Manufacturer

1906 Parker 46 and Parker 47

     The photos tell almost everything about these two pens. At the turn of the Century it was common practice for the major pen manufacturers to adorn their pens with metal and pearl. Most all pens were black hard rubber, and this was a wonderful way to add beauty, value and profit to their pens.

     Two of the most beautiful and sought after are the Parker 46 and Parker 47. The Parker 47 is often called “The Pregnant Parker” because of the bulbous barrel, created by soaking and shaping the pearl slabs. The 46 has the unusual fully covered taper cap. Most manufacturers covered only the barrel, leaving the taper cap unadorned, because it was so hard to manufacture the cone shaped cap overlay.

     These pens come in various pearl configurations. Some barrels alternate pearl and abalone (these are all pearl). Model 46s are found with smooth slabs, corrugated slabs, of fluted slabs (these are fluted). The caps are heavy repousse, the 46 in a “Snail” pattern and the 47in a “Floral & Vine” pattern. The barrel bands are also high relief.

     Both these pens come from the estate of General Otto Westover. In fact, the indicia on the 47 is engraved “O. Westover - 1914.” Major General Otto Westover, who was actually a Lieutenant in 1914, commanded the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1935 until 1938, when he died in a flying accident. My dad was a member of the Air Corps, but not until 1942. The city of Westover, Maryland, was named after General Westover.