The PENguin Blog

The first ever Swann Auction of Fine and Vintage Writing Instruments is just around the corner. It takes place on Thursday, September 13 at 1:30 EDT. If you are in the New York area (perhaps for Fashion Week), we have exhibition of the entire sale going on now, as I type, at our salesroom at 104 East 25th Street, 6th floor.   Come on by and say hello, see some pens, talk some pens.   Wednesday evening from 6:00-8:00 we are having a reception for local collectors.   If you would like to attend please RSVP to me. If you haven't registered, now is a good time to do so and you can register most easily either by following the directions in the online catalogue or if you prefer just call the front desk at +1-212-254-4710. Interest has been strong for the sale, and thank you all for that, but we still need a strong and successful sale in order to assure the future of this endeavor. Finally, we already have a couple of hundred extraordinary pens lined ...

Generally speaking my New York workweeks get me into the city Sunday evening and I depart Friday evening or Saturday morning.  It leaves little time for touristing other than in the neighborhood (near the Grammercy Park/Flatiron District.  And since I love the streetscape wandering here is just fine. But this trip we are doing Exhibition of the sale and that brought me in on Friday for the Saturday opening and left me a free day to wander.  My first thoughts turned to Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum with its new American and Islamic wings. And that's what I might have done had the weather been crummy. But yesterday it stormed and in the way of New York weather, that gave us a gorgeous day.  Besides I had a date for Shanghai dumplings with my cousin Erin's husband Marc.  So after brunch we wandered down to the Battery.  Now Marc is and accomplished photographer, so we stopped to shoot and while he had fun with his Leica I whipped out my iPhone and ...