page_title: Birmingham pen trade
section_title: 19th century
hierarchical_section_title: Birmingham pen trade / History / 19th century
caption_attribution_description: English: Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and Princess Alexandra at Joseph Gillott’s Victoria Works.
context_page_description: The Birmingham pen trade evolved in the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter and its surrounding area in the 19th century; for many years, the city was the centre of the world's pen trade, with most dip pens being produced there. At the height of the Jewellery Quarter's operations, there were about 100 pen factories, which employed around 8,000 skilled craftspeople.
  The trade also pioneered craftsmanship, manufacturing processes and provided employment opportunities especially for women, who constituted more than 70% of the workforce. In its peak, there were about 100,000 varieties of pens manufactured in Birmingham. By the end of the 19th century the number of manufacturers had declined to just 12, as the inception of the ballpoint pen caused the decline of such mass production of traditional pen nibs.
context_section_description: In Newhall Street, John Mitchell manufactured pens; he pioneered mass production of steel pens (prior to this, the quill pen was the most common form of writing instrument). Mitchells are credited as being the first manufacturers to use machines to cut pen nibs, greatly speeding up the process. John's brother William later set up his own pen-making business in St Paul's square.
  Baker and Finnemore operated in James Street, near St Paul's Square; C. Brandauer & Co Ltd. (founded as Ash & Petit) traded at 70 Navigation Street; Joseph Gillott & Sons Ltd. made pen nibs in Bread Street (now Cornwall Street) for companies such as Perry & Co.; Hinks, Wells & Co. traded in Buckingham Street; George W. Hughes traded in St Paul's Square; Leonardt & Catwinkle (then D. Leonardt & Co.) traded in George and Charlotte Streets, and M. Myers & Son. were based at 8 Newhall Street.
  In 1828 Josiah Mason improved a cheap, efficient slip-in nib which could be added to a pen holder. This was based on existing models.
  By the 1850s, Birmingham existed as a world centre for steel pen and steel nib manufacture; more than half the steel-nib pens manufactured in the world were made in Birmingham. Thousands of skilled craftsmen and women were employed in the industry. Many new manufacturing techniques were perfected in Birmingham, enabling the city's factories to mass-produce their pens cheaply and efficiently. These were sold worldwide to many who previously could not afford to write, thus encouraging the development of education and literacy. 
  Women made 18,000 pens a days, under strict rules they had to follow, like no talking, no singing, no wasting the metal, among others. Men were the tool makers and looked after the furnaces but most of majority production staffs were women. In the late 19th century also children were employeed at early ages, about 10 or 12 years old.
caption: Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and Princess Alexandra at Gillott's Victoria Works, 1874
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