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Parker Filigree Jotter and the New York World's fair (1964 - 1965)


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#1 Silviu

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Posted 15 May 2013 - 07:03 AM

Parker produced a line of pens that were a part of the souvenir line made for the New York World's Fair 1964-1965

Here's the sterling silver filigree (cut-out) sleeve Jotter made for the occasion. This model has the early 1960's Jotter characteristics: the button top is rounded, without Parker's logo on top, the barrel threads are the fine ones, cap threads are made of brass and the refill is the T-ball.

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Barrel threads and T-ball refill:
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and a closer look at the cut-out

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The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair theme was "Peace Through Understanding" and the fair's symbol was the Unisphere :

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This was a 12-story high, stainless-steel model of the earth. The Unisphere appears on the cutout sleeve of the Jotter.

Parker's pavillion at the fair inaugurated it's international letter-writing program - the Penfriend program:

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This is the Parker's pavilion. After the fair it has been moved to Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri to the Lodge of Four Seasons:
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Parker used a huge IBM computer in order to match the Parker pavilion visitors with international penfriends.


One had to fill an entry form, a computer operator entered the data into the computer (I believe punch cards were in use at that time) and the computer matched the visitor with an international penpal based on language, age, geographical area and interest area.


Bellow is the entry form one had to fill and the certificate received (after the form was entered in the computer):

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In order to be able to achieve this Parker had to accumulate enough international participants to be matched.

This has been done by organizing a competition in which 150 randomly (computer) choosed international participants won 1000$ and 2000$ prizes on the first day of the fair (April 22 1964).


The competition and entry forms were distributed worldwide in the Life magazine of March 6 1964:


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and here's the Parker ad that appeared on the above Life magazine issue:


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During the 2 years of the fair over 1.23 million visitors were matched including well known persons as Hubert Humphrey and ex president Eisenhower.


Here's a newspaper clip announcing the millionth matched Parker penpal:

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The above information was found on several sites containing much information on the fair and the Parker pavilion. Here are 2:

Wikipedia: NYWF
NYWF site



#2 ljwahl

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Posted 15 May 2013 - 11:57 AM

Wow-- excellent research-- thanks very much for putting together this clear and complete report.

Perhaps if any reader has such a Jotter he will post a pic!

#3 BrianMcQueen

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Posted 15 May 2013 - 03:31 PM

Thank you so much for sharing! This is a really interesting read. I had not heard of the International Penfriend program before.
I really appreciate the time it took you to research and put together this post. You should consider turning it into a full fledged article for the Pennant!

#4 jbb

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Posted 15 May 2013 - 10:54 PM


I went to that NYC World's Fair a bunch as a kid.... we lived nearby. Here's the great uncle of your pen. A combo pen & pencil from the Imperial International Exhibition of 1909 in London. The imprint on the front was hard to photograph.

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Edited by jbb, 15 May 2013 - 10:56 PM.

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#5 Silviu

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Posted 16 May 2013 - 07:08 PM


I went to that NYC World's Fair a bunch as a kid.... we lived nearby. Here's the great uncle of your pen. A combo pen & pencil from the Imperial International Exhibition of 1909 in London. The imprint on the front was hard to photograph.

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Wow, that is a really early souvenir. The imprint is readable in the picture. I assume the writing sample is from the dip side of the pen.

Thanks for sharing!

Is it sterling silver of chrome plated?

Edited by Silviu, 16 May 2013 - 07:18 PM.


#6 jbb

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Posted 16 May 2013 - 08:12 PM

Wow, that is a really early souvenir. The imprint is readable in the picture. I assume the writing sample is from the dip side of the pen.

Thanks for sharing!

Is it sterling silver of chrome plated?

Yes, the writing sample was done with that pen. It's not sterling silver so I guess it's chrome or some other silver colored metal. Somewhere burried in my desk there's a dip pen with a stanhope (those itsy-bitsy lenses) of some other exposition.
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#7 jacksterp

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Posted 21 May 2013 - 04:10 PM

Remarkable thread.

Thanks to both Silviu and jbb!

#8 Old Griz

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Posted 21 May 2013 - 04:24 PM

Being a native NYer, I well remember that World's Fair and visited it with my school and by myself a few times..
Thanks for the reminder of the Parker Exhibit.... it is where got my first pen pal.... a young lady from Switzerland (where my grandparents came from)....
We wrote back and forth for some years until college and other things got the better of us....

Thanks for the memories
Tom
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#9 Mike Kirk

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Posted 23 May 2013 - 02:23 AM

I, too, visited the New York Worlds Fair. I think I was in 2nd grade. My parents took me to Maine to visit relatives and stopped in NY on the way back home. I recall spending the day there with some cousins. Unfortunately, I don't recall going to the Parker pavilion; to young to remember. However, I do remember all the big stuff. And I remember asking my dad where all the rides were. I sure wish I'd gotten that pen. It's a nice one and I'd love to get my hands on one. Likely too expensive for my pocketbook, but nice nonetheless. B)

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#10 Silviu

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Posted 02 June 2013 - 06:43 PM

Likely too expensive for my pocketbook, but nice nonetheless. B)


Just looked at my past emails - found this one for 100$. Not so cheap for a ballpoint, but not so pricey compared to a FP purchase.
I'm happy I started with FP collecting and later moved to BP - the BP prices usually make you feel good :rolleyes: , unless it's a Parker Minim. This BP requires a higher level of investment and they don't appear so often for sale.

Edited by Silviu, 02 June 2013 - 06:43 PM.


#11 Mike Kirk

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Posted 03 June 2013 - 12:54 AM

That's a pretty fair price for the pen, Silviu. Nice job!

Mike Kirk

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#12 david i

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Posted 19 December 2013 - 02:24 PM

Here are some World's Fair Parker Jotters (and a 45) from a collection I recently purchased.

 

 

parker_jottter_worlds_fair1200.jpg

 

 

regards

 

David


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#13 jbb

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Posted 19 December 2013 - 02:46 PM

Wow David!!!! How many pens have you gotten recently? I keep hearing about this -- is it all from one collection? Or are you just an Urban Legend?


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#14 david i

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Posted 19 December 2013 - 08:13 PM

Wow David!!!! How many pens have you gotten recently? I keep hearing about this -- is it all from one collection? Or are you just an Urban Legend?

 

Hi jbb,

 

I bought a 300 pen collection/hoard (lots of chaff, fair bit of wheat)  out here in Janesville in October, then met a killer collection, mostly of better Parker 51's, at the Ohio Show in Nomember,

 

Here are two links to the Janesville hoard, with many pens yet to be shown.

 

The primo stuff (proto pens, off catalogue, etc)   http://www.fountainp...nesville-hoard/

 

Some of the rest   http://www.fountainp...d-oct-2013pics/

 

It's all real.

 

Urban legend? 

 

Snopes did a review...

 

regards

 

d


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