After asking my family around for objects with chains of history, I came back pretty much empty-handed apart from a few gems. One of these gems was a story from my grandfather; the story that started his pen/pencil collections.
This object stands at about 5-1/8 inches long. From the top portion of the pencil to the endpoint, the pencil is embellished with a bronze-gold finish. The H-type lead appears out of the barrel with a continuous twist. Around the bottom is a raised surface of small, rounded ovals to create a small pattern, something to rub your finger over. A smooth nib at the top connects to a metal hook to attach to papers or your pockets. Made from plastic and metal, this pencil is special because halfway down the barrel, the pencil contains a liquid core on the upper side under the eraser. Now dried out from age, contained within the liquid core is a plastic 3-dimensional logo of AAA. Under this core lies a stamped imprint of the production. Embedded reads “Progressive Products INC. Union N.J. U.S.A.”
While I could not find the exact pencil online, I found it is “brothers and sisters” — pencils that are the same make and model but with different “themes.” I came to find the object is commonly called the “Vintage Progressive Floaty Mechanical Pencil,” and there are millions just like it. So, I kept searching. I wanted to know who created it, or more importantly, where it originated from. Upon further research, Progressive Products INC does not really exist anymore, well not the original anyway. By finding similar pencils online, I discovered a certificate of guarantee with the company name and address on the paper. It read, “PROGRESSIVE PRODUCTS INC. 701 Lehigh Avenue, Union, New Jersey.” Looking this up, you are given industrial property for sale, but no mention of the company. So, I kept looking. A New Jersey-based company product manufacturer called Progressive Promotions, now known as Dryvve, was the closest I could find, but I am unsure, mainly because they do not list an established date and look on the newer side of things. So, the trail ended here.
But the story that follows it has not ended. The story that follows this very pencil is how it became the first of his collection.
1949, in grade school, specifically Public School 12 of Troy, NY, my grandfather was in fourth grade. During this time children used to use “straight pens” which encompassed ink wells and fountain pens, ballpoints were not popular by any means.
AAA or the American Automobile Association, which began in the early 1900s, annually holds a safety poster art contest for children pre-k through 12. As part of a class project, my grandfather’s fourth-grade class must create an illustration for the contest. The goal of the contest was to promote safety messages in schools and encourage communication through creativity. The prize for this contest was that the top 3 pieces chosen would be put on display in Stanley Department Store located at Third and State Street, Troy NY, which current day I know as Hatchet Hardware.
My grandfather placed 4th. While upset about the loss, he soon found out that his piece was displayed at the store as an honorable mention. Poppy described the piece as a rugged baseball player, split in half; the left side showed the player beaten up, injured, and with crutches and a cast. On the right side, the player was healthy, bat in hand, and ready for the game. While I can picture such a drawing in my head, I yearn to know what it truly looks like and what care and skill my grandfather put into it. Did he stay up all hours of the night completing it, just like I do in the studios? Was he excited and prioritized this over schoolwork, like I do when I start painting? Was there a background? Was there text? I will not know; my grandfather can only remember so much.
Branched off from how this object got into the possession of my grandfather, what followed this story was when his collection began to grow. Around the same time as this story, while in grade school, there was a quite older gentleman in his neighborhood. He used to give my grandfather parts and broken pens. From this older gentleman, for whom I have no name, my grandfather started to fix pens. He told me all his classmates would pay him to fix their broken pens, and he made a small change by doing something he enjoyed. Life went on, and my grandfather stopped fixing pens until 20 years ago. He went to a garage sale and found broken pens for a dollar. Feeling nostalgic, my Poppy bought one, fixed it, and began to write again. To this day, he still does and encourages my grandmother to do the same as she battles Alzheimer’s.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find any news articles about this event happening, at least not in the town of New Paltz. Hopefully, when I return home, I will have to continue my findings in my town’s public library.
The Materials of History, Thought, and Art 
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