera is anything short-lived, but also refers to printed matter of passing interest.” I was pleased to find an organization even more esoteric than the PCA on the Web! Most pen collectors tend to include more substantial items that are ancillary to the collecting of pens, such as ink bottles and signs as well. Mabie, Todd, my special area of interest, produced a wealth of collectible ephemera, as did many of the early pen manufacturers.
My first acquisition

Since John Mabie began making pencils in 1843, the possibility of finding really, well – “ephemeral” ephemera is both tantalizing and frustrating. The earliest item I’ve found is a cardboard sign from the 1860’s - pictured below. The sign is in amazing condition for its age.



Next up is a calendar for 1878 from Mabie Todd & Bard. The reverse side of the calendar shows a list of different dip pens available at the time and examples of handwriting done with various nibs.
	Literally hundreds of advertisements are available. In the late 1920’s and 1930’s, a variety of beautiful color ads were produced. They frequently serve as an important source of information - for dating production models or noting changes in address, for example. Public notices in the New York Times provide independent corroboration of the various changes in partners John Mabie made during his career. Here’s a favorite ad from Mabie Todd & Bard: Correspondence from companies is harder to find. Below we have a card from 1905 which instructed the recipient that he must send in his pen if he wishes to have a clip attached. The billhead dates from 1894 and indicates that the Calli-graphic fountain pen was still being sold. Apparently, Nilson & Lewis bought six #3 nibs at $1.50 each.





Calendars, blotters, advertisements and correspondence are items you might find from any manufacturer. Mabie, Todd produced a large number of collectible paper items that are not so often seen from other pen makers. Prior to World War I, the poster stamp was extremely popular as a collectible. As the name implies, poster stamps are stamp-size advertising posters. Sometimes full-size versions exist, but often not. There were poster stamp clubs and poster stamp exhibitions and shows. After the advent of World War I, the hobby died out, but has recently achieved a new popularity. Here are several examples of Swan stamps. The largest stamp is 1 7/8" x 2 5/8."




The playing cards pictured below proclaim, “I always write with a ‘SWAN’ don't you?” I suppose this bolsters the oft-expressed view that I am not playing with a full deck.


Another unusual item is the miniature calendar. The two below, for the years 1922 and 1927, are only 1 3/8" x 2 1/8" closed. Ads for Swan pens are inside the front and back covers as well as a table of sunrise and sunset for the year, a calendar for the following year (on one page!) and a page listing the holidays for the current year. It’s much smaller than a Palm Pilot.


Ever seen a cigarette card? This card and five others were distributed by St. Dunstain's cigarettes (registered under the Blind Person's Act) in a contest to provide funds for aid to the blind. Among other things, prize winners won certificates as illustrated on the left. Mabie, Todd defrayed the cost of the printing and distribution of the cards. Closing date for the contest was March 31, 1924. The "Toddles" drawing, by Mabel Lucie Attwell, came to be recognized almost as a trademark for Mabie, Todd and was used extensively in advertising of the time. Actual size of the card as shown is 2 1/2" x 3 1/4"
	A final paper example is a 10-page booklet describing the development of the alphabet from hieroglyphics. The front and back covers are pictured below. When deciphered properly, the images on the front cover spell “Swan Pens.” The same design as the back cover was used for a poster stamp (pictured above). These items were probably produced in during the rage for all things Egyptian after the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922.


Mabie Todd also made envelopes and bookmarks with vendors’ names and addresses printed on them. Pen boxes, another common collectable, exist in a couple of dozen styles. There are full-size advertising posters from the 1920’s which are beautiful, but very difficult to find. Other items associated with pen manufacturers are more substantial. Mabie Todd made ink bottles and traveling cases for them in wood, bakelite and metal. There are several styles of each, not to mention a number of different styles of bottles as well. The Swan depot sign shown below is the least ephemeral item I own. It’s made of pig iron covered in porcelain.


Keep your eye out for various model cars with Swan logos and for about a dozen different ceramic items with Swan Ink logos. These were later creations inspired by the nostalgia craze of the 60’s and 70’s. Original display cases are beautiful and are a wonderful means of displaying your collection. My favorite all-time Mabie Todd piece is a two-foot tall papier-mâché Swan, pictured below .All pen manufacturers made collectables other than pens. These days, ephemeral items are an area of collecting often ignored by pen fanciers. Sometimes, that means an overlooked gem that’s a real bargain. Once your radar is attuned, you may be surprised by what you find. Good hunting!