From a quill pen to computer

Peter and Paul Fortress, Ioannovsky ravelin, venue of the former machine-gun school

The exhibition is devoted to the world history of writing and numeracy. Collection of various writing implements, devices for calculation and related items are presented by the exhibits from the collections of the State Museum of the History of St Petersburg, the Russian National Library and the National Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Interactive unit at the beginning of the exhibition introduces visitors to the ancient writing systems of different nations, the history of the alphabet, Russian Cyrillic letters and writing, as well as with ancient devices for writing and calculation.

In the early Middle Ages mankind began to use feathers. As it turned out later, the most suitable for writing were the ones of a goose (only five external feathers from the left wing of a young goose, torn out in early spring could be used). Visitors will have a chance to see how a real quill from a goose feather look like and become acquainted with the technology of selection, processing and sharpening goose feathers (goose feathers were provided by the Leningrad Zoo).

At the end of the 18^th century metal quills replaced the goose feathers. The exhibition features quill pens with steel tips of European and Russian manufacturers, including the well-known Johann Faber manufacture. The variety of the stationery goods manufactured in the 19^th-20^th century is also demonstrated by numerous boxes for pens, penwipers, paper cutters, vintage paperclips, paperweights and pen holders. Also one can see ink bottles and inkwells made of porcelain, bronze and glass; some of them make a whole sculpture composition: beginning from carved inkwell of the 1810-1820s made of marble and brass, owned by architect Carlo Rossi, to an inkstand “Constitution of the USSR” (1938). Special travel sets for writing can also interest visitors.

While using feather quills humanity thought about the ways to improve the writing instruments. So in 1884, fountain pen appeared: it was a feather pen with a built-in ink reservoir. The exhibition includes fountain pens of such well-known international manufacturers as “Parker” and “Waterman”, as well as the Soviet fountain pens “Soiuz” and “Kultprom” of 1950s.

Works on the development of the first ballpoint pens began at the turn of the 19^th – 20^th centuries but familiar to us cheaper option was invented only in the 1950s. In the USSR, ballpoint pens have been widespread since the late 1960s. Visitors to the exhibition can see the models manufactured by such plants as “Soiuz”, “Oktiabr” and “Gigant”.

Apart from quill and ballpoint pens the exhibition features a large collection of pencils of different times: ordinary, colored, propelling. Exhibited are product samples of European companies “A.W. Faber” and “Kooh-i-Noor”, Soviet plant “Mospoligraf”, plant named after Leonid Krasin and plant named after Sacco and Vanzetti.

Invention of typewriter enabled to mechanize the writing process. In pre-revolutionary Russia people used typewriters of foreign manufacturers, who had representative offices in the Russian Empire. The exhibition presents typewriters of firms “Remington”, “Underwood”, “Crown” and other world-famous brands with Latin and Russian fonts. Visitors can also see the first Soviet typewriter “Leningrad” and other typewriters of soviet production of the 1930s.

The exhibition also features all sorts of mechanical and electronic devices for arithmetic calculations: from traditional abacus to arithmometers of the 19^th – 20^th centuries and modern calculators.

Personal computer was invented in the 20^th century. It incorporated many features of current devices for writing and calculation, becoming the most important means of studying, communication, information processing and documentation maintenance. Visitors have a chance to see models of the first personal computers: Japanese computer “SAHAPC” and Russian “Iskra 1030 11” of the 1980s as well as computers produced by companies “Robotron” and " Nyenskans" in the 1990s .

The main emphasis is placed on the methods and systems of teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. A separate section is devoted to the history of reading and writing system for the blind.

Interactive zone for children and adults is open daily during the exhibition working hours.

Admission fee: adults – 150 rubles, students – 70 rubles