When I was introduced to collecting old pens, back in Rochester around 1998, it did not take long in the internet age to create and to publicize our local Rochester (upstate NY) pen club. When my work migrated east to Syracuse around 2003, the club dragged east with that move. Over the years, whether in Rochester or Syracuse, we were blessed with visits from some fellow pen collectors who are quite active in the hobby. We've had Tom Zoss, Joel Hamilton and Sherrell Tyree of Ink-pen.com, Parker 51 collector Ernesto Soler, Esterbrook fan Lisa Hanes and others drop in on a meeting on occasion.
For years I've been working outside Manhattan (where physicians are ill treated) doing couple weeks straight of crazy shifts, then having two weeks off straight to chill in the city. For the last few years, I'd moved most of my belongings upstate to the work scene, where housing is much cheaper. As part of my shift away from the Syracuse position this summer, I committed to relocating my core existence to Manhattan again. Just settled into a nice apartment in the Upper West Side (photos another day), and have been unpacking boxes I've not examined in years. Found a crate full of photographs, taken mostly before 2003 when I acquired the first digital camera (which still shoots all those Vacumania catalogue style photos!). In that bunch were several from when mid/south westerners Joel and Sherrel of Ink-Pen looped through Rochester (really!) en route to the DC Pen Show, probably around 2001-2002. I brought some show and tell (yes, that is an entire tray of Vacumatic Imperials on the left). We talked repairs and collecting, what with Joel and Sherrell being pros-from-dover in the repair arena. In fact, Joel and I accidentally swapped identical high end Vacumatics, discovering this in bizarre fashion (more on that another day) at the DC pen show the next week. For this meeting, we took a small meeting room at a hotel, upgrading from our usual table at a restaurant.
So, here are some photos (i took quick shots of the hard copy, these are not scans, sorry) from around 2001 at the Rochester Pen Club. Al Besser, Joel and Sherrell, Doug Vicary and others, a bit younger but still all a bit crazy no doubt.
regards
David
