Life, 1926-11-04 · page 2 of 40
Life — November 4, 1926 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire page** — it's a straightforward **advertisement for Parker Duofold fountain pens**, specifically their desk sets. The ad addresses a genuine practical problem of the era: fountain pens dried out when left uncapped on desks. Parker's solution was the "Duofold Desk Sets," which featured special bases that kept pen points moist in an "air-tight receptacle." The headline "You Can Lay This Pen DOWN and the Point Won't DRY!" emphasizes the innovation. Various desk set models are shown with different base styles (glass, Permanite, oval bases), priced from $10-$35. This reflects early-20th-century business culture where fountain pens were essential desk tools, and ink-drying was a genuine workplace frustration worthy of advertising attention.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Princely Gijt Base of Pearl Permanite Gift Box Included You Can Lay This Pen DOWN and the Point Won't Dry! You can thus clear your desk of inkwells ‘OR years men have heaped abuse on fountain pens for drying out when left lying on desks with the points exposed to the air. Yet the pens were blameless—unsealed ink will always evaporate. The remedy has arrived inthe form of Geo.S. Parker's Duofold Desk Sets. This pen holdstheink,and the handsome base holds the peninan air-tight receptacle, so the point is always moist, ever ready for writing. Parker's Ball-and-Socket receptacle enables you to stand the pen upright, tilt it, or lay it flat—out of harm's way. Parker Pocket Pens and Desk Penshave inter: Rich Glass or Permanite Bases—Non-breakable Permanite Pen Bar- changeable parts. Select nysized fen barrel, color 5 ints— eugstend ben barrel cer rels,and Parker Duofold Points—guaranteed 25 years not only for me- stock and have it con; chanical perfection, but for wear! $10 to $35. With Parker Pastels and verted into a tapered Desh Penina twinkling. other Parker Pens, $7.50 upward. THE PARKER PEN COMPANY, JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN + offices AND sUBSIDIARIES? XEW YORK * CHICAGO * ATLANTA * DALLAS * SAN FRANCISCO * TORONTO, CANADA * LONDON, ENGLAND. Black Class Base, with pfold ‘Desk Sets hParkerDuo. Black Glass Base, with 1 Dad rebar peclarArot Parker Duotold Pen, fold Jr. Pen, $10, $17.50 of $19.50; with 2 Parker Duofold Pens $27.50 oF $31.50, The Ink is in the Pen—No inkwells needed on modern desks now. Parker's Com- plete Ball-and- Socket Action rmitsthe pento Revlevel without... drying. ee Boule Oval Base, Black comicbooks.com