Vintage Parker fountain pens

If you live the perfect mid-century lifestyle, you write your letters using classic fountain pens. For a while in the early years of the 21st century, I collected fountain pens, trolling the ebay listings for a few choice pearls. Many will tell you that Parker had two of the best and most popular fountain pens of the mid 20th century: the Vacuumatics and the 51s.

My collection of Parker 51 and vacuumatic pen & pencil sets. Somehow, I misplaced the cedar blue 51 fountain pen that I bought with the pencil.

One of the nice things about them is the "pearl" embedded in the end cap, and the deco lines in the pencil tips of the 51.

The packaging ain't bad, either.

Not to mention the ink...

The creme de la creme of the 51s was the chrome "flighter". Here is a mint in box set.

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A 1939 parker vacuumatic ad.

Matchbooks from famous designers

Designed by the legendary Saul Bass for the Hunt-Wesson/Ohio Match Company circa 1964. Can be had for a mere $15 on etsy. — Designed by the legendary Saul Bass for the Hunt-Wesson/Ohio Match Company circa 1964. Can be had for a mere $15 on etsy.

Another by Saul Bass from the same period. I found these and more on the excellent etsy store Designcollects

Saul Bass

Saul Bass

Alvin Lustig via etsy

Alexander Girard. Designed for the La Fonda del Sol restaurant in New York City. $45. — Alexander Girard. Designed for the La Fonda del Sol restaurant in New York City. $45.

Ultimate folding bicycle

Late 60's Duemila Italian folding bike via The Embacher Collection. One day I'll find one of these for myself.

Duemila Italian folding bike.jpg

+The Emabacher Collection

Singin' and swingin' with Anita O'Day

10-inch lp | Coral Records 1947

The amazing Alvin Lustig

Some Lustig designed book jackets from New Directions

The Man Who Died by D H Lawrence | Cover design by Alvin Lustig 1947

Spearhead 1947 | from my library

dark green, bright red by Gore Vidal | design by Alvin Lustig 1950

'Three Lives' by Gertrude Stein. Cover design by Alvin Lustig via Scott Lindberg on Flickr

E.M. Forster's "The Longest Journey" design by Alvin Lustig. New Directions, 1943. First Edition via

The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West via flickr

Exiles by James Joyce. New Directions, 1945. by Scott Lindberg on Flickr. — Exiles by James Joyce. New Directions, 1945. by Scott Lindberg on Flickr.

The Sheltering Sky via — The Sheltering Sky via

A Season In Hell 1945

alvinlustig.com

Konsumerism run amok

A blog by

Stephanie Birdsong. Illustrator & Creative Director. MCM addict. Collector. This is where
I heap all of my
work & inspirations.

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