A Day at the Museum - 07.01.2010

By Ralph Stillwell

One day, last year at the Washington DC Pen Show, a man named Tadas Osmoskis came in and met Kim Svabik at the Pen Collectors of America (PCA) table and engaged her in conversation. It turned out that he was a docent at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Postal Museum and they, together, decided that a collaboration would be wonderful for both organizations and the pen community at large. What a way, they agreed, to spread the relationship between the mail (post) and the writer, with an emphasis on young people, who should be encouraged to continue to use handwriting skills to communicate. (It is sad to see how many school districts across the nation are discontinuing teaching cursive and the PCA is trying to spread the word.)

Once the dust settled, we had ourselves a date to bring an entire exhibition (Pens & The Post Collect: Correspond, and Celebrate!) to Washington for the Saturday before Memorial Day, May 29. About 1,000 people came through the Postal Museum halls on to enjoy a number of events: an unprecedented display of writing papers by Nan Barchowsky; a Think Ink table with historical perspectives by John Bosley; Copperplate Calligraphy produced for any interested visitors by Deb Basel; a Creative Cards Activity where adults and children created their own masterpieces with Sophia, Ericka and Gracie Breuer and Cindy Reppert; Fahrney’s Pen Petting Zoo, which included a free Pelikano pen for each child, attended by Kim Graham, Sally Ortuzar and Elizabeth Bunn; Pen Postings for those who wanted to write pen-related thoughts or memories; the Mail and Morale Activity table where there was a gigantic pen, stamps and covers, and antique writing implements hosted by Jim Rouse and Tadas Osmoskis;  an opportunity for guests to write letters to service personnel overseas, posted from the museum; and several seminars, which included two "Pens for Kids" presentations by Ralph Stillwell with pens donated by Stylus magazine, and a presentation by William Breuer on pen turning; a "Cursive for Kids" class by Elizabeth Bunn; and a wonderful "Growing Up Parker” presentation by Geoffrey Parker (great-grandson of that company’s founder). These classes were very well attended and are available for viewing on the websites of both the Smithsonian Institute and the Pen Collectors of America.

Two boys from Illinois were greeted as winners of handwriting contests held earlier this year. They were presented custom pens by Alan Shaw of Shaw Pens. The boys were flown in, with their families, with funds raised by Theresa Patton of the TT Patton pen shop in Barrington, IL. To say that everyone had a good time would be a gross understatement. The response from the public, the museum personnel and the pen community was unanimous in their praise, and promises were made by all to further the relationships and, hopefully, have another such show next year. Volunteers and contributors to this event are all to be thanked for their efforts.

How better to tell the story of our hobby and the impact that it has had than to present it in the halls of the system that delivers our words on the wings of the post.