This 5-3/8" steel, German silver, and ebony drawing pen is marked on the blade: E. D.–Co. UNION. A piece missing from the top of the handle may have been intentionally shaved away instead of accidentally broken.
As part of its Gem Union product line, the Eugene Dietzgen Co. of Chicago sold similar drawing pens, described as 5-1/2" long, in 1904 as model 502 for $1.20 and in 1926 as model 623 for $4.00. Engineer William J. Ellenberger (1908–2008) owned this pen. For his biography, see 1981.0933.25.
References: Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 7th ed. (Chicago, 1904), 54; Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 12th ed. (Chicago, 1926), 61.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.