Simply Abu Dhabi IX

Among the many soldiers who used ELMO pens to write letters home were two celebrated American writers, Ernest Hemingway and John Dos Passos, both serving as war correspondents and volunteer ambulance drivers. Their eloquent and evocative communiqués sent from the front were recorded with the finely produced writing implements made in Bassano. In the 1930s, Montegrappa flourished, enjoying a golden era now appreciated by collectors for the elegance of the manufactured goods of the day, from wristwatches to cufflinks, fine automobiles to tabletop radios. With use of the fountain pen having replaced dipping pens, the products of the house of Bassano met the taste of the public with sober yet graceful designs, enhanced and personalised through the variety of their colours and materials. Montegrappa was also among the first to use celluloid, elevating it to the material of choice for superior pens. The company’s skilled craftsmen were able to perfect the manufacturing process with original and precise technical solutions, which served as the platforms for the artistry of the pens’ designers. Through the ensuing decades, Montegrappa would produce numerous models, now highly collectible. Most recently, Montegrappa has established a series of pens that will yield elegant, portable tributes to the highpoints of its first century, the “Icons” models honouring cultural giants Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee. 2 8 6 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I