When George Parker established the Parker Pen Company in 1888 in Janesville, Wisconsin, it was with the determination to make "a better pen." Parker was a telegraphy teacher but sold pens part time to earn extra money. Apparently the pens he sold required constant repair, so Parker resolved to improve them. He went on to create a dynasty of market leaders among fountain pens.
The First Parker
Parker patented his first fountain pen in 1889. In 1894, the company patented the Lucky Curve, a system whereby ink was returned to the reservoir by capillary action and ink leakage was greatly reduced. Parker introduced the Gold Filigree Lucky Curve Pens in 1900.
Parker Worldwide
Parker took his fountain pens to the world starting in 1903, when he traveled abroad to establish international distributorships. In the decades that followed, Parker became an internationally recognized household name. In 1905, Parker introduced the large Black Giant model in response to public demand. In 1906, the Emblem Pen debuted. The gold and sterling silver Snake Pen took the Parker stage in 1907.
Trench Pen
The Trench Pen came on the market in the course of World War I. Its ingenious design enabled soldiers in the trenches to refill their pens by adding water to the ink pellets in the pen barrels. The U.S. Department of War contracted Parker to produce these pens. By 1918, Parker's annual sales had topped $1 million.
Duofold Debut
In 1921, Parker unveiled its Duofold or "Big Red" fountain pen. Its ultra size and style complemented the times, for this was the Roaring Twenties. The Duofold had a 25-year guarantee. Between 1926 and 1927, Duofold pens became available in Jade Green, Mandarin Yellow, Lapis Blue and Pearl and Black, and were made of permanite, a new kind of plastic.
Product Evolution
In 1933, the Duofold was eclipsed by the Vacumatic, which could hold twice as much ink as the Duofold, thanks to a new filling mechanism. The same year, Parker adopted its signature arrow clip, which was designed by Joseph Platt. The classic Parker 51 debuted in 1939 and was a bestseller and an award winner for its design. The revolutionary, self-filling Parker 61 was introduced in 1956. Parker celebrated its 75th anniversary with the introduction of the Parker 75. It was made of sterling silver with a 14K gold nib.
Centenary
The Duofold Centennial Edition was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the company. The Parker 88 was also introduced during the anniversary year. The Parker International Fountain Pen took the spotlight in 1990 and the Insignia Collection in 1991. By 1993, Parker had made further technological advances and brought out the Sonnet array of pens. The Gillette Company acquired Parker in 1993, and at the turn of the 21st century, Sanford acquired Gillette's stationery products group.
The New Millennium
In 2001, the Duofold Mosaic Special Edition was made available as a limited item. On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain in 2002, Parker created a Limited Edition 23K gold-plated Duofold. An excerpt from the Proclamation of Accession was engraved on it. Also during 2002, Parker re-introduced the Parker 51 in a Special Edition form, including a futuristic styled "51." In 2004, the avant garde Parker 100 came on board. In 2008, Parker offered a new range of fountain pens with contemporary designs.
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