Mark Twain
With his pseudonym of Mark Twain, the American writer recalled the defining period of his life spent as a steersman on the Mississippi. The design of the writing instrument is also inspired by the river that had a lasting influence on Twain and his work: The sinuous curving lines on cap and barrel, made of deep-blue precious resin, reflect the shallow waves of the river. The top of the cap is shaped to resemble the Mississippi steamboat chimneys, whose steam is illustrated by ivory-coloured precious resin. The clip is formed by a stylised jew’s harp, a musical instrument that was popular in the Southern states in Twain’s time. Platinum-plated mountings and the ivory-coloured Montblanc emblem complete the distinctive character of the writing instrument. The crowning features of this unique Limited Edition are Mark Twain’s signature and the number of the pen on the cap ring, and the two fathoms engraved on the rhodium-plated 18 K gold nib. The limited edition marks the centenary of Mark Twain’s death in 2010. | |
| Limited Edition | |
| Launch: Limitation: | 2010 12,000 fountain pens 15,000 ball-point pens 6,000 rollerballs 3,000 sets consisting of fountain pen, ball-point pen and mechanical pencil |
| Characteristics: | •Rhodium-plated 18 K gold nib with two fathoms engraved on it, in a reference to the “fathom” unit for determining water depth •Cap and barrel of deep blue precious resin •Platinum-plated clip in the form of a jew’s harp •Ivory-coloured Montblanc emblem |
Mark Twain, an avowed opponent of slavery and racial segregation, was the father of modern American literature. He had a profound influence on later great writers such as William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway. His most popular books are known to most children. Twain’s books combine exciting and authentic stories about the Mississippi, the river to the banks of which Twain returned again and again, and which became for him the flow of his life. Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who achieved worldwide renown as a writer under the pseudonym of Mark Twain, was born in Florida, Missouri on 30 November 1835. He left school at just eleven years old and began an apprenticeship as a typesetter. In 1857, one of his life’s dreams came true – he had himself trained as a steersman and for several years piloted a Mississippi steamboat. It is from this period that his literary pseudonym emerged: in sailors’ language, the cry of “Mark Twain” signalled a navigable depth of “two fathoms”. Over the years, more than 30 works followed, including “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. He produced his materpiece, however, in 1884 with the story of a young runaway and a black slave, who, on a small raft on the Mississippi, prove that trust and friendship can break down all racial barriers. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is Mark Twain’s literary legacy, a work that has lost none of its potency and relevance over time. Its influence was captured perfectly in Ernest Hemingway’s words: “All modern American literature comes from a book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.” The pinnacle of Twain’s literary achievements came with the title of “Master of Arts” and the honorary doctorate awarded to him by Yale University in 1901. Mark Twain died in Redding, Connecticut, at the age of 74. |