Lewis Waterman
Lewis Edson Waterman was an American inventor born on November 20, 1837, in Decatur, New York. He is best known for inventing the capillary feed fountain pen, a groundbreaking design that significantly improved the reliability of fountain pens. Waterman's early life included various jobs, such as teaching and working as a book and life insurance agent, which informed his later entrepreneurial endeavors. The inspiration for his invention is often linked to a dramatic incident involving a leaky pen during a business meeting, though this story is largely considered apocryphal.
In 1884, he patented his innovative pen design, which utilized capillary action to regulate ink flow, thereby addressing the previous issues of ink leakage that plagued fountain pens. Waterman established the L. E. Waterman Company, which began as a small operation but grew significantly through effective advertising and quality craftsmanship. His pens gained recognition, winning awards at notable exhibitions, and the company expanded production both domestically and internationally.
Despite the initial success, the rise of the ballpoint pen in the mid-20th century led to a decline in fountain pen popularity, ultimately resulting in the cessation of production in 1956. However, the legacy of Waterman's invention endures, as his designs laid the foundation for the fountain pen industry and transformed writing instruments into symbols of status and quality.
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Lewis Waterman
American insurance broker
- Born: November 20, 1837
- Birthplace: Decatur, New York
- Died: May 1, 1901
- Place of death: New York, New York
Waterman invented the first leak-proof fountain pen that could be relied on to perform properly. He founded the L. E. Waterman Company, which set the standard for quality pens and was instrumental in creating the market for fountain pens.
Primary fields: Business management; household products
Primary invention: Waterman fountain pen
Early Life
Lewis Edson Waterman was born in Decatur, New York, on November 20, 1837. He grew up on a farm and had a number of jobs before he invented his capillary feed fountain pen. The facts of his life during this period remain somewhat enigmatic. Waterman himself told different stories about his work during this time. He apparently taught school for a year or two, worked as a book agent for some ten years, and then worked as a life insurance agent for about fifteen years. He was also employed at one time by the Railroad Gazette and a trade publication, National Car Builder.
The commonly told story of what brought about his invention of the leak-proof fountain pen is generally considered a fabricated tale. According to the story, Waterman was working as an insurance broker, meeting with a client who was to sign a very lucrative contract with him. Waterman supposedly bought a new fountain pen for the client to use to sign the contract. The signing turned into a disaster when the pen leaked ink all over the contract. From this point, the story has two conclusions. One states that the client interpreted this as an ill omen and refused to sign the contract. The second ending recounts that Waterman hurried off to get another contract and upon his return found that the client had signed with another agent. Some versions of the story also state that Waterman went to his brother’s farm in upstate New York and invented his innovative ink feed, which he then placed in a pen his brother had made from a wagon wheel spoke. The story, which is highly disputed and is probably myth, at least in part, continues to be included in much of the material written about Waterman and his pen. It should be noted, however, that while many historians deny and scoff at the story, other reliable experts accept it.
Because of his various lines of work, Waterman, it seems, had developed the habit of carrying several fountain pens with him and at times selling some of his extra ones. He had become interested in fountain pens and made a detailed study of pens before becoming a pen manufacturer.
Life’s Work
Whether or not the story of the ruined contract is true, Waterman was working as a life insurance salesman in the early 1880’s. It was at this time that he began working on his idea of making a fountain pen with a feed using the principle of capillary action. After several less-than-successful experimental pens, he produced the pen he had envisioned. In 1883, Waterman applied for a patent, which he received on February 12, 1884. Inspired by his success in getting his invention patented, he closed his life insurance business and devoted himself to the making of pens.
He established theL. E. Waterman Company. At first, his company was a one-person operation located in a cigar store on Fulton Street in New York City. His sign advertised Waterman’s Ideal Fountain Pen. Each pen carried a written guarantee against defects for five years. Working by himself at a table in the back of the shop, Waterman managed to manufacture two hundred pens the first year and five hundred the second. Waterman’s business was small and enabled him to have a personal relationship with each customer. He kept a list of the names and addresses of his customers. However, his profits did not provide enough money to support him.
Faced with the problem of either increasing his sales or losing his company, Waterman accepted the advice and offer of E. T. Howard, an advertising agent. He proposed that Waterman advertise his pen in a popular magazine with a large circulation. Howard offered to loan him money for the advertisement. Taking Howard’s advice proved to be one of the best decisions Waterman ever made. Sales increased dramatically. Waterman was able to move his company to a large building at the corner of Broadway and Courtland Street and to hire a large staff both to handle the business aspects of the company and to manufacture the pens. This building housed the sales and business offices of the company, a warehouse, and a repair shop. Waterman also established two factories: one in Seymour, Connecticut, where the rubber pen parts were made, and one in New York City, where the gold pen nibs were produced. The company sold pens in both the wholesale and retail markets. It also sold ink and pen pockets.
Waterman was an astute and shrewd businessman. His advertising campaign continued to emphasize the quality and reliability of his pens. A Waterman pen was an investment in a quality writing instrument. Waterman was also selective in the people he chose to employ. For example, he hired William I. Ferris to perfect machines for making the pens, thereby reducing hand labor and increasing production.
In 1893, Waterman’s Ideal Fountain Pen won a first prize at the Chicago World’s Fair. This award was followed by the Medal of Excellence at the Paris Exposition of 1900. The company expanded first throughout the United States and then abroad. In 1899, the company built a factory in Montreal, Canada. Soon after, the L. E. Waterman Company had sales representatives in Europe. By 1901, the company was selling one thousand pens per day. Lewis Waterman died in New York City on May 1 of that year.
Upon Waterman’s death, his nephew Frank D. Waterman became head of the company, which continued to be the leader in the manufacture of fountain pens through the 1920’s and enjoyed continued global expansion. It was during this period that the company enjoyed its greatest success and prestige. In the 1930’s, competitors who were more open to innovations in style and technical advances took a considerable share of the market from the company. The 1930’s and 1940’s saw the L. E. Waterman Company lose even more ground in the pen market. The invention of the ballpoint pen was the major cause of the demise of the business, which ceased production in 1956. The L. E. Waterman Company was eventually sold to Bic in 1959. However, in 1926 Jules Fagard, a French sales representative, had founded a subsidiary known as JiF Waterman, so pens bearing the name Waterman continued to be produced. Waterman pens continue to be available.
Impact
Waterman developed the capillary feed system, which successfully controlled the ink flow to the nib of the fountain pen. Before Waterman’s invention, fountain pens had been considered impractical because of their unreliability and tendency to either release too much or not enough ink. His invention of this feed system and manufacture of pens using the system founded a new industry in the United States and eventually worldwide. In addition to producing a reliable pen, he also produced an attractive pen. Fountain pens became a status symbol for individuals and a profitable business for entrepreneurs.
Bibliography
Erano, Paul. Fountain Pens Past and Present. Paducah, Ky.: Collector Books, 2004. Especially good for its illustrations of Waterman pens and advertisements. Also provides insights into the intense competition among the pen companies. Considerable information on Waterman’s company and pens after his death.
Ewing, Alexander Crum. The Fountain Pen: A Collector’s Companion. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1997. Good discussion of the origins of the fountain pen, reservoir pens, and the role of Waterman. Excellent illustration of Waterman’s 1884 patented capillary fill design.
Lambrou, Andreas. Fountain Pens: United States of America and United Kingdom. London: Philip Wilson, 2000. Excellent in-depth study of Waterman, his pens, and his company, with emphasis on Waterman’s role not only in building a successful company but also in creating a market for the fountain pen. Good illustrations of Waterman pens.
Rosenberg, Chaim. America at the Fair: Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia, 2008. Chapter 6 examines the business climate in which Waterman worked and the competition that occurred among the manufacturers. Waterman’s Ideal Fountain Pen won first prize at the fair.