Montblanc 1940 John Lennon Fountain Pen
On this date in 1963, ‘Please Please Me’, the debut album by legendary rock band The Beatles, had already enjoyed 24 weeks at number 1 on the UK Record Retailer Charts. Its number one spot would go on to last 8 more weeks and mark the beginnings of a band that would change the way the world thought about music, musicians and Rock and Roll. At the center of it all was John Lennon.
John Winston Lennon grew up for most of his life in Liverpool, England. By all accounts his life was that of a typical kid of the time. It wasn’t until his teenage years that he became enthralled with music and performance by starting his first musical experiments in the style known as skiffle, which had its roots in jazz, blues and country. With his fascination of skiffle growing he decided to start a band called the Quarrymen, which became quite popular at the time in his hometown. He was 16. This was the same time he met Paul McCartney, who joined the Quarrymen and continued to play with Lennon until they finally decided to start The Beatles.
Lennon and the rest of The Beatles would go on to change the way the world thought about and listened to music. But, Lennon’s influence wouldn’t stop in 1970, even when The Beatles broke up. Instead, he continued his musical pursuits and continued to create ground breaking songs in his solo albums, Imagine and Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. The singles that came out of his solo career mirrored his peaceful approach and philosophy and include, “Give Peace a Chance” and “Imagine”. At the end of his life in 1980 he had written 25 songs that reached number one on the US Hot 100 chart. He’s won numerous posthumously and is generally considered one of the greatest musicians to ever live.
Because of the influence that The Beatles and John Lennon have had on music, society and culture, many companies and organizations have come up with ways to commemorate them and their work. In the world of pens, the premier writing instrument that pays tribute to the The Beatles and their legacy is the Montblanc John Lennon Limited Edition 1940 Fountain Pen. Only 1,940 of these stunning fountain pens were brought into existence by Montblanc to commemorate the year that Lennon was born.
The Montblanc 1940 Pen has peace symbol engraved on the 18 karat nib – a nod to Lennon’s constant efforts to help others imagine a world where peace had a chance. The body of the pen is sterling with a pattern that mimics the the famous Strawberry Fields Memorial where people from around the world come to pay their respects. On the base of the pen barrel, by the nib, a small engraving of Lennon’s signature is proudly displayed. The cap of this pen, also in sterling, displays a clip that is the neck and headstock of a guitar. The headstock holds a blue tanzanite stone reminiscent of Lennon’s blue glasses. In all the pen is a masterful work of art that is truly a commemorative piece of a great musician.
Besides the 1940 Lennon Fountain Pen, Montblanc has created other pens in honor of The Beatles and Lennon in particular. Take a look at other Montblanc John Lennon Pens in the Executive Essentials catalog. And stay tuned as we continue to look at Beatles pens and other commemorative items by other companies in the not too distant future.
