We demystify: Moholy-Nagy did not design the Parker 51 pen, just as József Galamb did not design the Ford Model T alone and János Irinyi did not invent the match by himself.
Why would I write an article if there were no connection between them?
The birth of a legend
Many articles deal with the history of the Parker 51 fountain pen and it could fill just as many books, so I do not dare to delve deeper into the story. It is worth knowing that George Safford Parker, a telegraph instructor, passionate fountain pen repairman, and trader, founded the Parker Pen Company in 1888, which celebrated its 51st anniversary in 1939 due to the undeniable laws of mathematics.
It was precisely in that year when the Parker 51 was introduced. Of course, the naming was not a coincidence. On one hand, they wanted to pay tribute to the birthday, and on the other hand, when the pen was presented, they already knew they had created something very special, a writing instrument that was completely different from what had been accustomed to. Therefore, they sought a name that meant the same in every language and posed no problems with pronunciation.
The name choice was particularly fortunate, as while the Parker 51 envisioned in 1939 found no rival in the world stationery market, the P-51 Mustang, a long-range escort fighter developed at record speed in just 117 days in 1940, became the master of the airspace during the aerial battles of World War II. Kenneth Parker was a great aviation enthusiast, so he eagerly featured the two 51s in advertisements as symbols of victory, industrialization of the era, speed, and streamlined design. The two 51s could coexist in such a presentation as they not only resembled each other in form but also had their stories intertwined in World War II.
Not only the P-51 Mustang contributed to the victory, but the Parker 51 did as well, since on May 7, 1945, in the early hours of the morning, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, signed the capitulation document regarding the unconditional surrender of the German forces with his own Parker 51 pen at the Allied headquarters in Reims. We have known this fact, but it is less known that Alfred Jodl also used that pen during the signing.
Regardless of the name choice, the pen was already technically revolutionary. The body of the pen was made from a new, thermoplastic material, which allowed for a covered nib design that differed from all previous forms. This reduced the size of the nib, which allowed for a decrease in the amount of gold needed, thus saving money for the factory while enhancing quality and prestige.
The design of the nib allowed the pen to store ink better and distribute it more efficiently, regardless of writing speed.
László Moholy-Nagy
László Moholy-Nagy was born in 1895 in Bácsborsód. He was the most virtuoso Hungarian artist of the 20th century. Painter, graphic artist, photo and film artist, typographer, set designer, educator, and organizer. He is known as the most prominent representative of the Weimar Bauhaus school.
In the 1930s, he no longer found his place in Europe. In 1937, at the invitation of Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus and an old friend, Moholy-Nagy moved to America, where he had greater opportunities for development. He took on the leadership of the Association of Arts and Industries design school established in Chicago. In 1939, he founded his own school, the School of Design, and alongside teaching, he worked as an artistic consultant for economic companies, including the Parker factory from 1944.
He was a versatile artist, a true Renaissance man. A deep thinker, a born teacher who inspired his surroundings.
László Moholy-Nagy and the Parker 51
The patent documents US2223541A announced in January 1939 and US2612867A announced in 1948 with the new ink system record Martin S Baker's name as the creator of the Parker 51, later also mentioning his partner Harlan H. Zodtner.
The patent documents reveal that the original 1939 documents only covered technical solutions, while the attached technical drawings did not yet depict the final form of the Parker 51 that we all know.
Of course, the dates show that László Moholy-Nagy could not have participated in the creation of the fountain pen, as it was introduced 5 years before the start of his collaboration with the Parker factory. At the same time, we must know that even in this era, design teams worked on individual products or product families. Moholy-Nagy did not go to Parker specifically as a designer, but as a leader who could oversee the entire product lifecycle from the idea through the design table to realization.
Moholy-Nagy László wrote the following letter to his relative, Nagy Jenő, on April 11, 1946:
„I am the designer of the Parker Pencil company (you may have seen a „51” fountain pen) and I designed modern railway cars two years ago.”
According to the above, he did not write that he designed the Parker 51, only that he was a designer for the Parker company and noted it was the Parker that manufactures the 51 pen for identification purposes.
The Parker 51 itself was not just a pen, but a complete product line, including fountain pens, pencils, ballpoint pens, the pen's gift boxes, its own ink, advertising and other printed materials, desk pen holders, and the pens made for them. Moholy-Nagy participated in the work of this product line as a renowned teacher and expert. For example, the strong Bauhaus influence can be discovered on the label of the product line's special ink.
Three designs of the Parker 51 desk pen holder marked with his name have been preserved at the American Patent Office; at that time, significant sales were conducted from desk pen holders, for which a separate catalog was also made.
The designer created a Parker 51 concept in February 1946, which symbolized the pen as an extension of the finger.
László Moholy-Nagy passed away on November 24, 1946. Walter Gropius gave a speech at his funeral. Kenneth Parker, the founder's son, bid farewell in December 1946 in the company's internal newspaper, the Parkergram.
„The world's most sought-after pen”
Even if the design of the Parker 51 was not the work of László Moholy-Nagy, we can still proudly look at this product, this manufacturer, and this era, because the company's management, trusting and knowing Moholy-Nagy's outstanding talent, employed him as an artistic director just when it launched and conquered the world with the now legendary fountain pen, which has rightfully held the title of „The world's most sought-after pen” for over 80 years.
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Thanks to Zoltán Kovács, pen restorer, for the fantastic fountain pen collection featured in the article. Photos: Csaba Kiss
You can find more articles by Jeromos in the Budapest Pen Show community magazine here!
