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City of Armadale - History House > Records

HOLDER, PEN WITH NIB CLEANER

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c. 1900 - 1900

Overview

Rectangular metal base with two heart shaped ends which have 5 notches of either side to accept pens and held apart by a rod at the apex. Base has fine shingle of wood with a horse hair brush fixed at the centre.

Historical information

A staple of many office desks, the nib cleaning brush evolved in the 1800s with the rise of mass produced affordable stationary items. The brush was designed to clean excess or leftover ink from a pen nib to prolong its life. Most pen nibs in this time were also mass produced and used cheap and brittle metal that would rust due to its contact with water-based inks. The brush was also more convenient than using tissues to clean the nib. Nib cleaning brushes remained popular when fountain pens replaced quills and went out of fashion with the growth in popularity of ball point pens in the 1940s.

Details

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-33-AK1975.14

Material

Width

110 mm

Height or length

110 mm

Depth

90 mm

Year

Comparative significance criteria

Rare or representative

City of Armadale - History House

City of Armadale - History House

Organisation Details
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