Macniven and Cameron

Macniven and Cameron Ltd., later known as Waverley Cameron Ltd.,^[2] was a printing and stationery company based in Edinburgh, Scotland.^[1][3]

Macniven and Cameron Ltd.

Formerly	Macniven (1770–1845) Macniven and Cameron Ltd. (1845–1972) [1] Waverley Cameron Ltd. (1972–)
Company type	Private
Industry	Metallurgy Stationery
Founded	1770 in Balerno
Founder	Nisbet MacNiven [1]
Defunct	mid. 1990s
Fate	The name "Cameron" added after brothers John and Donald Cameron
Headquarters	Edinburgh [n 1] , UK
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Dip and fountain pens
Brands	Waverley

Macniven and Cameron was the leading Scotish manufacturer of dip and fountain pens.^[3]

History

In 1770, Nisbet MacNiven established a paper-making business at Balerno, outside Edinburgh. The firm soon diversified into stationery and moved to premises on Blair Street in Edinburgh's Old Town.

In the 1840s, brothers John and Donald Cameron became involved, and the firm became Macniven and Cameron.

Macniven and Cameron advertisement, ca. 1902

The "Waverley" nib was invented by Duncan Cameron, another brother, and was unusual in having an upturned point, making the ink flow more smoothly on the paper. The "Waverley" was named after the Waverley novels of Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832), which were still hugely popular at the time. The new nib was initially manufactured by Gillott and others, until the company bought a factory in Bordesley, Birmingham, in 1900. It then manufactured its own nibs, fountain pens and printed stationery, until 1964, when the factory closed.^[1]

Macniven and Cameron also made pens called the "Pickwick", "Owl", "Phaeton", "Nile", "Hindoo" and "Commercial". The company filed several patents in relation to its fountain pens.^[4][5]

Pen gallery

(Put the mouse on the image to see the model number):

• 
  456 Goldwing
• 
  Bank of Montreal
• 
  Big Waverley
• 
  J
• 
  J nº 10
• 
  OP
• 
  Pickwick
• 
  Waverley Red Ink
• 
  467 EF
• 
  № 1 Hindoo Pen
• 
  Waverley DSC
• 
  Waverley S
• 
  Nº 5 M

Advertising

Some of the company's best known dip pens such as the "Pickwick", the "Owl", and the "Waverley", were sold under the advertising doggerel:

They come as a boon and a blessing to men,
the Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley Pen.

Notes

1. The company had also factories and locations in London, Birmingham (1900–1964), and Glasgow.