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Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen
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Author digs out history of science to unravel contributions of a forgotten inventor and start-up entrepreneur of colonial Benares Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Blank Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen
Author digs out history of science to unravel contributions of a forgotten inventor and start-up entrepreneur of colonial Benares
SOVAN ROY
KabitikA Radhika Nath Saha: Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Author : Sovan Roy
ISBN 978-93-89209-31-0
© Gargi Roy and Bouddhaditya Roy First Edition : 1st November, 2019 Pages 160
Disclaimer
Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book are accurate as far as possible. However, unintentional errors may creep-in for which neither the author nor the publisher can be made responsible.
Cover photographs: Front side by Sovan Roy Back side by Bouddhaditya Roy & Apurba Kumar Panda Cover design : Kamalesh Nanda
Published by Mr. Kamalesh Nanda on behalf of Kabitika, Rangamati, Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, 721102, West Bengal, India. Printed by Santi Mudran, Patuatola Lane, Kolkata-700009, India. e-mail: [email protected]
In collaboration with
www.inkedhappiness.com Inked Happiness, Kolkata, India c/o : Suvobrata Ganguly. 46 Sarat Bose Road. Kolkata-700020. India
Marketing and distribution : e-mail: [email protected] Mobile : + 91 85828 04155
Price : Rs. 700.00 in India, $ 50 in rest of the world. In memory of
my father Sunit Kumar Roy
who had immense contributions in antiquity and literature
and Aparna Mukherjee & Dilip Mukherjee
my aunt and her husband Blank Author’s Note
This book encompasses literature and information about author’s rediscovery of a forgotten inventor of colonial India named Radhika Nath Saha and his creations including review of the book ‘Romance of Pen Industries’ authored by Saha, published in 1911and now consigned to oblivion. Objective is to reveal before the present generation the progress in fountain pen and related technology once achieved in India that has been depicted in the book by Saha. Author has searched out R.N. Saha’s descendant’s house at Banaras and collected documents as far as possible. Plenty of documents have been destroyed. Many questions have remained unanswered. Many decisions have been taken based on circumstantial evidences and sometimes speculations which may vary or even differ in future when new evidences shall be unravelled. As it is the first effort by any author to bring Radhika Nath Saha and his contributions before the people of the world, the emerging errors may please be looked as unintentional. Author begs pardon in advance if such unintentional errors emerge in future. However, this author is confident that objective of the book will remain pertinent forever and bound to be successful in bringing Radhika Nath Saha and his contributions in innovating fountain pens and establishment of related entrepreneurship before the learned community of the world for the first time. This book shall ever be considered as the pioneering book on an uncrowned prince of Indian Science and Technology. Rediscovery of the book 'Romance of Pen Industries' written by Saha in 1911, by me and exploration of forgotten literature of the book have made possible to get an insight into the history of fountain pen industry in 19th and early 20th century. Readers can get more details in that book. Author has been helped and supported by a number of learned people in different ways. Mr Subhajeet Saha who is the grandson of Radhika Nath Saha has supplied supportive evidences as far as possible. He has allowed this author to take photographs of documents at his Banaras residence. His son Mr Shivam Saha has also cooperated wholeheartedly. This book has been read many times by Ms Sangeeta Mitra for suggestions and rectifications as a qualified reader. Two veteran collectors of Kolkata Mr Apurba Kumar Panda and Mr Chandranath Chattopadhyay (who is also a writer) have supplied photographs of two important documents. One of these documents has motivated this author to write this book and the other document has allowed this author to take some crucial conclusions at the end. Two patent attorneys Dr Mahuya Hom Choudhury and Ms Paramita Saha have examined and searched out patents of Radhika Nath in detail. Dr Amlan Ghosh of Presidency University deserves mention for a very crucial intervention at the final moment of this book’s publication. Fountain pen Blogger and collector Chawm Ganguly deserves special thanks for his keen interest in the book. Mr. Aniruddha Chakraborty and Dr. Dulal De have assisted me in several ways. Author can be communicated by any reader at [email protected].
1st November 2019 Sovan Roy Calcutta, India Contents
Chapter 1 Retrospective 11
Chapter 2 Radhika Nath Saha (1870-1933) 16 Radhika Nath as an author, linguist and philosopher 21 Keen interest of Radhika Nath for India’s self-reliance in industries 26 Relationship with the British Administration 29
Chapter 3 Family of Radhika Nath 33 Brojo Nath Saha- Father of Radhika Nath (1841-1925) 33 Radhika Nath’s son Gopal Chandra Saha 37
Chapter 4 Significant inventions and worldwide patents of Radhika Nath 41 Three important citations of Saha’s historical American Patent No. 962982 of 1910 73 Fourteen confirmed patents of Radhika Nath Saha for about 22 or more inventions in fountain pen 74
Chapter 5 Gandhi, Tagore, other Historical Figures and R.N. Saha’s pen 76 M. K. Gandhi used R.N. Saha’s fountain pen 76 Rabindra Nath Tagore and R.N. Saha’s Pen 77 Luxmi Pens for Dr Rajendra Prasad and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad 78 Lord Carmichael bought Luxmi Stylo and Fountain pens 78-79
Chapter 6 Discussions in the light of ‘Romance of pen industries’ 80 Baptist Mission Press 80 History of Steel Pens as described by Dr Saha 80 Evolution of nibs 81 Notable steel pen makers of the world in the beginning of 20th century 82 List of patentees on fountain pens till 1900 82 Worldwide fountain pen makers till 1911 83 List of patentees with patents on stylo pens till 1900 85 Innovation and invention according to Saha 85 Chapter 7 Luxmi Stylo Pen Works at Benares 88 Evolution of the Stylo Pen according to Radhika Nath (1911) 89 Summary of improvements in Stylo Pens and genesis of Saha’s Stylo 90 Creation of the Luxmi Stylo Pen Works 92 First complete Indian pen made in 1901-1902 and consequent factory establishment 94 Machineries used in the Luxmi Pen Factory 101 Significance of engine operated factory 102 Motive power chosen 103 Choice of Lathe machine 105 Significance of Rubber used as raw material in Luxmi pens 106 Use of Vulcanized Rubber in Stylo Pen Factory 111 Nib making in the Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory 112 A unique ‘Instant Calendar’ and a ‘Calendar Stylo Pen’ 115 Saha’s arguments for superiority of his pens 117 Stylo and fountain pen inks produced by Saha 119
Chapter 8 Miscellaneous discussions 123 Future of pen industries in India: forecast by Dr R.N. Saha 123 Press opinions on stylo and fountain pens 124 Opinions of British India Government officials 127 Some unsolicited opinions, as described by Saha (1911) 130 Press appreciations for Saha’s book ‘Romance of Pen Industries’ 131
Chapter 9 Legacy of Radhika Nath Saha in India and post-colonial Banaras 134 Learning from Radhika Nath episode of Indian Science and Technology history 142 My pilgrimage to Banaras 145
Chronology 149
Further Reading 151
Colour Prints 153-160
Most of the documents have been interfered later or recently by either pen marks or additional pastings. Chapter 1
Retrospective
When I stepped down at platform no. 5 of Pandit Din Dayal Upaddhayay railway station from 12321 up Howrah -Mumbai Mail which had arrived about four hours late, it was a sunny noon of Eastern Uttar Pradesh at the end of April, with scorching heat piercing my skin so vehemently that I was worried to walk down to the extreme end of the auto-rickshaw stand, for a carriage to the life centre of Banaras, Godowlia or at least to the Chowk traversing the mighty Ganges. However, twenty five or more years back when I was a frequent traveller to Banaras via Mughal Sarai Junction, for my academics at Hindu University, such a summer noon barely had any effect on a student storming round the city and ‘ghats’ on the sunny holidays with his bicycle, SLR camera, a notebook and surely a fountain pen clipped in his pocket. I realized that age had intensely crept into my life. On that very bicycle when I occasionally got down before an eighteenth century beautiful two -storied house in Kashi made of bricks, clay and lime-mortar or ‘surkhi’, at Luxmikunda, I didn’t ever imagine, that there lived the descendants of an unsung hero of Indian technological inventions. There were the relics of a painful but glorious history of a never recognized Bengali inventor waiting eagerly to be conceded by the people of India about his talents, creativities, inventions and the majestic legacy which he had left for us and that deserved to be reverentially informed before the world. The priceless credentials of an inventor and evidences of events in Indian colonial history hanging on the senile walls of that house, stared at me regularly, but I could not recognise. This was
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 11 the late 1980s and very early 1990s. Time smiled- silently at both, me the author of this book, and the deceased person regarding whom this book had been written till recently when this author developed an interest in 20th century fountain pens, and came across an old fountain pen box belonging to the veteran collector Apurba Kumar Panda in Calcutta. There was an image of a fountain pen on it. A by and large red coloured picture of fountain pen and three names were printed on the upper cover of the box at three locations. One of the names was ‘Dr R.N. Saha’ and the other – ‘Makers- Luxmi Stylo Pen Works Co., Ltd. Benares.’ and the last was ‘Dr R.N. Saha Ideal Stylo Pen’. Upon examination of the box carefully, I returned down memory lane, into the image of an old house wall, with hanging dainty credentials and documents particularly because the owner of that house was a Saha family with whom this author had good friendship and interactions during ‘Banarasi- days’ of his life, and the octogenarian humble, fanciful man with whom this author once had photo session and discussed about pre-independent‘Benares’. His son Subhajeet although was much senior to me had a fairly good friendship with me for professional reasons. He once said me without going into details, that his grandfather was a respected entrepreneur during British period. So the search began at my Calcutta residence, old 'Kodak-Ektachrome' transparencies were taken out and after relentless quest, one deteriorated slide taken by me in 1991 was searched out and careful observation revealed an opulent man in silk ‘Dhooti and Paanjabi’ (Bengali traditional dress) sitting on a wooden chair and a table in front with a box on it. His background wall had been decorated with old, framed, brittle citations and credentials. Zooming of one of the framed citations in the photo-slide further unravelled the picture of a red coloured fountain pen either printed or pasted on it, and I found that the same picture was printed on the fountain pen box belonging to Mr Panda, discovered in Calcutta. Later this author simultaneously continued searching digital information highway for a long time with the texts ‘R. N. Saha’ and ‘fountain pen’ etc.
12 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen and nothing was available until recently a U.S. Patent appeared in the name of Radhika Nath Saha of Luxmikunda, Benares, India published in the year 1910. The house this author used to visit was at Luxmikunda. All evidences now coincided for this author, i.e. Luxmikunda house was already known to him; same fountain pen photograph on citation viewed in Ektachrome slide and the pen box of Mr Panda; American patent (of fountain pen) holder’s name Radhika Nath Saha of Luxmikunda- Benares; the name R.N. Saha and his address of Luxmikunda- Benares written on the pen box discovered in Calcutta. I was sure indeed that a great breakthrough in the Indian history of science and technology, particularly in the history of fountain pen in India had been made. A new chapter would be written very soon. So, investigation now must reach to the old Luxmikunda house in Banaras, which once upon a time I have visited regularly in late 1980s and early 90s. I reached the narrow lane of Luxmikunda at about 8 p.m. after a rest of about three hours in the guest house where I boarded at the vicinity of Godowlia after a tiring auto-rickshaw journey from Mughal Sarai piercing a chaotic traffic even in the hot afternoon, and relying on my memory of 25 years back, when I managed to reach before a wall and a wooden door on a location inside a wide alley speculated to be the same place where my bicycle used to stand long back, I really didn’t recognise the wall and the door, but what I recognised really indicated a truth of pleasure that although my age crept in through the time, yet the memory stored in my nature gifted hard disk was still young enough to realize that I was standing in front of a different door on the same location, where I used to perch my bicycle sometimes twenty five or more years back. Old mortar house was in fact, downright demolished within this period of time. It was night 9.15 p.m. at a Banaras alley. Noise of traffic although was enough, yet houses were clad in a camouflage of low light and occasional
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 13 darkness. Many things changed in last twenty five years; time passed rapidly bringing a substantial change inside the city; However, my concentration was pre-occupied by only two questions- where was my old friend Subhajeet Saha? Where could be the Saha family? My contemplations for the grail were interrupted by ambiguities and precariousness. It was about quarter past ten at night; the road in front of me started darkening as shop owners and vendors were gradually returning home closing their shops, after their day’s transactions were over. The sweet shop at a very little distance on the right hand side of the exit of Ramakrishna Mission was still having pot full of hot ‘Gulab-Jamuns’, one of the icon sweets of Banaras, in a wide black ‘Korai’ or ‘Kadai’ on the periphery of the road. My contemplation got lost in my nostalgic ‘Banarasi- days’. That shop was there at the same place in the 1980s as well, with that big pot full of dark reddish brown hot ‘Gulab-Jamuns’ displayed on the roadside at the same location, for which I was their occasional customer. This luscious, mouth-watering sweet of North India travelled world-wide to enter into delicacy of people of different races earning lots of appreciations and admirations. Let’s come to the point now, at that very moment in front of the Ramakrishna Mission’s gate, looking towards the road in front, when I just initiated diverting my assumptions for activities to be performed tomorrow after a long failed search of Subhajeet for at least an hour inside the mission, with which he was very much involved 30 years back, a ‘miracle’ might had happened. I turned left for a while for no reason, and discovered a thin medium height old man of about sixty five years, dressed in shirt and full pant, and with whom I was completely detached for over twenty five years since 1993, walking fast towards the gate of the Ramakrishna Mission. He became visible to me like a fast moving three dimensional shadow. I was sure enough that my discerning could not be wrong, and I also had to eventually accept at least for the time being that ‘miracle’ really did happen finally.
14 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Subhajeet perhaps had a complete detachment from the social media as all my efforts to search him went in vain for last few years. In fact, on that very night, losing all hope to find Saha family at least for that date, I was standing just outside the gate of Ramakrishna Mission at Luxa, when it all happened in an instant. I didn’t fail to discover that the thin, slender, willowy old man entering the gate of the Mission swiftly, was none other than Subhajeet for whom I travelled all the way from Calcutta. He too, even didn’t fail to utter my name in seconds from at least fifteen feet distance on a camouflaging summer inky night obstructed by scattered meagre light and mosaics of darkness, just only hearing my voice. When he came close to me, We had a profound conversation about health, present activities and family etc. and to quench my thirst I finally could not resist myself to ask that question which was roaming all these days in my subliminal mind that whether he was related with Radhika Nath Saha the fountain pen maker and the American patent holder, by any means. After an awkward pause, he glimpsed and instantly nodded with the fact and said in Bengali “uni amar dadamosai”; means he was my grandfather. We both entered Ramakrishna Mission together, with an unexpressible happiness of meeting with a drifted friend after more than twenty five years and particularly me for a would-be-successful errand in the ancient city to unravel a concealed chapter in Indian history of science.
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 15 Chapter 2
Radhika Nath Saha (1870 – 1933)
Radhika Nath Saha, a name in the History of Science in India is still now seldom known to the world. A name unknown to almost all Indians of present generation, although has been well familiar during the time of Tagore, Gandhi and Subhas C. Bose. A Bengali family drifted to Benares from Chinsurah near Calcutta of undivided Bengal during the early 20th century of colonial India, had two distinguished members of two successive generations, i.e., father and son who created worldwide sensation for their entrepreneurial, scientific and academic activities; and particularly the son Radhika Nath left over a glorious legacy in Indian history of inventions waiting to be recognized by the people of India and the scientific world. His glorious legacy could make every Indian proud. He was a man for whom every Indian would have been delighted; he was a man for whom every man of Banaras would have been feeling thrilled; he was a man for whom every Bengali would have been indebted for providing a glorious heritage of the race. But it was a matter of immense tragedy that, all of us forgot this unsung scientific genius, inventor and entrepreneur who was groomed and educated in Bengal and worked in Varanasi, who was a patriot, but maintained a rational relationship with the British administration and viewed the requirements of self reliance by the Indians irrespective of any ‘Swadeshi movement’ related to freedom struggle. Worth mentioning that the time when Radhika Nath advocated for Swadeshi in cooperation with the ruler, was in fact concurrent to another separate Swadeshi movement (1905 to 1911), against the British that was happening all over India against Lord Curzon’s partition of Bengal in 1905.
16 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Radhika Nath, M.C.P.S., was a gold medallist in medicine and surgery from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Calcutta (Now Calcutta M e d i c a l C o l l e g e ) , a n d specialist in X-Rays. These were his qualifications that he carried throughout his life. He was the resident of Chowmatha a t C h i n s u r a h ( B e n g a l i ‘Chuchura’), in Hooghly Radhika Nath Saha District near Calcutta in undivided India and was born in the year 1870. His father was Brojo Nath Saha, a great linguist and a distinguished retired civil surgeon of Bengal Province. He attained his basic education initially from Chinsurah hopefully either at the initial establishment of present day ‘Hooghly Collegiate School’ (?) or at the ‘Free Mission Institute’ (?) (verification required), and later from Calcutta, the then Capital of India. His mother Nistarini Devi was a wise woman who guided her son to dream something different from others. Radhika Nath’s family moved out of Bengal after his father’s retirement in 1902 at the backdrop of violent socio-political unrest generated due to freedom movement by firebrand Bengali revolutionaries against British rulers, and decided to settle at rather peaceful Benares, that had been considered as another Bengal outside Bengal for a huge Bengali population and their mammoth contributions in the holistic development of the ‘Kashi State’. In fact Hindu Bengalis had a very close association with Benares since centuries back initially due to religious reasons and later in the 19th century, for settlements in the relatively stable and safe Kashi state. His Highness Prabhu Narayan Singh was the Maharaja of
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 17 Kashi from 1889 to 1931 and was in very cordial relation with the British. When the family drifted to Benares, the latter was a feudatory state under the East India Company. In 1911, Benares was recognized as a full- fledged princely state of British India with “13 – Gun Salute” stature. Radhika Nath’s father Brojo Nath, who was also close to the British administration like the king of Kashi, found Benares to be his most optimum place to reside after retirement when freedom movement in Bengal as already mentioned, was rapidly gaining momentum. Radhika Nath came later after finishing his medical studies. Radhika Nath, a man having a spontaneous inclination towards scientific inventions, was offered with the position of an Assistant Surgeon by the administration after being catalyzed by one of his friends Dasarathy Dutt in 1903. During this time he desperately needed funds to fulfil his entrepreneurial dreams; but he however had different ideas and ambitions. He preferred to get engaged in private practice in Benares so that he could derive freedom from compulsory time bound routine activities. This enabled him to get more time to devote freely to his scientific activities. Private practice also enabled him to earn some money, that he might had utilized later in entrepreneurial activities, although his able father Brojo Nath brought a sufficient affluence to the family through his intelligence, capabilities, and capitalizing faith retained in him by the British administration. Radhika Nath achieved success as an author, entrepreneur, and inventor. He succeeded in achieving at least fourteen patents in the milieu of fountain pens from at least four nations, namely India, England, Germany and America since 1900 and that continued through early quarter of the twentieth century. He invented his own fountain pen technologies, patented those technologies in one or more nations, had set up patented products’ factory in Benares and sold those products to the people and the ruling British Government in India. Imagine when world’s greatest fountain pen inventors like William B. Purvis, George Safford Parker, Lewis Edson Waterman, and many others were ruling the writing-
18 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen instrument industry of the globe with their creations; an Indian brain conceived that we must be self-reliant in the fields of innovations and entrepreneurship. He had the guts to stand with the elites of the inventors side by side as a proud Indian. He brought many improvements over existing fountain pens and his innovated ‘Wireless Stylo Pen’, ‘Tubular Fed Fountain Pen’, ‘Calendar Stylo and Fountain Pens’ and ‘Automatic Calendars’ were appreciated and praised worldwide. Credible search and citations ensure that Radhika Nath made at least twenty two or more significant inventions related to improvements in ink pens (Fountain and ‘Stylo’ type pens), that were recognized and guaranteed through at least fourteen patents (counting all common database separately for all nations) from India, Britain, Germany and USA. The first patent of his stylo pen was from the Indian patent office in 1900 and this was obtained from Chinsurah in West Bengal. He had more number of other related small innovations and inventions, records of which were difficult to obtain. Even, he designed a number of instruments for his fountain pen factory with innovations. His invention of stylo pen was patented in America in the name of ‘Fountain Pen’ in 1910. This invention was recorded and reviewed in 3rd September 1910 issue of the peer reviewed journal ‘Scientific American’. The US patented invention of Saha was one of the platforms for the development of present day stylo type pens that delivered liquid ink on the paper through vibrating needle type nib. He thus could be regarded as the ‘Father of Indian Fountain Pen’. Further, Radhika Nath Saha was one of the pioneers of the Indian Scientific Enterprises as he established India’s first engine operated large scale pen factory, the ‘Luxmi Stylo Pen Works Company Ltd.’ (L.S.P.W.) at Benares that started production in 1907 capitalizing Saha’s own creations (patents) as the product or ‘start-up technology’. This was just after the great chemist Acharya Prafulla Chanda Ray’s ‘Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works’ established in 1901 in Calcutta. Saha was a man endowed with a strong will, courage and determinations. He was a
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 19 polymath having enough confidence to convert his dreams into reality. He was contemporary to many Bengali stalwarts like Tagore, Vivekananda, Subhas Chandra Bose; and scientists like P. C. Ray, J.C. Bose, and M.N. Saha. Truly speaking Radhika Nath Saha, in fact was an unsung hero of the last ‘Bengal renaissance period’. His entrepreneurial capabilities and prejudice free vision about life reached its pinnacle when he established ‘The Luxmi Home Cinema Company’, the only movie house for educational & scientific films during that time, for a prejudice free rational society. This company was for importing and renting films. The Home Cinema at 16 Luxmi Kunda used to run four shows daily. It was a bioscope show to the people. He was the Director of the company. It deserved mention that the time was early twentieth century; the city was Varanasi, the religious capital of India, where a man dreamt for scientific interventions in society through imparting popularization of science through audio-visual measures, and integrating this to his business ambitions. Radhika Nath, with a vision of foresightedness always tried to move ahead of time. This was indeed astonishing that this unsung hero of India was completely forgotten. Forgotten by all world encyclopaedias till date, Dr Saha remained unrecognized even in his motherland.
Advertisement of Luxmi Home Cinema (document from Subhajeet)
20 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Radhika Nath as an author, linguist and philosopher
As an author he had shown great originality. In joint authorship with his father, he wrote the ‘Stylography of the English Language’ in 1897; the ‘Sarala Barna Jnan’ in two volumes in 1899, containing an original and scientific methods for teaching and writing the Bengali alphabet. He also wrote a separate treatise on the origin of Bengali alphabet with comparative philosophy behind the structures of letters according to grammar and pronunciations. Regarding the origin of Brahmi script he authored a Bengali book of 17 pages. The name of the book was ‘Brahmi Lipir Utpatti’. In 1892, he wrote with his father a book on medical science after a long devotion of both father and son in the research. The book was ‘Capillary Brut’ printed by M. L. Patra, Kahinoor Press, Boubazar Street, Calcutta. His remarkable book the ‘Romance of Pen Industries’ was first published by the Baptist Mission Press in Calcutta in 1911 (preserved by his grandson till this author visited Varanasi in April 2019) and was dedicated by kind permission to Sir John Hewett, K.C.S.I.C.I.E., Lieutenant Governor of the United Provinces. The book indicated a thoughtful approach and considerable research on his part in the then and future Indian economic situations and was a remarkable addition to the entrepreneurial literature of that time. Babu Mahandra Nath Nundy of United Free Church School, Chinsurah rewritten the book with the incorporation of corrections prior to publication. Babu Batuk Deb Mukherjee, Zamindar of Chinsurah and Honorary Secretary of ‘Bharat Dharma Mahamandal’, Benares helped and provided suggestions for the book. Babu Panchanan Banerjee, Zamindar of Brikutsha in Rajsahi (now in Bangladesh) and also Benares, executed several photographs for this book. The book had a detailed account of his own inventions, patents and the history, structure and functioning of ‘Luxmi Stylo Pen Works Company Limited’ at Benares till 1911. This book was approved by the ‘Text Book Committee’ of ‘United Provinces’, for literary and academic uses in ‘industrial schools’.
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 21 Two of the earliest pens of Saha’s factory on his historical book “Romance of Pen Industries” published by Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta in 1911. Most of the information about Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory have been derived from this book. Photo : Sovan Roy
Radhika frequently delivered talks on several topics like literature, language, linguistics, philosophy, philology etc. However, the evidences were scarce as lack of efforts prevailed to preserve documents related to him by the learned community due to ignorance about his importance in the Indian history of Science. After the demise of R. N. Saha’s son Gopal Chandra, their descendants had to witness many adversaries, and plenty of evidences had been lost. However, one volume of the proceedings of the fifth Indian, Oriental conference could be recovered from his grandson for the purpose of obtaining evidences, It was published in two volumes in 1930 by the University of Punjab, Lahore. The conference was held from November 19th to 22nd -1928 at Lahore. Patron of the event was H.E., Sir
22 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Geoffrey Fitzhervey de Mont Morency, who was the Governor of Punjab and the Chancellor of the University of the Punjab. Only the first volume that the author of this book read out revealed that Dr Saha delivered not less than eight talks at this conference. Exploration of the second volume in the future might unravel better truths.
Sir Hewett, to whom the book ‘Romance of pen industries’ was dedicated.
The list of talks given by Dr Saha is represented below: 1. “The discovery of the oldest Deva Nagari Inscription at the Mrtyunjaya Kalesvara Siva Temple at Benares.” 2. “The Astronomical significance of Durga Puja as a Vedic Solar Worship, its connection with Virgin and Jesus, and the determination of the origin of Hebrew Chronology.” 3. “Christianity as an offshoot of Brahmanism.” 4. “The discovery of America and the Gulf Stream by the Arabs from the evidences of Quran about the 5th century AD.” 5. “Origin of the Article”; “Origin of Plural Suffixes”; “Origin of Verbal roots.” 6. “Origin of words.” 7. “The discovery of the Maithili or ‘Mathur Bhat Lipi’ of ‘Behar’ as is still used by the girls of Behar in their correspondence along with the Kaithi script.” 8. “The unresolved Riddle of the words: Hind, Hindi, Hindu and Hindusthana.”
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 23 Proceedings of the Fifth Indian Oriental Conference, Lahore (Volume 1) and the photograph of Sir Geoffrey, The Governor of Punjab and Chancellor of the University of Punjab. Photo : Sovan Roy
24 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen The conference was attended by a galaxy of veteran scholars of oriental expertise. Talks were delivered by great linguistic genius Suniti Kumar Chatterjee, Calcutta University (He was the President of the session of Philology; Dr Saha delivered the talk number 8 in this section). Other veterans were Banarasi Das of Oriental College Lahore, Babu Ram Saxena of University of Allahabad, R.K. Mukherjee of History Department of Lucknow University, Upendra Nath Ghosal of History Department Presidency College- Calcutta, Kshitimohan Sen of Visva Bharati (close associate of R.N. Tagore), Anthropologist Bhupendra Nath Dutta, K.R. Canungo of Dacca University, Naimur Rahaman of Allahabad University, Persian scholar Din Mohammad, Sanskrit scholar M.K.Sircar of Lahore, U.V. Krishna Rao of Christian College Madras, Umakanta Vidya Sekhar of Presidency College of Madras, and many others. For his fountain pen innovation and industry he was awarded thirteen gold and silver medals at various Indian exhibitions. Government list of manufacturers and suppliers to the then Govt. of India Stationary Department, enlisted his name as well as his industry. He had contributed to the development of King Edward Hospital (Prince of Wales Hospital), Benares and All India King Edward Memorial, Delhi. He witnessed the Coronation Durbar of ‘King George the Fifth’ after being invited by the British Administration. He was associated with different learned societies. On 10th May, 1917, he was elected a Non-Resident Member of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. The British Institute of Philosophical Studies elected him a member on 9th July, 1925. Radhika Nath was married to Kiron Bala Devi. They had three sons, namely Gopal Chandra Saha, Panchu Gopal Saha, Sundar Gopal Saha and other daughters. Radhika Nath was a man with strong mind, but his health broke down too early. He fought adversaries related to health at the end of his life when antibiotic was not at hand. He left over a great legacy of fountain pen and related inventions and industrialization with start-up technologies. He could have contributed more to our legacy, had he
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 25 survived for a few more years. He passed away very early at the age of 63 only, on 24th February, 1933 at Varanasi.
Keen interest of Radhika Nath for India’s self-reliance in industries
In a proposal for converting ‘The Luxmi Stylo Pen Works Co. Ltd., Benares city’ into a ‘Joint Stock Company’, under the Indian Company’s Act of 1913, Radhika Nath appealed to all well -wishers of ‘swadeshi’ industries as follows : “Ladies and Gentlemen India has awakened to her industrial responsibilities. The ball has been set rolling within the advent of the first Congress Exhibition. India therefore expects every man and woman to do his and her duty at this psychological moment. All loves for swadeshi should support the industrial cause. If you are convinced of the desirability of the expansion of Indian industry on a national scale we would invite you to visit our stall, to judge and to subscribe to our cause. Dr R.N. Saha, the inventor of stylo and fountain pens and the founder of the Luxmi Stylo Pen Works, Benares, is now advised by his many friends and admirers to convert his factory into a large Joint Stock Company so that the public may now have the best opportunity of enjoying the benefit from the expansion of the factory on a national scale. For this purpose he has been to Europe and visited the important fountain pen factories and thereby got up-to-date knowledge of such factories, and manufacturing processes”. Radhika Nath foresaw the prospect of fountain pen industry in India in the coming decades. He wrote in the proposal: “The importance of Stylo and fountain pen industry in India is paramount in these days of literacy. Nearly three crores of peoples are literate. There are over two thousand printing presses and one thousand newspapers and periodicals published
26 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen in India. There are some fifteen Universities today. Millions of people are engaged in the legal, medical and other professions. Correspondence by post is ever on the increase. More than 100 crores of letters and postcards are delivered in a year by the post office”. In the proposal Radhika Nath expressed his whole hearted contentment over the success of his fountain pen entrepreneurship. This was clearly evident from his question to the people of India that, whether they too were happy for this success or not. He wrote “The outturns of the Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory since its foundation in 1907 have been much admired for their quality and varieties and the cheapness in prices in comparison with imported pens in the market. Owing to this fact the firm is the sole supplier to the Govt of India Stationary Dept., for over 8 years. Are you not proud of this success of swadeshi pens?” Saha winded up the proposal with an appeal to the people to visit his stall at the ‘Swadeshi Exhibition’ of Kanpur or Aligarh Muslim University. He wrote “It is now proposed therefore to convert this into a Joint Stock Company with a capital of one lac of Rupees with thousand shares of 100 Rupees each. If 50% of this be subscribed privately, the remaining may then be thrown open to the public. Those who are patrons of swadeshi industry and are willing to subscribe should communicate with Dr Saha and visit our stall at the ‘Cawnpore’ Swadeshi Exhibition or at the Muslim University Exhibition, Aligarh.” Saha believed in progressive western management concepts. He wrote “Industry, commerce, agriculture and intellectual labour are the four pillars of civilization. Wealth is in work. Money makes money, and man must exert himself to beget money. Industry is the salvation of a race. ‘Go to the frugal ant and learn of her ways and be wise,’ was the advice tendered by Solomon, the sage of old to men who looked down upon industry as a menial pursuit. This principle of frugality or improvement ingrained in the animal nature of man is the vivifying principle of the individual…” Dr R.N Saha’s exuberant approach, fiery ambition and tireless effort to
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 27 convert the Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory into a Joint Stock Company by releasing shares of exceptionally high value of Rs 100 each, during the second half 1910s, and during 1920s indicated the strength, capabilities and dominance of his fountain pen industry during that time. His entrepreneurial capabilities and products he produced in Indian market out of his patents in spite of tremendous competition from foreign pens patented by foreign scientists were widely accepted by the users. It was a matter of great discomfort that we, Indians forgot that during the earliest decades of the 20th century, fountain pens created by this 19th century born Indian scientist, inventor and entrepreneur gained such an overwhelming popularity that all elite foreign pen’s in fact, faced a benevolence of Indian educated class to survive in Indian market. Worthwhile to mention here that R.N. Saha’s fountain pens were popularly called among Bengalis and in Calcutta during that time as ‘Lokkhi Kolom’, where ‘Kolom’ meant a pen. Dr R.N Saha in 1911 identified six requirements for India’s Industrial rejuvenation, that could be taken into consideration by the existing British Government for interventions : i. “To divert the Indian thought towards the industrial and agricultural development of the country by means of up-to-date methods and scientific manure.” ii. “To impress upon the absolute necessity of self-help and co-operation –more than any extraneous help or ‘protection’- for the development of modern Indian industrial life and labour.” iii. “To diffuse sounder and more reasonable views of the changeable and unchangeable laws of economics without indulging in futile dogmas.” iv. “To give a well-informed survey of the economic possibilities of India and of her present position in the industrial world by offering some ideas of the most progressive nations’ workshops of the world,” v. “To arouse an interest in invention and discovery, in Science and Research work”. vi. “To advance the growing taste and desire for technical knowledge.”
28 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen It was further opined by him “India can have no claim to the world’s admiration unless the Indians themselves can contribute again their proper share in the world’s progress.” Long back before ‘globalization’, Saha wanted India to be a global player in commerce and industry.
Hindi advertisement of R.N. Saha ‘Safety’ fountain pen. Photo : Sovan Roy
Relationship with the British Administration
Radhika Nath like his father maintained a fair and an amiable relationship with the British administration. He had myriads of English speaking friends. He gathered plenty of respect simultaneously from the British administration for his scientific generosity as well as from Indian politicians for his creativity and contributions towards swadeshi products. His opinion and attitude towards British contributions for bringing a
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 29 stable society and ensuring personal security irrespective of cast and creed in India and consequent development of atmosphere for the flourishing of individual talents had been recognized in his writing. While explaining the history of his own pen factory, he wrote: - “The greatest blessings which India possesses under the British rule is peace and order which are the prime conditions for the material progress of a country, as they give free scope for individual effort and large opportunities for individual talent in spite of caste exclusiveness, for the industry and its principle of accumulation would be paralyzed without the sense of security of person and of property.” “The Indian Copyright Act was passed in 1844, and the Press and Registration of Books Act followed in 1867. The ‘Letters Patent’ for the promotion and protection of invention began in India in 1856, but the volume of patents did not swell before Act XII of 1888.” Radhika Nath had deep and genuine affection for his motherland and explained the requirement of prosperity to Indians through innovation and industrialization; He wrote “India must contribute her share in the world’s works, and she has had to win her prizes in the industrial world. She did not, therefore, escape the infection of invention and the catalytic action of the light of western science. Dr J.C. Bose is her Franklin; Dr P.C. Roy is her Dalton. With the spread of education the civilization of the world has but just dawned and all men of all races, all tongues and all colours, will in turn take up their share of progress in industrial science. The world’s full of workers as in a bee-hive, and in every hive of industry in every corner of the globe are geniuses working for the sake of the work itself”. Being an industrialist, he believed that “time is money” and industrial life was like a soldier’s life where the industrial hero or the consummate man of business would win the battle of business. He should, therefore, accept all time- saving machinery instead of sticking to old-time slow manual tools and methods which can never give him real efficiency in production in face of growing demands (Saha 1911).
30 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Advertisement of pens with 14 KT gold nib
He advocated British collaboration in India’s scientific and entrepreneurial developments. While writing the preface of the book ‘Romance of Pen Industries’ in 1910 he cherished the qualities of India, Indian resources and Indian labourers and above all the tremendous potential of Indians to become champions in science, technology and industry. He believed that Britain to be the most practical nation in the world, and mutual cooperation with India would be beneficial to both the countries. He wanted “... to show to those who are interested in the industrial salvation of India, what a vast undeveloped field of scientific research and well- equipped, organized work, India is at present, and to point out what a low position she is occupying in both her internal and external commerce in spite of her natural resources, which very few countries on the face of the globe possess to an equal extent. Self- sufficient ease and ‘the bliss of ignorance’ have eaten into the core of national character, and even with apparently ‘cheap labour’ the Indian labour is dearer, being less efficient than the ‘dear labour’ of other countries.” “If only the catalytic influence of the most practical nation on the earth- the British- can transform the many-sided, but potential, the energy of the Indians into a more kinetic one, it would be a great gain to both the countries.”
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 31 Like his father Brojo Nath, Radhika was a believer of cooperation with the rulers instead of conflict at least in early days of his life’s activities; but simultaneously, he was a strong advocate of self-reliance in industry for his motherland or ‘swadeshi’ products. It could be apprehended that he didn’t foresee the future political scenario of India in 1910 that, however, he had to witness later till 1933 and didn’t survive beyond that to experience the catastrophe of World War II as well as political and physical partition of India in the hands of the British and some of the then political leaders of our nation. It appeared that after the demise of Brojo Nath, Radhika was a bit emotionally inclined towards nationalism and gradually became passionate supporter of freedom movements against British administration. That however, cooled down Saha’s relationship with the administration at the end phase of his life. His friendship with the players of Indian National Congress at Benares was gradually perceived.
Enlarged view of the frontal part of patented 'Stylo Pen'. Photo : Sovan Roy
32 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Chapter 3 Family of Radhika Nath
Brojo Nath Saha- Father of Radhika Nath (1841-1925)
Obscure inventor Radhika Nath was the son of a worthy father Brojo Nath Saha (1841-1925) who left no stone unturned to ensure proper grooming of his brilliant and perspicacious son. Brojo Nath was a Civil Surgeon and was born in the year 1841. He was the resident of Chowmatha in Chinsurah, the same place where Radhika Nath stayed during his childhood. He was the second son of late Pitambar Saha, a reputed Bengali ‘Vaishya’ merchant of Chinsurah in Hooghly district. Being born in a reverent family, Brojo Nath also to a certain extent, inclined towards spirituality. `His basic education was either at the then establishment of present day Hooghly Collegiate School (?) or at the Free Mission Institute (?) (verification required). Later he studied at the Hooghly College. He commenced his career in the same Hooghly College (also called Mohammad Mohasin College at that time) as a teacher. Later he served as a clerk in the Revenue Board at Calcutta and subsequently left the job and took admission in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Calcutta (Now Calcutta Medical College) to study medicine at an advanced age. He secured the Senior Scholarship in the Calcutta Medical College at the final examination in 1870 or 71. He joined the profession as a Sub- Assistant Surgeon and was the first Demonstrator of Anatomy in the Campbell Medical School (now Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College) in Calcutta. He also served as the medical officer at C.E. College (i.e. Calcutta Civil Engineering College) at Sibpur, in Howrah. The same
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 33 college recently got converted to Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology from 4th March, 2014. He clenched various medical positions from 1873 and was a familiar linguist scholar, being acquainted with at least three Indian vernaculars and several European languages i.e. English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch. He was also an authority in Lushai language of Mizoram and later became an examiner in Lushai language. Lushai was a hidden tribe of the Northern Lushai hills (also called blue mountain which is its highest peak) until when for the first time they came out in 1840. They later attacked British garrisons in November 1849. They were hostile to the British presence in their region until 1892. However, after two years of continuous efforts, particularly from 1890 they were brought into proper order through negotiations and cooperation. Lushai hills were in Bengal Province and in 1898 southern villages of Lushai hills were transferred to Assam. Later geographically it became a mountain range in Mizoram and Tripura. It appeared that Brojo Nath during his stay at Rangamati took an active and effective role in achieving friendly liaison with Lushai tribe for the administration. As a Civil Medical Officer at Rangamati (now in Bangladesh) for over nineteen years, he served for Government in various other capacities (Ex. officio.) such as- Treasury Officer, a Bazaar Magistrate, and Secretary to the Govt English High School etc. He was the first Bengali who was offered to remain in medical team of the ‘Expedition Field Crops’. He was the first Indian Student of Philology who attained the reward granted by Government for learning the Lushai language, and again another reward for publishing the first written Grammar on the same language. The following extract from the excellent ethnological work on the ‘Chittagong Hill Tribes’ by Dr Emil Riebeck in 1885, dedicated to her imperial and Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the German Empire and of Prussia would show how far his fame spread outside India: “The first morning passed in Rangamati brought me a pleasant surprise in a visit from the Garrison Physician Dr Brojo Nath
34 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Saha, a ‘Bengalee’, under whose guidance I inspected the Hospital and Barracks of the Goorkha and Assamese troops stationed on the frontier. I was exceedingly amazed to meet at this advanced outpost of European Culture a man not only thoroughly well acquainted with English and French but also possessing a tolerable of the German language and who moreover kept abreast of medical progress by means of the most recent publications of the German book market”. Brojo Nath left Rangamati but he loved this place so intensely that later he named his residential house at Chinsurah as Rangamati villa.
Brojo Nath’s publications were ‘Lushai Grammar’ in 1884 published under Government funding and ‘Dehatmic Tattwa’ in 1891. As mentioned before, in collaboration with his son Radhika Nath he wrote ‘Capillary Bruit’ in 1892 which was printed by M. L. Patra, Kahinoor Press, Boubazar Street, Calcutta; ‘Stylography of English Language’ was published in 1897, and two volumes of ‘Sarala Barna Jnan’, were published in 1899 where the Brojo Nath became “Rai Sahib” Bengali alphabet learning was made easy on hand and eye training system scientifically and methodically. In fact it appeared that Brojo Nath was a knowledgeable and intelligent man and realized the tremendous potentialities in his son Radhika Nath. He supported his
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 35 potentialities with holistic grooming and taught him lessons of life and learnings as a scholar, as a surgeon and as an entrepreneur. As discussed earlier, Brojo Nath decided to spend his retired life at Benares. In 1902 his whole family gradually shifted to Benares and started staying at Laxmikunda near Ramakrishna Ashram. Although he started staying at Kashi, his son Radhika was still studying in Calcutta and Brojo Nath too stayed in continuous touch and interactions with ancestral home at Chinsurah and with all extended members of his family throughout his life. He and his whole family used to visit his ancestral home frequently. Further, as he had spiritual attractions, he soon got involved in the works of Ramakrishna Mission of Benares. His widespread acceptance soon brought him another feather on his cap when he was conferred the honour of becoming ‘Darbari’ or an honoured member of courtiers of the Maharaja of Kashi, His-Highness Prabhu Narayan Singh. As a social reformer he successfully introduced intermarriages between different sub-groups of the ‘Gandhabanik’ community of Bengal. He was a philanthropist and a well to do liberal family man. He was a big umbrella to all members of his family and other relatives and friends. He brought up all his brothers, cousins and most of his numerous nephews and provided them with responsible Government and well to do positions although many of them had negligible or very little school or college education. His eldest brother was made a ‘District Overseer’. Youngest brother was up-skilled by him to be a laboratory assistant and demonstrator of Botany. One of his nephews became ‘Chief Accountant’, two became legal pleaders, two became ‘Hospital Assistants’ and another was a ‘Superintendent of Distillery’ in Government Excise Department. For all these activities his good relationship with the British administration played a crucial role. He helped his son Radhika Nath with full support of capital to establish ‘Luxmi Stylo Pen Works Co. Ltd.’. The first and the only engine- turned fountain pen factory of India. The factory supplied the pens and other
36 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen stationary items to the Departments of ‘His Imperial Majesty’s Govt. of India’. He thus contributed largely in the cause of industrial development of India and invested on an up-to-date start-up technologically based scientific factory system. Brojo Nath passed away on 14th December, 1925 at Varanasi at the age of 84 years.
Supplement to the 'Who’s who of India' (1912) depicted Brojo Nath Saha as “Rai Saheb (means attained the ‘Title’ of ‘Rai Bahadur’ from British Administration) retired Civil Surgeon. Public Examiner in the Lushai Language and Born in 1841 and educated in Hooghly College and Calcutta Medical College. He held various medical posts since 1873 and was a well known linguist and scholar being acquainted with several European languages and Indian vernaculars. He was an authority in the Lushai language. He retired to Benares in 1902. Publications : ‘Lushai Grammer’, ‘Capillary Bruit’, ‘Dehatmik Tattoa’ and other minor works. Address: ‘Lachmikund’ Benares City.”
Radhika Nath’s son Gopal Chandra Saha
Radhika Nath’s eldest son Gopal Chandra was another expert turner of fountain pen and legacy of Radhika Nath was inherited to him. He despite all adversaries arising out of untimely death of his father tried to sustain the establishments of his father. He was born on 29th July, 1911 at Varanasi. He had many qualities. Rai Bahadur Jaladhar Sen, who was the editor of ‘Masik Bharatbarsha’ a Bengali monthly magazine, visited Luxmi pen factory in 1927. As a visitor to the factory, he gave a testimonial in Bengali, where he praised young Gopal Chandra’s qualities along with that of his worthy father Radhika Nath.
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 37 Testimonial of appreciation in Bangla written on 24th December, 1927 by Jaladhar Sen, the editor of ‘Masik Bharatbarsha’ a Bengali monthly compilation, during his visit to the factory.
All of a sudden, absence of Radhika Nath from the scenario changed Gopal Chandra’s life completely. He had to take the responsibility of the whole ‘Saha family’ and the ‘Luxmi Stylo Pen Works family’ at an early age of 22 only, when his father suddenly departed to leave him alone. Fight of Gopal Chandra started from this day; however this aspect might be taken up later in this book.
38 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen About 200 different designs of stylo and fountain pens were being produced by ‘Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory’ at the end of the day during late 1930s i.e., Gopal Chandra’s time (Radhika died in 1933). These were made in Tan, black or mottled vulcanite, in Galalith (plastic made from casein and formaldehyde; also called Erinoid in United Kingdom) of various colours, in transparent Bakelite, in Celluloid and in Metal- Holders. Almost all types like safety, regular, security, stylo, self-filling, Cap self-filling fountain pen developed by G. C. Saha; documentation by Subhajeet Saha. calendar pen etc. were produced. Gopal Chandra was a champion designer craftsman of pens and created several varieties of fountain pens. Gopal hopefully created a ‘cap self-filling fountain pen’. He kept himself associated with some international societies etc. He became a member of the ‘Institute of Patentees’, and a ‘Non Resident Member’ of ‘The Royal Asiatic Society’ on 9th February, 1933. In 1931 he probably converted Waterman’s propelling type fountain pen into a self- filling type. He hopefully made some improvements in Parker type of self- filling fountain pens as well for which required no pressure bar inside the barrel. However, this author could not obtain any direct supportive evidence or documents for these innovations except other’s unverified printed secondary information from his son Subhajeet’s home.
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 39 Worthwhile to mention, that many of these efforts were however done during golden days of Radhika Nath’s lifetime. Afterwards young and honest Gopal Chandra had to face all calamities of life in his worthy father’s absence. Gopal used to organize a conference of poets, vernacularly called ‘Kabi Sammelan’ at Saha’s Laxmikunda premises. Raja Moti Chand ‘Honoured’ him with the Title of ‘Kabibhatta’ as informed by Subhajeet. Gopal Chandra was a patron of art, culture and poetry and a very graceful person. However, after the demise of Radhika Nath constraints and perturbations appeared from all sides both internally and externally. World War II, partition of India, stalemate of banking system, price rise, incapability to adopt new technology in face of western technology invasion, financial constraints etc. were the external reasons for the decline of Saha’s pen industry in post Radhika Nath period. Industry somehow survived for few more years but by early 1950s, Laxmikunda factory building and premises were relinquished. Machines were shifted as far as possible to a new residence nearby where Gopal Chandra lived his life with his family till demise on 16th July, 1996 at the age of around 85 years. He kept on making fountain pens at a low key by himself and with limited helping hands for some time through arrangements shifted at his residence. However, the Luxmi Stylo brand name did fade into oblivion, as he had to accept the orders of whole sellers and other new players in the market. In 1960s, 70s, and 80s unbranded pens were produced. These were ordered in Dozens or Grouse etc. Capital was a great problem for industrial bulk production. His eldest son Ajit Kumar Saha was also a good fountain pen turner who learnt the art from his father. Gopal Chandra later also got engaged in repairing business of fountain pens of different other brands.
40 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Chapter 4
Significant inventions and worldwide patents of Radhika Nath
Pen is an English word; in French it is ‘plume’; in German it is called ‘feeder’; in Bengali it is ‘kolom’. The word pen is derived from the Latin word ‘Penna’ which means bird quill which may be goose/ swan/ raven or peacock. Dr R.N. Saha made a detailed discussion on his patents in his book ‘Romance of Pen Industries’ (Saha 1911). Verifications of these were made by this author as far as possible. All patents claimed by Saha were found to be correct. Further, this author searched patents beyond 1911 through online data base. As far as the record is concerned, at least 14 patents of India, United Kingdom, Germany and United States of America provided security to at least twenty two or more ( 22) “Fountain Pen” related inventions of Saha. Database used for online search were Derwent Innovation, Patenscope (WIPO), Espaenet (European Union), Depatisnet (German), Patft (USA), inPASS (India). Two Patent Attorneys and Scientists Dr Mahuya Hom Choudhury, and Ms Paramita Saha of West Bengal State Council of Science and Technology have shown keen personal interest to investigate Saha’s patents in details using online database. They have searched out details of most of the Saha’s patents published in this book. All searches have been made through IPC classification A45D, B43K, and B65D.
1. The first patent for a “Stylo– Pen” in India was awarded to Dr R.N. Saha of Rangamati villa, situated at Chowmatha of Chinsurah,
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 41 District- Hooghly, in undivided Bengal, in the year 1900 (Indian Patent No 187). This was the first endeavour for a ‘Wireless Stylo-Pen’, doing away with the complex vibrating needle, on the intermittent fountain principle or that of a siphon inkstand. In this there was a single air-vent at the top of the writing section and a small vent-tube inside it. The ‘Wireless Stylo-Pen’, not unlike the wireless message, was a new force in the writing world and destined to be one of the greatest amenities ever invented for the writer, as Saha opined.
2. In 1902 Radhika Nath Saha of Rangamati villa, Chowmatha at Chinsurah, in Bengal obtained the first British patent for his wireless stylo type pen with some improvements in the model already patented in India as mentioned above (I.P. No 187 of 1900). The British Patent Application No. GB190118583A, dated 17.09.1901 was accepted and published after trial as patent no. 18583 on 17th September 1902. Name: “Improvements in Stylographic and Fountain Pens”.
Details of the patent are given at the next page.
Radhika Nath used to say his son in Bengali about his invented stylo pen that ``*bÙÿ íSR YâP UáRáïíNý Sáâ[a, aá[á GãUR âCïíZ WýáGá ]åâýEý íAïíZ < AábÙÿïíZ í^_ @ü[ïíNý Sá[âU Ráñ'' ; meaning : If Gopal could sustain manufacture of this pen, he, his family and friends would never be able to end up unlimited consumption of Ghee fried Luchi (Bengali version of Puri).
42 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen British patent no. 18583 of 1902 continued to next page.
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Varanasi Last Century Photo : Sovan Roy
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48 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 3. The first German patent filed in 18.07.1900 based on the same stylo type pen patented in India and Great Britain, was finally granted to Dr Radhika Nath Saha on December 12th,1902 after much opposition. 4. Indian patent No 200, year 1904 was obtained for the improvement and value addition to fountain pens in the name of “Calendar- Stylo and Calendar-fountain pens”. This was a unique approach to integrate an instant ready to use calendar in a fountain pen body. This was again later patented in Britain with further improvements. 5. The next improvement in the wireless stylo-pen on the siphon inkstand principal was secured by him under Indian Patent No 394 of 1907. In this pen there were two air-vents protected under one annular groove very near the point of the writing section. It was really very simple and absolutely free from any complex mechanism. There was nothing to get out of order by constant use. No other stylo type pen could initiate such easy writing qualities and allow such maximum comfort at the desk (Saha 2011). 6. R.N. Saha’s “Fountain Pen”: The first patent for a wireless stylo type pen was taken in America as patent No: 962982, dated 28th June 1910 with serial no. 43141308, and application no. US 190801413, dated 07.05.1908. In reviewing this patent the peer reviewed journal ‘Scientific American’ of September 3, 1910 wrote as: - “An important feature of the invention consists in the provision of two air-vents situated within the annular grove at the end of the writing section as shown in the Figure. By this means a long air-tube with the delicate fixed or drop-needle feed of the common ‘stylographic’ pen is avoided. The air-vents permit the ink to flow smoothly to the last drop. The pen is especially adapted for making good carbon copies.” Witnesses to the application were signed by Hemanta Kumar Saha and Suresh Chandra Bose. The patent describes Radhika Nath Saha as the inventor. Detail of this patent is given at the next page.
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50 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen U.S. patent no. 962982 of Saha, 1910 continued from previous page.
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 51 Saha successfully improved his wireless Stylo-pen which was the simplest self-filling mechanism invented by him, and his improvements were applicable both to his stylo and fountain pens. He further pursued his work with spontaneous research and improvements till he obtained another British patent in 1926.
7. “Improvements in and relating to stylographic and fountain pens”. British patent publication no. 273884, dated 14.07.1927. Application no. GB192614910A was filed on 14.06.1926. This patent has been represented at the next page in details.
Manikarnika : Last Century. Photo : Sovan Roy
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56 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 8. Indian patent no. 12674 was obtained and published on 28th February 1927. Application No. IN12674 was filed on 23rd October 1926. The topic was ‘Improvements in and relating to stylographic and fountain pens and the like’. The patent is described at the next page in details.
Letterpress at Banaras : Last Century. Photo : Sovan Roy
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Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 63 9. Two-in- one pen, i.e. value addition to fountain pens and pencils have been obtained through incorporating a unique innovative instant calendar to the body of the pen. This was “Improvements in calendars, calendar fountain pens and pencils and the like”. British Patent Publication No. 283262, dated 04.01.1928. Application No. GB 192624594A filed on 04.10.1926. Indian patent of ‘Calendar Stylo and Calendar Fountain Pens’ of 1904 (mentioned earlier) were further worked out for British patent.
This patent has been represented at the next page in details.
Banaras : Last Century. Photo : Sovan Roy
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68 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 10. Another patent was obtained from Great Britain in 1926. The topic was “An improved packing to prevent leakage in propelling or ‘safety’ type of fountain pens”. British Patent Publication No. 277844, dated 29.09.1927. Application No. GB192632815A was filed on 28.12 1926.
This patent is represented at the next page in details.
A Bengali Family, Banaras : Last Century. Photo : Sovan Roy
Banaras : Last Century. Photo : Sovan Roy
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 69 British patent no. 277844 of 1927 continued to next page
70 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen British patent no. 277844 of 1927 continued to next page
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 71 British patent no. 277844 of 1927 continued from previous page
72 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Three important citations of Saha’s historical American Patent No. 962982 of 1910
The American Patent no 962982, of Radhika Nath actually brought him to the stature of greatness or distinction among fountain pen inventors of the world. This invention in fact, was the basis of many other inventions leading to modern hi-tech point pens delivering liquid ink through needle type pointed nibs. Following patents by two stalwart fountain pen related inventors of the world have referred the above mentioned patent of Saha in their own American patents: - Lewis A. Paul in his US Patent No. 2,495,179 of 17.07.1950 for “Fountain Pen” referred Saha’s patent along with Stewart (253953, dated Feb. 21, 1882), Hommel (394183, dated Dec. 11, 1888), Evans (1465845, dated Aug. 21, 1923), Bourquin (1528142, dated Mar. 3, 1925), Halpern (1964512, dated June 26, 1934), and British Patent No. 26789 of 1903. All other patents are US patents. In this patent as well needle type nib resembles that of Saha’s Stylo pen. Russell T. Wing in his US Patent No. 2,581,739 of 08.01.1952 for “Fountain Pen” referred Saha’s patent along with Waterman (307735, dated Nov. 4, 1884), Beaumel (603463, dated May 3, 1898), Boman (648839, dated May 1, 1900), Kovacs (1633111, dated june 21, 1927), Koos (2152436, dated Mar. 28, 1939), Ashmore (2176661, dated Oct. 17, 1939), Johndohl (2260571, dated Oct. 28, 1941), Wing (2282840, Dated May 12, 1942), Wing ( 2360397, dated Oct. 10, 1944). Lewis A. Paul in his US Patent No. 2,595,097 of 29.04.1952 for “Writing and Drawing Implement” referred Saha’s patent along with Goehring (186723, dated Jan. 30, 1877), Holland (236158, dated Jan. 4, 1881), Sutherland et al. (239119, dated Mar. 22, 1881), Birkmire (445944, dated Feb. 3, 1891), Langill (748383, dated Dec. 29, 1903), Wallace (1524068, dated Jan. 27, 1925), MacNally (2128052, dated Aug. 23,
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 73 1838), Paul (2495179 of Jan. 17, 1950). The needle type nib of this pen resembles that of Saha’s Stylo Pen. All patents referred above are US patents.
Fourteen confirmed patents of Radhika Nath Saha ( India 4, Great Britain 4, Germany 5, USA 1) for about twenty two or more ( 22) 'Fountain Pen' related inventions .
Database used : Derwent Innovation, Patenscope (WIPO), Espaenet (European Union ), Depatisnet ( German), Patft ( USA), inPASS (India), Saha (1911). IPC Classification : A45D, B43K, B65D.
A. Patents available in online database. Patent Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 are also available in German patent office database, i.e. same inventions have German patents as well. All ‘A’ after the patent application turns into ‘T’ during trial. Nation specific counts are added up to get the number 14.
S. Publication Title Application Applicaion Accepted/ Assignee/ No. Number number Date Publication Applicant Date
1. GB 18,583 Improvements GB19011 17-09- 17-09- Radhika in Stylographic 8583 A 1901 1902 Nath Saha and Fountain Pens.
2. US 962982 Fountain pen US190 07-05- 28-06- Radhika 801413 1908 1910 Nath Saha
3 GB 273,884 Improvements in GB192 14-06- 14-07- Radhika and relating to 614910A 1926 1927 Nath Saha stylographic and fountain pens
74 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen S. Publication Title Application Applicaion Accepted/ Assignee/ No. Number number Date Publication Applicant Date
4 IN12674 Improvements in IN12674 23-10- 28-02- Radhika and relating to 1926 1927 Nath Saha stylographic and fountain pens and the like 5 GB 283,262 Improvements in GB1926 04-10- 04-01- Radhika calendars, 24594A 1926 1928 Nath Saha calendar fountain pens and pencils and the like 6 GB 277,844 An improved GB1926 28-12- 29-09- Radhika packing to 32815A 1926 1927 Nath Saha prevent leakage in propelling or “safety” type of fountain pens
B. Patents confirmed outside online Database (Saha 1911, Saha 1927)
7. Indian Patent No 187 Published in 1900 Subject: Stylo pen
8. Indian Patent No 200 Published in 1904 Subject: Improvement in fountain pens in the name of calendar stylo and fountain pens
9 Indian Patent No 394 Published in 1907 Improvement in the wireless stylo-pen on the siphon inkstand principal
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 75 Chapter 5
Gandhi, Tagore, other historical figures and R.N. Saha’s pen
M. K. Gandhi used R.N. Saha’s fountain pen The website of the ‘Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya’ of Mumbai (see references) has an Article written in 1948 by P.G. Mavalankar entitled “Reminiscences of Gandhi- Sweet and Sad”. The article is about his experience when he has visited Mahatma in 1944, during Gandhi’s stay at Bombay. He has written- “It was May 1944. Bapu was at Juhu. I went to him with my father. After the talks (between him and my father) were over, I placed in Bapu’s hands my autograph book for his autograph. He took the book with the five- rupee note, and asked for a fountain pen, which was then offered to him by my father. But he returned it, stating that it was of foreign make. He even rejected my pen, which was known as ‘Gooptu’s Perfection’ and was made in Calcutta, under the impression that it was of foreign make. He signed his autograph with a pen lying near him. While signing his autograph, he gave us, in a romantic manner, the history of his own pen. He said ‘Once I had been to Banaras. Mahadev was with me. I lost my pen there. Mahadev was naturally upset. So our host, the late Shivaprasad Gupta, presented a pen to me. He gave one to Mahadev also. I am still using that pen. It is entirely Indian- made,-manufactured in Banaras- and it works well.’ After saying this, he said with a smile: I was told the story (of the manufacture of this pen) by Shivaprasad. I do not know anything about it. But when he stated must have been true.”... When the author of this book read this article long back, He suspected the pen to be R.N. Saha’s pen. So investigation and exploration started in
76 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Banaras. Soon all evidences were discovered (also see colour photographs). Two framed letters written in Hindi, to Sri Saha and the Manager of Luxmi Stylo Pen Works by Mr. Annapurnanand on behalf of Siva Prasad Gupta (the name mentioned by Gandhi) were discovered by this author from the wall of Dr R. N. Saha’s grandson’s house. In one letter, Mr. Annapurnanand said to Dr Saha that the latter himself went to Siva Prasad and gave him six pens; out of which one was chosen and taken away by Mahatma Gandhi. Two more pens were being kept by Siva Prasad Gupta for the time being. Out of these two pens Gupta would certainly keep one (hopefully that was given to Mahadev Desai, personal secretary of Gandhi), and if necessary another might also be kept. Last three pens were being returned to Saha’s custody, which might please be acknowledged. In another letter to the Manager of Luxmi Pen Works, Mr. Annapurnanand on behalf of Siva Prasad Gupta confirmed the payment of Bill No. 321/29 dated 26th June, 1929 to Luxmi Stylo Pen Works. These evidences and the statements of Siva Prasad Gupta’s assistant, made in the letter, clearly demonstrated that the pen referred by Gandhi in Mavalankar’s writing was the Luxmi pen of Dr R.N. Saha. Worthwhile to note that since 1929 Mahatma was using that pen and even in 1944 when Mavalankar went to meet Gandhi, the pen was with him. Siva Prasad Gupta was a freedom fighter and supported nonviolent movement of Gandhi. He was the owner and founder of a very popular Hindi daily newspaper of Varanasi that flourished throughout North India. Mr. Annapurnanand was the son of Mr. Sampurnanand, the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
Rabindra Nath Tagore and R.N. Saha’s Pen On 18.02.1910, Tagore wrote on a post card to Radhika Nath, from Santiniketan, requesting him to send two of his ‘patented fountain pens’ through VP Post (see colour photographs). In Bengali date was written on the text as 5th ‘Falgun’, 1316. It appeared that Saha’s patented pen got a
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 77 very good publicity all over India and Tagore was acquainted with the success and scientific creativity of Saha as he became interested in Luxmi Stylo fountain pens. Tagore wrote this letter about three years before receiving Nobel Prize. Although not a politician, Tagore gave a befitting leadership against the British Government’s attempt for the partition of Bengal in 1905 and was popular all over India; many Bazaar Cards were issued with Tagore’s picture and poems by private companies for postage purpose prior to 1910 and particularly around 1905 during attempted partition of Bengal.
Luxmi Pens for Dr Rajendra Prasad and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Another letter was discovered by this author at R.N. Saha’s grandson’s house where on 6.6.1938 or 1939, Mr. Annapurnanand wrote to the proprietor of Luxmi Stylo Pen Works to please meet either with him or Mr Siva Prasad Gupta, in the afternoon of any day except Monday regarding placement of the order of some Luxmi Stylo Pens for Dr Rajendra Prasad and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. See colour photographs.
Lord Carmichael’s order for Stylo pens from Saha, photographed by Sovan Roy.
78 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Lord Carmichael bought Luxmi Stylo and Fountain pens
Lord Carmichael of Skirling, the first Governor of Bengal (1912-1917) wrote a letter dated 24th February, 1916 to Dr R.N. Saha placing order of six stylo pens of Rs 2, 8 and 15. It was written as:-
To Dr R.N. Saha Luxmi Stylo Pen Works 122/4A Upper Circular Road, Calcutta
Gentleman Please supply per VPP the under mentioned articles, samples of which are exhibited in the Commercial Museum, 1, Council House Street, Calcutta.
Name: H.E. Lord Carmichael Address: Governor’s Camp Bengal
Six stylo pens at Rs 2.8 Anna = Total Rs 15
Signed as Carmichael
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 79 Chapter 6 Discussions in the light of ‘Romance of Pen Industries’
Book rediscovered in April 2019 by this author
Baptist Mission Press The monumental work of Radhika Nath was printed at ‘The Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta’ in 1911. The press was established in 1818 by W.H. Pearse, who was a missionary of Baptist Missionary Society. At the same time another mission press created by William Carey was operating at Serampore since 1800. At 1837 these two presses combined together as a single entity as ‘Baptist Mission Press’ which was functional till 1960s. The press was completely abolished with all its assets in 1970s. Radhika Nath died in 1933. Sixty years after his death i.e. in 1993, the book which was published in 1911 had come to the public domain.
History of Steel Pens as described by Dr Saha Radhika Nath in his book ‘Romance of Pen Industries’ provided an authentic and earliest account of steel pen manufacture around the world. He wrote “ The reed pen was superseded in Europe in the Christian Era by the quill pen, for which the pen –knife was first invented, then the pen –cutter machine was devised, then followed the quill nibs, the barrel steel nibs and lastly the steel nibs. From the sixth to the eighteenth century the quill pens formed the principal writing instrument in Europe.” The metallic pens were first introduced in the year 1803 in England, but up to 1830 the goose quill was in general use for writing; after that it began to disappear gradually (Saha 1911). English inventor Joseph Bramah in 1803 invented a machine for cutting out quill nibs from goose quills. He
80 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen was a locksmith by profession. His patent no. 3260 was obtained for pen in 1809. His famous invention was hydraulic press. “Mr Wise first made the barrel steel nibs inserted in a goose quill-holder in the same year in England. The barrel steel nib was made in imitation of the reed and quill pens and shaped entirely by hand. A flat piece of steel was formed into a tube and filed into shape by the hand, the joint of the two edges forming the back central slit of the pen. These costly barrel nibs were at first used for several years. In Birmingham, Mr Samuel Harrison, a blacksmith, made a barrel steel pen for Dr Priestly about the year 1780. Mr Fellows, a blacksmith of Sedgley, Worcester, improved it. Harrison’s barrel steel nibs were then sold at five shillings each and Fellow’s barrel nibs at one and a half to two Shillings each. In 1808 Bryan Donkin took out his first patent for a barrel steel nib” (Saha 1911). Donkin tried to sell his patent for the manufacture of metal pens in 1811 and no one bought. In 1822 when the patent expired John Mitchell of Birmingham started its mass production and its popularity increased.
Evolution of nibs After Donkin, in 1818- Charles Watt patented thickly coated gold quill pen. 1822- Hawkins and Mordan patented tortoise shell or horn nibs tipped with diamond or ruby. 1822- John Isac Hawkins successfully made iridium tipped gold nib. Thus England got the honour of creating gold nibs. 1830- patented the first metal nib. 1831- Joseph Gillot patented patented a steel nib and became a successful pioneer of the nib industry. 1855- Scully and Heywood patented aluminium nib. 1856- Henry Peters tried to make tortoise shell nibs. 1857- Bewicke and Blackburn tried to make glass nibs in a metallic holder. 1861- George Leslie used gutta- percha and vulcanite to make nibs. 1863- Aluminium- bronze nib was patented. 1876- Louis patented iridium tipped 16 carat gold nib covered with rubber. Radhika Nath informed that during the period around 1910, New York supplied the bulk of gold pens used round the world whereas
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 81 steel pens were supplied by Birmingham. Messrs. Mordan of London and Willey of Birmingham were the pioneers of the gold pen manufacture in England. In 1906 there were 25 steel pen factories in the world, out of which 13 were in Birmingham, and the remaining in Germany, France, Austria and America.
Notable steel pen makers of the world in the beginning of 20th century Radhika Nath (1911) has provided a list of some notable steel pen makers till he published his book ‘Romance of Pen Industries’. The unedited list is as follows:- “The celebrated Joseph Gillot of Birmingham; the celebrated William Mitchell,(J and G nibs), of Birmingham; Macniven and Cameron (Waverly nibs), of Edinburgh; Easterbook & Co.’s “ Relief” pen No. 304.; Hinks and Wells Co., of Birmingham; Perry &Co., of Birmingham; Myres &Co., of Birmingham; John Heath of Birmingham; Geo. R. Hughes of Birmingham; Setten and Durward of Birmingham; John Mitchell &Co of Birmingham; William Collin Sons Co. of Birmingham; Brandaner &Co. of Birmingham; and H. Hewitt (Ball –pointed pens).” It appears clear from Dr Saha’s description that Birmingham once has been the world hub of steel pen makers till the early twentieth century. Further, it is also documented that Initial ball pens of the world have been produced by Hewitt.
List of patentees on fountain pens till 1900 A brief discussion has been made by Radhika Nath about the history of fountain pen patenting. The names discussed by him are listed here with respect to their year of obtaining patent for a fountain pen. 1809- Frederick Bartholomew Folsch, Joseph Bramah, 1819- John Scheffer, James Henry Lewis. 1827- George Poulton. 1832- John Joseph Parker. 1838- John Edwards. 1852- Henry Columbus Hurry, W.R. Bartolacci. 1855- Newill A. Prince. 1858- Susan E. Taylor (first woman
82 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen inventor). 1859- Walter Moseley. 1863- Joseph Maggs. 1867- John Darling. 1870- John Butcher, Messrs. Rheinberg. 1878- Stewart, S.Fox. 1879- R.Spear, F.W. Monk. 1880- A.T. Cross, A.Tust. 1881- W.W. Stewart, Jackson, T.R. Hearson, Poznanski, Sparling. 1882-W.W. Stewart, Colin, Hughes and Carwardine, R. Enright, Osborn. 1883- Robert Shaw, J. Morton, Bertram, Vale, Williams. 1884- L.E. Waterman, T.A. Hearson, Hodges and Warren, E.B. Michell, Kollisch. 1885- Bertram . 1886- Brown, Perret, Reschke and Lentner, Ridge, G. Sackett, Brown, Palmer and Richter. 1887- J.Schmackelsen, Harrison and Mara, Blair, W.E. Burton, W.J. Thomas, De Lambert. 1888- Hommel, G.H. Jones, W. Guthrie. 1889- E. Lacon, Fry, Falconnet. 1890- Pickhardt, H. Pearse, Hill and Appleton, H. Pearse, The Eagle Pencil Co., Hyde, Robinson. 1891- Shaw, Messrs. Krulis and Adutt, Mr Robinson, A. Theodorides. 1892- T.W. Evans, Walke and Davis, Blake, Pratt and Taylor, Lowenstien, W. Higgs. 1893- Leary and Callahan, J.E. Chase, E. Reichmann. 1894- W. Post, C.E. Browning, J.H. Stonehouse, D. Arriaza, F.C. Brown, F.C. Cocker. 1895- Messrs. Mabie, Todd and Bard, J. Glass, W.W. Stewart. 1896- H. Brams, I Golwer, C.J. Renz, W. Schlomberg. 1897-Heinzelmann and Schwarz, E. Reisert, Bryani and Townsend, W.C. Sherman, A. Oidtmann, Sugden and Wild, W.T. Shaw. 1898- G.H. Lock, S.N.B. Westlake, Weeks and Morch, O. Winkler, The Eagle Pencil Company, J. Blair, F.C. Brown. 1899- J.H. Burton, E. Reisert, R.Cofani, F.C. Edgar, Steinbach and Strache. 1900- S.M. and E.C. Salisbury, C.J. Holm, W.F. Cushman, F.E. Clarke, H.Grass, H.W.Dixon ; Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode
Worldwide fountain pen makers till 1911 Dr Saha made an account of fountain pen makers around the world during the time of inception and establishment of Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory in Benares. Actually it appeared that he anticipated the competitions from these pen brands imported in India during that time when no significant
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 83 Indian pen brand existed. An unedited version of Radhika Nath’s description is represented as follows:-
1. “Messrs. Mabie, Todd and Bard, London and America, established in 1843, makers of the celebrated “Swan” fountain Pens, patented in 1886, 1888 and 1895.” 2. “L.E.Waterman & Co., 173 Broadway, New York, the celebrated fountain pen makers of America, patented 1884.” 3. “Messrs. T. De Rue & Co., London and America, makers of the celebrated “Pelican,” “Nota Bene” Stylo, and “Onoto” and “Onostyle” self- filling fountain Pens.” 4. “The Jewel Pen Co., London, established in 1884.” 5. “The Eagle Pencil Co., New York; makers of glass barrel fountain pens, patented 1890.” 6. “Moore’s non-leakable fountain pens.” 7. “Dr Faber self –filling pen. Toledo, patented 1903, Ohio (USA).” 8. “A. W. Faber “Independent” Stylo, USA.” 9. “Burge, Warren and Ridgley, London, celebrated makers of the British Stylograph Pens” 10. “The Dupleix standard self-filling pen, Toledo, USA.” 11. “Parker and Lawrence fountain pens.” 12. “The A.T. Cross Stylo pen patented in America, 1878, and in England, 1879.” 13. “Paul Ewart Bloomsbury, America.” 14. “The Conklin Pen Co., Toledo, Ohio (USA).”
The above list of fountain pen makers of the world documented by Dr Saha provides authentic information of designers and producers of this writing instrument that once has attained the stature of creative art among manufacturers and learned users in the society.
84 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen List of patentees with patents on stylo pens till 1900 (Saha 1911) 1809- Messrs. Folsch and Howard took a patent of Stylographic fountain pen made of glass tube tapered at one end to a fine pipette point. 1849- Thomson self filling glass capillary tube fitted with a piston. Both were of primitive type and not suitable to carry. The modern vibrating needle vulcanite stylo-pen is considered to be an American invention. 1875- Duncan Mackinnon- the first American patent for a vulcanite stylo pen; however it leaked in the pocked frequently.1877- Edison (electric stylo pen). 1878- A.T. Cross patented first successful pioneer of the modern vibrating needle vulcanite stylo pen. 1879- C.W. Robinson first coined the term “Stylograph” and introduced it in England. 1879/80- Messrs. Burge, Warren &Ridgley (British Stylograph), Mr Brown (Riverside Stylo manufactured by London Pen Company), De La Rue & Co. (Pelican Stylo Pen), De La Rue & Co. (Nota Bene Stylo Pen). 1880- Hansen (first self filling stylo pen on the syringe piston principal, Sutherland and Brown (first drop needle stylo), N. Wilson, C.W. Robinson (Livermore vulcanite stylo pen). 1881- J. Kuttner. 1882- J.D. Carter, M.H. Kerner, A.W. Faber (Independent Stylo Pen). 1885- H. Holdsworth. 1888- W.W. Stewart, Chambers and Durani (with a glass reservoir), J.J. Loud (Parcel Stylo Pen). 1889- Holt. 1890- C. W. Robinson. 1891- Wattleworth, T. Jenks, C.P. J. Fitzsimon, G.E. Shand, E. Lambert. 1892- L. Kleritz (Manifold writing stylo pen). 1895- Burgin and Caldwall, Messrs. Mabie, Todd and Bard (Cygnet Stylo). 1896- A. T. Cross (this was a remarkable invention as later imitated by the ‘Gravity stylo pen’ maker of America in 1902), A. Dittmar. 1898- J. Hard Castle, W.T. Shaw. 1899- H. Sienel. 1900- Doull and Doull. 1902- Gravity stylo patented in USA. 1909- Messrs. De La Rue & Co., Dinshah P. Ghadiali (Parsee electrician invented desk top electric stylo pen).
Innovation and invention according to Saha Radhika Nath (1911) has opined about his concept of invention and said
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 85 that “mere accident, chance observation or opportunities” will hardly produce any invention. Without keenness of observation and the power of utilizing it by the observer, such accidents are stories of fantasy rather than reality. The so-called accidents or opportunities, big or small, must be carefully observed and worked out for improvements by a genius. Radhika has opined that ignorance cannot be a qualification or passport to discovery, invention or science, although the directions or dimensions of ignorance are not clear from his explanation. This is because plenty of literally ignorant artisans have invented innumerable instruments of the world. However, Radhika Nath wrote that if Galileo Galilee discovered the secret of the pendulum from the swinging to and fro of a hanging lamp, Newton discovered the laws of gravitation from the fall of an apple to the ground, Italian physician Luigi Galvani discovered the electric battery from the twitching of a dead frog’s legs in contact with a metal in 1780, Dr Rene Laennec invented the stethoscope almost by an accidental discovery of the process of auscultation (1816), Dr Edward Jenner discovered vaccination from the story of cowpox from a Welsh girl, English Surgeon and pathologist James Paget as medical student discovered in 1933 the Trichinella spiralis, Dr Ronald Ross discovered the aetiology of malaria from the story of its production from mosquitoes (although Italian physician and zoologist Giovanni Battista Grassi was denied the credit and this was considered as one of the greatest controversies in the history of Nobel Prize), A cock boy Humphrey Potter- “the lazy, playful boy”, in 1713 discovered the origin of the modern automatic valve gear for steam engines, Zenobe Gramme’s assistant in 1873 discovered the electric motor by accidentally connecting two Dynamos, one of which was working; and Archimedes discovered the specific gravity from the displacement of water from his water-tub during bathing- it was because they all noticed them in the way they deserved and profited thereby by their golden discoveries and inventions (modified and revised by the author of this book).
86 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Dr R.N. Saha (1911) while describing his own encounter with inventions he made, wrote that (modified and revised by the author of this book) plenty of thing passed before our eyes unnoticed, but when they were monitored with proper attention, new things, new charms delighted the observer, simply because he had a vision to watch them and to use the new facts derived there from to bridge a gap either in art or in science. During the time when Radhika Nath was a senior medical student of the Calcutta Medical College studying Hygiene, the young inventor was stuck with the discoveries and radical inventions of great medical personalities as well as others throughout the world. He observed that French physician Dr Elie Richard’s (1645-1706) horse-less vehicle in 1690 was the forerunner of the modern bicycle; Dr Robert Baker, a British metallurgist and steel maker gave to the world the Water Turbine Mill in 1744; Dr Denis Papin (1647-1730), a French born British physicist, invented Steam Digester in 1679, Atmospheric Steam Engine in 1690 and Compressed Air Motor in 1695; Dr Edward Jenner discovered in 1705 the great blessings of vaccination while a medical student; Dr G.V. La Fargue discovered the hypodermic medication in 1836; Dr Joseph Lister discovered antiseptic surgery in 1865 and published in 1867; and Dr Field improved the siphon in his ‘intermittent’ flush tank by means of his annular siphon. This ‘intermittent’ flus tank appealed the born inventor Radhika Nath to innovate something better out of it. In his own words: - “when he (Dr Saha) observed that even such a simple mechanism as the siphon could be further improved, suddenly the word ‘intermittent’ led him to think over some improvement of A.W. Faber’s Stylo-pen which he was in the habit of using in taking down lecture notes, and frequently choked the flowing of ink. He then experimented till he succeeded in getting over the difficulty by making a wireless Stylo-pen on the intermittent fountain principle, and afterwards obtained the following patents” (means patents he obtained from all four nations i.e. India, Great Britain, Germany, and America for his “Spring Type Drop Needle Stylo Pen” described earlier in this book).
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 87 Chapter 7
Luxmi Stylo Pen Works at Benares
(Bulk of the information regarding the factory has been derived directly from ‘Romance of Pen Industries’ and some other pictorial and written documents mostly obtained from Saha family (Subhajeet) of present generation at Banaras. There is no trace of factory on the same site. Three dimensional documents have not been archived by anyone except some old ebonite ‘Luxmi’ pens belonging to Subhajeet; and on those pens R.N. Saha’s names along with the name of the factory are clearly engraved. Detailed two dimensional documents are only available in the form of pictures and write up by Saha himself in his book) A liquid ink pen is a writing instrument that represents a small product of blending of science, fine technology, craftsmanship and artistic creativity. It is the representation of imagination of its creator too. Its engineering is finely structured; its craftsmanship and beauty have fascinated the learned community all over the world in the 20th century. It has been an instrument for the expression of an artist, writer, poet, novelist, politicians, scientists and revolutionaries. These are made with wood, iron and steel, ebonite, vulcanite, plastic, ivory, gold, silver, and many things and can be studded with precious stones, gems, and diamonds by a galaxy of champion craftsmen cum, technologists round the globe. Fountain pen i.e. liquid ink pen during Radhika Nath’s time was of two types. The first one was with conventional nib and the other one was with vibrating needle nib. This later type of pen was invented in America. In 1879, C.W. Robinson first coined the term “Stylograph” for this type of pen and introduced it in
88 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen England; since then vibrating needle type fountain pens were popularly called ‘Stylo Pens’. However, a number of patents were issued during 20th century from patent offices around the world as ‘fountain pen’ for both types of pens. Radhika Nath initially improved and patented an ink pen with vibrating needle type nib as discussed earlier in patent section of this book. He later patented various improvements in both conventional and stylo type fountain pens. He produced and marketed these entire pens all over India having unique Saha patented technologies inside them.
Evolution of the Stylo Pen according to Radhika Nath (1911) As mentioned at the beginning of the book that the term ‘Stylo’ has been derived from the word ‘Stylus’ which is again derived from a Latin word ‘Stilus’ meaning stake or a pointed instrument used by Romans for writing upon wax tablets. According to the London Dictionary of Greek & Roman (1875), “an object tapers like an architectural column; a metal instrument resembling a pencil in size and shape, used for writing or recording impressions upon wax tablets”. So for us, the long stick of a writing instrument that we hold within our palm is a ‘stylus’. Dr R.N. Saha has b e e n f a s c i n a t e d throughout his life, by the science and mesmerizing beauty of fountain pens. He has made a critical o b s e r v a t i o n o f t h e evolution of ‘stylo pens’ through the ages since ancient period. This has been represented without editing in a tabular form as follows:- Advertisement of ‘Wireless Stylo Pen’ (Saha 1911).
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 89 Evolution of Stylo pens in tabular form Three gross Periods of Stylographic pens identified in Type of Stylo pens Precise time range the book ‘Romance of pen industries’
Ancient 1. Stylus of metal, stone, Pre-historic ivory or brush
2. Reed pen Up to sixth century A.D. Mediaeval 3. Quill pen Sixth century to first half of the nineteenth century
4. Quill nib 1803 5. Barrel nib 1803 6. Steel nib 1830 Modern 7. Reservoir nib Date not mentioned 8. Gold nib 1860 9. Twisted rigid stylus Date not mentioned glass pen 10. Fountain pen 1860 11. Stylo pen 1860
Summary of improvements in Stylo Pens and genesis of Saha’s Stylo Saha (1911) made a summarized account of improvements in stylo pens through spontaneous evolution: - 1. “The wire-fed:- i. Movable coil-spring feed as in ‘A.T. Cross’ stylo. ii. Fixed coil spring needle fed as in ‘Pelican’ stylo. iii. The fixed needle feed as in A.W. Faber’s ‘Independent’. iv. The drop needle feed as in ‘Gravity’ stylo. v. Wireless or no needle feed as in Dr R.N. Saha’s pen.”
90 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 2. “The air-vent and air-tube modifications: - i. Situated at the top end of the barrel. ii. Situated at the side of the barrel. iii. Situated at the annular groove of the writing section as in gravity –stylo with no air tube. iv. Double – notched grooves as in ‘Onostyle’. v. Double air-vents and no tube as in Dr R.N. Saha’s pen.” 3. “Protection of the air vent to prevent leakage: - i. Screw-ring as in A.T. Cross’s stylo. ii. Slide-ring or sleeve as in ‘Independent’ stylo. iii. No ring. iv. Screw plug as in self-filling ‘Onostyle’. v. Air-trap as in ‘Nota Bene’ stylo.” 4. “The Cap: - i. The rubber cone inside the cylindrical cap as in ‘Independent’ stylo. ii. The cone cap. iii. The screw cap as in Dr R.N. Saha’s pen. iv. The holes in the cap (to prevent compression). v. The notch in the writing section and no holes in the cap.”
Advertisement of “wireless stylo” (Saha 1911).
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 91 Creation of the Luxmi Stylo Pen Works
Photo of ‘Luxmi Stylo Pen Works Co.Ltd.’ at Benares after inception in1907, (Saha 1911).
Dr R.N. Saha, a born inventor despite of plenty of adversaries, succeeded in converting his inventions into a product by setting up the factory “Luxmi Stylo Pen Works Co. Ltd.” at 16- 17, Durgakunda of Benares in 1907. To honour his own patent of 1900 he named the factory as ‘Stylo- Pen- Works’. This was an engine powered factory innovated by Dr Saha. This was also the first indigenous large scale pen factory in India, and its patented pens produced in the name of “Dr R.N. Saha Ideal Fountain Pen” and “Dr R.N. Saha Ideal Stylo Pen” were the first complete ‘Swadeshi’ fountain pens produced in India. In fact, both were ink pens. Pens had two types of nibs i.e. conventional fountain pen nibs for normal traditional fountain pens and needle type nibs for ‘stylo’ type pens, both having indigenous delivery system patented by Saha that delivered liquid ink. He
92 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen was so fond of the name ‘stylo’ that he used this same name on pens with traditional nibs as well at later stage. The products were truly ‘swadeshi’, as those were not only made by Indians, but also represented multiple inventions of an Indian scientist and inventor, that had been patented in four nations. Many of the tools and instruments including lathe etc. were also designed by Radhika and locally made. Prior to conceiving the factory he visited different premier pen factories in Europe to gain experience. Dr Saha was never a less genius than any other fountain pen stalwarts during that time in the world. Radhika Nath Saha is the pioneer creator, patentee and the maker of Swadeshi ‘Stylo’ and fountain pens in India and established first engine operated pen factory in India. This unsung hero of Indian Science and Technology is now discovered for the people of the world with evidences as far as possible. He deserves to be ornamented as the ‘Father of Indian Fountain Pen’ and the ‘Father of Indian Pen Industry’ as I have mentioned earlier. Recognition and honour he deserves from the world and particularly from India are long due.
Pen Box for “R.N. Saha Ideal Stylo Pen”; collection of veteran collector of Kolkata Mr Apurba Kumar Panda. Photo by A.K. Panda.
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 93 First complete Indian pen made in 1901-1902 and consequent factory establishment Radhika Nath took nearly about four to five years to set up the factory. The first prototype model of a patented stylo ink pen was made by Nilmony Karmakar, a Bengali mechanic of Chandernagore (Chandan Nagar in Bengali), close to Chinsurah near Calcutta in Bengal in the year 1902 and 1903. He took about one year to convert the inventor’s imagination into a satisfactory model made of ‘Vulcanite’. This costed Dr Saha an exorbitant sum of Rs 500 during that time. This model was examined by Professor Brühl of C.E. College, Sibpur (Later named B.E. College, Sibpur and now Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Sibpur). He realized talent in Saha and encouraged him to immediately go to America, to make a fortune, which he could surely achieve. He opined “India cannot at present manufacture this”; However, Radhika Nath had a different thinking. He was a different man. He believed in self-reliance. He believed in prosperity of India in industry and entrepreneurships. In his own words “notwithstanding (to the advice of the Professor), the inventor thought it advisable to start the factory in India”. This evinced his intense love and affinity towards economic enrichment of India as a nation and in developing its self sustenance ability. Saha (1911) wrote that huge expenditure in the process was a great obstacle to fulfil the dream. There was custom duty and heavy local tariff on imported rubber. In Dr Saha’s words these financial difficulties were primarily contributed initially by the “continental costs” of patents, patent taxes, and manufacture of various models (initial models prior to commercialization) of fountain pens. This amounted to over Rs 3,000. He was keenly helped by his doctor friend, ‘Assistant Surgeon’ Dr Dasarathy Dutt, M.C.P.S., who secured for him the post of another ‘Assistant Surgeon’ so that Dr Saha could overcome these financial constraints. As said earlier, Radhika Nath however had completely different mental make-up. He was not a man to follow trivial routine and dull methods. His
94 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen creativity, innovation and artistry had to be flourished, and for which he was sure to achieve through self-reliance. Instead of doing service, he preferred to set up private practice in Varanasi. This enabled him to earn and accumulate fund simultaneously with free devotion to his “favourite scientific hobby”, although it appeared that Radhika Nath’s father Brojo Nath ultimately came to worthy son’s rescue to fulfil his dream and with full confidence in him, Brojo Nath invested the whole capital required to set up the factory. This was evident from the caption of the inauguration- photograph of the factory where Radhika Nath was identified as the “brain” and Brojo Nath as the “capital”. After four years of medical practice Dr Saha established the factory. Meanwhile, he was also propounded a lucrative appointment from the Raja of Daltongunj to become His Highness’s family physician, which again was humbly regretted by Radhika Nath. At this particular juncture of ravenous financial requirements, Maharajah of Tipperah (predecessor princely state of Tripura) (appeared to be Radha Kishore Manikya from circumstantial evidences) also became his well-wisher and offered patronage. He “pronounced a substantial help”. But fortune didn’t permit the proposal to be successful. Maharaja expired suddenly of a motor accident. Dr Saha wrote with gratitude: - “his highness’s promise to the inventor was not redeemed” (Saha 1911). As Radha Kishore died in 1909, it appeared (from Radhika Nath’s write up) that even after the inauguration of the factory in 1907, Radhika asked for help from benevolent Maharajah of Tipperah Radha Kishore who was also a close friend of Rabindranath Tagore and uncle of the great musician S.D. Burman. Trouble was also felt in recruiting labourers initially. The inventor wrote “The first factory hands, recruited from the Lucknow Railway Workshop, after a year’s training and work by treadle power, demanded higher wages when the factory was equipped with engine power, struck work, and were dismissed.” Factory administration, then decided to up- skill a “composite
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 95 force” of “Hindu and Mohammedan” workmen in turning and casting of metals, smithy and carpentry to avoid any possibility of future strikes. Prior to initiation, whole Saha family of Benares and a good number of his relatives from Bengal became involved holistically to make the dream successful (Saha 1911). Saha (1911) appraised that, during initial days, Babus Bhupendra Nath Sadhu, along with S.M. Dutt, and B.B. Dutt were three nephews of Dr R.N. Saha who got involved in the factory. Bhupendra Nath was the first Manager of the factory. Babu Robindra Mohan Dutt, who was the son of Rai Sashy Bhuson Dutt Bahadur of Santipur (in Bengal) and also the son- in-law of B.B. Dutt, joined the factory. Further, Babu Sukhendra Nath Das, son of Babu Jodu Nath Das, the distinguished merchant of “Krisnagor” (Bengali ‘Krishnanagar’, in Nadia District of Bengal) also got involved with the factory. Most of them learnt to turn and fit up a complete fountain pen. This ensured security to the factory from possible closure in face of any future strike, as a new set of labourers could be trained up within a very short period of time. Initially each “factory hand” could turn out three to six dozen finished fountain pens, in a day of eight working hours, as informed by Saha in his book. In 1911 the first branch of the company was set up at 77/2 Harrison Road in Calcutta. This branch was managed by Babu Woopendra Nath Saha, who was a Government Pensioner and relative of Dr Radhika Nath (Saha 1911). The opening ceremony of the Luxmi Stylo Pen Works was reported in a leading Calcutta daily during that time, as mentioned by Saha (1911). This evidence had been obtained from the book ‘Romance of Pen Industries’. Newspaper wrote “Mr E.H. Radice, C.I.E., the collector Magistrate of Benares, has initiated the ‘Luxmi Stylo Pen Works’ together with many leading residents, both European and Indian, of the station. The inventor Dr R. N. Saha is a young man of an inventive turn of mind and with a scientific test. He is the son of the great linguist, author and distinguished retired Civil Surgeon of Bengal-Rai Saheb Dr Brojo Nath Saha. The
96 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen ‘stylo’ and fountain pens are manufactured in his own workshop by power. Mr Radice recorded ‘I had no idea anything so good and complete in a small way existed in Benares. All the work from the rough materials is made on the spot, and even one of the lathes and the majority of the tools have been made here…’ At the end of the ceremony Mr Radice was garlanded and photographed.” A glimpse must be made to analyze the inaugural photograph of the factory. A close look on four persons in the illustration represent ‘Capital’ in Dr Brojo Nath Saha, Rai Saheb (sitting left) who has patronized the foundation of the factory; Expert knowledge or ‘brain’ Dr Radhika Nath Saha the inventor (standing left); ‘security’ for the trade or real ‘protection’ in the Magistrate Mr E.H. Radice (CIE i.e., Collector –Magistrate, Benares) (sitting right); and efficient ‘labour’ in the Head Mechanic of the Factory Mr Abdul Goffur (standing right). Goffur has been from Ramnagar, on the opposite bank of the Ganges. This photo has been taken during inauguration of the factory in 1907. This photograph is a historical document of early Indian entrepreneurship. This unit they named as “Temple of Energy”.
According to Thacker’s Directory of 1919 and other information collected by the author, the address of the company was sixteen and seventeen Luxmikunda, Benares City with a branch office at 77/2 Harrison Road, Calcutta. They were the manufacturer of ‘Wireless Stylo Pens’, ‘Tubular-feed Fountain pens’, ‘Calendar Stylo Pens and Fountain pens’, ‘Automatic Desk Colander’, ‘Calendar Pen Holder’ and ‘Pocket Clip’. Director of the Company was Rai Saheb Brojo Nath Saha; he was also export and import manager of the company. Company mechanics were Abdul Goffur (Head Mechanic), Durga Prasad, Botuk Prasad, and Deby Prasad in 1919. Company’s bank was served by the ‘Bank of Bengal’ till 1921 after which Bengal Bank was renamed as ‘Imperial Bank of India’. Zonal Agencies initially were B. Chatterjee Agencies, address:
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 97 Historical photograph of inauguration day at the factory. Dr Brojo Nath Saha, Rai Saheb (sitting left), Dr Radhika Nath Saha the inventor (standing left); Magistrate Mr E.H. Radice (CIE i.e., Collector –Magistrate, Benares) (sitting right); and Head Mechanic of the Factory Mr Abdul Goffur (standing right); Photographed by Sovan Roy from the book ‘Romance of Pen Industries’, Saha (1911).
98 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Details of Luxmy Stylo Pen Works Co. according to Thacker’s Directory in 1919. Documentation made by Subhajeet Saha.
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 99 70, Harrison Road, Calcutta, and Indian Industrial Company Ltd, 10, Esplanade Road, Madras; The Central Swadeshi Stores, Mount Road, Madras; and Swadeshi Cooperative Stores Co. Ltd., Fort, Bombay. The company also produced ink and used to sell it to the customer of its pens. This was evident from a letter (dated 18th June, 1915) of Brahmachari Chandra Nath to Dr Saha. He informed that the Stylo-pen that he bought from Saha three-four months back ceased functioning. He dispatched the pen through a messenger to Saha for repairing, and for that, the expenditure should not exceed ‘3 to 4 Annas’. He also requested Dr Saha to please send some ink of this pen through the messenger.
Bengali letter of Brahmachari Chandra Nath of ‘Ramakrishna Addaita Ashrama’, Luxa, Benares on 18th June, 1915, to Dr R.N. Saha.
100 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Machineries used in the Luxmi Pen factory From the description of Dr Saha (1911), most important machines used in the factory were the modern automatic screw-cutting treadle or power lathe, polishing lathe, stamping machine, engraving machine, wire drawing machine, ruby draw plates, sheet roller machine, the various nib making machines, emery grinding machine, automatic boring machines and other accessories. Composition of the pen workshop which was followed in Luxmi pen factory could be serially described through Dr R.N. Saha’s literature (1911): -
1. “Special automatic screw-cutting lathe with various chucks of attachments. 2. Special automatic polishing lathe. 3. Fly stamping press for stamping fountain pen barrels with name dies and heater. 4. Heating table for softening ebonite. 5. Steam heater for softening ebonite. 6. Set standards and grindstones 7. Leather buff machine for polishing pens with set of standards, coat necks buff and cotton buffs. 8. Copper wheel machine and standards for sharpening cutters. 9. Grayling machine for rounding corners and tapers. 10. Automatic barrel engraving machines, and various knurling tools for chasing by hand. 11. Sheet roller machine. 12. Ruby draws plates and tongs and draw benches, the hammer and the anvil. 13. The various fly presses and nib making machines. 14. Emery grinding machine, and automatic drilling machine and accessories. 15. Special chasing tools and cutters.”
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 101 Automatic Engraving Machine for fountain pen barrels used in Saha’s factory (Saha 1911).
Significance of engine operated factory While describing the choice of motive power for his pen factory in 1907, Dr Saha (1911) wrote that “with the introduction of steam engine, the era of manual labour has been supplanted by the era of mechanical labour about the year 1796 in Europe. Before that period animal strength of man and beast or the natural powers of the flowing water and wind, where available, were utilized. In India even today we see the primitive bullock power oil mill (ghany), the man power husking mill (dhenky), the man power or the water power flour grinding mill (‘Panchakky’ in hindi). In these days of inventing new ways of buying cheaply and new ways of underselling or attracting the customer the man who ignores all new methods and sticks doggedly to the old-fashioned methods will find himself out stripped in the race of life and industry. Today the solid, liquid and gas fuel in the shape of coal, oil, gasoline or alcohol and gas are all used for the generation of power…”
102 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Intelligence is the adaptive capability to the intellectual changes happening around you. Lines in the paragraph above provide an inspection to his mental makeup. He was a born inventor with clean, ambitious and intelligent mental makeup ready to choose the inevitable consequences of flow of time.
Stamping Press and fountain pen engraving machine used in the factory (Saha 2011).
Motive power chosen Dr Saha used internal combustion engine that usually used a liquid or a gaseous fuel instead of solid coal; such as kerosene, oil, gasoline and alcohol or gas from a blast furnace. He narrated his perception and philosophy behind the evolution of the engine; He wrote “... thus we see the mechanical trigger of the bow gave place to the chemical trigger of the gun, and the destructive chemical trigger of the gun-powder has now become after two thousand years, the peaceful motor in the ‘Battle of Business’ of the modern factory, bringing cheap power within the reach of
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 103 all and enabling the workmen of today to be their own masters in their small workshops.” Regarding engine choice he wrote that Kerosene –oil engine started from 1870, and was at that time largely used by small capitalists. He narrated that following classes of engines (revised by this author) were used in entrepreneurships: -
1. Hornsby- Akroyd Oil Engine: first successful internal combustion engine named after its inventor Herbert Akroyd Stuart and the manufacturer Richard Hornsby & Sons. 2. Manchester based Crossley type of Engine of Great Britain; since 1988 it has merged into ‘Rolls-Royce Power Engineering’. 3. The Campbell Type of engine of Halifax, England. 4. The Priestman Type of engine made by William Dent Priestman, 5. The Cundal Oil Engine made by R. Cundall & Sons Co. Ltd. 6. The Mietz and Weiss E n g i n e m a d e b y August Mietz and Carl W. Weiss 7. The Baker Engine made by A.D. Baker & Co. 8. Diesel Oil Engine Photograph of the machine room of the workshop (Saha 2011).
104 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen According to Saha (1911), diesel oil engine was the best oil engine and the most efficient heat motor in sizes of 75 horse-power and upwards. He was a progressive man of open mind and reliant on scientific and technological outcomes for the progress of human being. He was very much in favour of fast adopting changes in technological milieu. He wrote “The cheap mechanical power today has, by removing the old worldly bondage of mere brute work, converted man ‘the human machine’ into an intelligent brain worker in the factory lives of the globe.”
Choice of Lathe machine Lathe machine is an important component of most of the workshops including the fountain pen factory and is of great importance. Saha has studied in details regarding lathe machine and being an innovator has designed one or more of his own lathes suitable for the factory in order to increase pro- duction efficiency. This information has been written in his book as well as in the newspaper that reported the inauguration ceremony of the factory. Radhika Nath has written a brief history of the develo- pment of Lathe machine which is relevant to the study of Indian History of science and technology. He has explained how Indian Pen (Vulcanite body) polishing machine used at Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory (Saha 1911).
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 105 potter’s wheel has evolved into screw cutting lathe. According to him: - “The potter’s wheel which has been used from time immemorial in India and older than the Pyramids of Egypt, as also the Indian pole-lathe ascribed by some to the ancient Greeks about B.C. 1240 were the forerunner of modern lathe. The potter’s wheel worked in clay and the Indian pole- lathe with its fixed tool rest was solely used for wood work, the accuracy of the work depended on the steadiness of human muscles. The modern compound slide rest of the lathe was invented by Samuel Bentham in 1793 by means of which mathematical accuracy could be mechanically obtained. Joseph Bramah, the famous inventor of the hydraulic press and who had a pen patent as mentioned earlier in this book, also patented a slide rest in 1794. Henry Maudslay perfected the lathe, and the slide rest was finally adopted for screw-cutting and metal chiselling, which thus revolutionized the mechanical art by producing true surfaces in the lathe. How the older order changed? The Indian potter’s lathe and the pole-lathe, after myriads of cycles of events, evolved into the modern automatic screw cutting lathe.” (Some improvements in the name of inventors and related information have been made by the author of this book within the quoted lines for better understanding).
Significance of Rubber used as raw material in Luxmi pens Saha used both “soft vulcanized India-rubber and hard India-rubber or vulcanite or ebonite” in the manufacture of stylo and fountain pens. Regarding the history of science behind rubber use in industry Saha (1911) wrote the India rubber or ‘Caoutchouc’ was the dried gum of the rubber tree Jatropha elastica of Brazil in South America ( now called Hevea brasiliensis of Euphorbiaceae family commonly called South American rubber tree or para rubber tree of Amazon rain forest) and the Ficus elastica of Assam in India ( actually this was native to eastern part South East Asia belonging to Moraceae family and commonly called India rubber tree). The rubber trees grew wild chiefly in South America,
106 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Central America, Mexico, Africa and India. The Para rubber of Brazil was regarded as the best quality of rubber. The substance was known to be the natives of Peru and Haiti from time immemorial where the inhabitants used to play a game with the India-rubber balls. The use of rubber was also known to the aboriginal Lushai and other hill tribes of the North-Eastern hill tracts of India where they used to make round rubber balls. In earlier days rubber was made from Ficas elastica in India, but later Hevea brasiliensis was only used for being cost effective in processing and of better quality. After the discovery of America by Columbus in 1492, it was first mentioned by Herrera in the second voyage of Columbus. The French Chemist and Explorer, M. De La Condamine, in 1735, first introduced India-rubber into Europe. M.Fresnan in 1751 and M. Aublet in 1755 afterwards experimented with it. Dr Priestly, the English Chemist, in
Leather Buff machine of the workshop (Saha 1911).
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 107 Fly Stamping Press (Saha 1911).
1736, suggested the use of India-rubber for rubbing out pencil marks, and up to 1820 India- rubber, was used only for effacing pencil marks from paper. It was sold at that time for Rs 2 for a piece half-an-inch square. From this time it became an article of commerce. The vulcanized rubber was an exclusive industry of the nineteenth century, and its industry and applications were legion. The honour of the discovery of the process of vulcanizing rubber was bestowed to the American Charles Goodyear, in the year 1839. In 1844 Mr Thomas Hancock accidentally rediscovered this process in England; while examining rubber shoe imported from America he found that there were sulphur particles deposited on its sole, and he it was who made it a commercial success (Saha 1911). The rubber industry was thus a British industry at first. “The method of obtaining the crude rubber is to tap the trunk at a height of 6ft near its base by making a series of spiral cuts in the bark and draining
108 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen out the milky juice or sap into a clay cup fixed in the trunk, the rubber, thus obtained is cured by a process of fumigation or smoking over a fire, the vapour of which contains acetic acid and creosote.” Saha (1911) has made an attempt to discuss the use of rubber in Indian context particularly for his fountain pen industry. He has narrated “The Assam rubber was brought to the notice of the world by Dr Roxburgh. It was first exported to London in the year 1828. The first initiative in India was taken by the Government in the year 1860, and Mr James Collins was sent in 1872 by the ‘India Office’ to study it in America, and Mr C.R. Markham of Assam was sent in 1875 to Panama for the study.” The rubber tree of Panama is called Panama rubber which is native to Mexico, Central America and Northern parts of South America. The botanical name is Costilla elastica belonging to Moraceae family. Costilla latex is actually mixed with juce of Ipomoea alba (morning glory) to make it usable rubber. Saha has further informed that “the cost of the experiment to send delegates has been borne by the Indian Government. Today large plantations have been formed by the India Govt. in Assam, Darjeeling, Sikkim and Bhutan with Ficas elastica” (statement although under quotation yet, has been revised by this author with added information). From the Radhika Nath’s statement it is evident that despite Government already having information about superior quality Brazilian and Panama rubber through Collins and Markham, inferior quality Indian rubber trees have been planted in North East India for reasons unknown to us. This deserves mention that another rubber called Congo rubber is obtained from the genus Landolphia. Radhika Nath was in favour of recycling of used rubber and provided a review of the existing scenario of reclaimed rubber from the waste that could be anticipated for use in manufacturing pen. He also correctly predicted the golden future for rubber industry in India. Regarding “utilization of waste India –rubber”, he wrote “The quantity of reclaimed or waste rubber is more than ten thousand tons annually (Parker’s process). Mr A. Tixier, a French Chemist, discovered that vulcanized
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 109 rubber was soluble in Tirpinol upon which the regeneration of waste rubber was based. This process was patented in 1906. The inner tubes of bicycles and motor car tyres are regenerated by this process and can be easily done in India of which there is a great field.” Radhika Nath’s predictions and forecast became true soon after independence when industrialization began and rubber took a leading role along with iron and steel and other products.
Advertisement of ‘Swadeshi’ R.N. Saha pen created by Dr Saha; (Saha 1911).
110 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Three machines for ‘piercing’, ‘marking’ and ‘raising’, (Saha 1911).
Use of Vulcanized Rubber in Stylo Pen Factory Vulcanization is a chemical process, after which the rubber becomes hard, resilient, tensile, strong, hard and weather resistant. The word has been derived from the name “Vulcan”, the Roman God of fire. Here rubber is heated with sulphur, accelerator and activator at 140-1600 C and results in cross-linking between long rubber molecules. This basic process was discovered by Charles Goodyear (1800-1860) in 1839 and received Patent No. 3633 from US Patent Office on June 15th, 1844. He was a self-taught chemist. In Benares factory Saha adopted commercial ebonite available during that time which was prepared by mixing sulphur at an amount of 7 to 10 per cent with India rubber. The two ingredients were thoroughly mixed up by grinding in the masticating machine and subjected to a steam pressure at 2800 F for 2 to 3 hours in a closed vessel. There were also two other methods to create vulcanized rubber for commercial uses. These were ‘Hancock’s Process’ and ‘Parke’s
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 111 Cold Process’. Vulcanite or hard rubber (30 to 40 per cent) got the name ‘Ebonite’ as it initially started to replace the expensive Ebony wood. During the time around first decade of the 20th century, 16 countries manufactured vulcanized rubber. These were Germany, England, America, France, Austria, Italy, Russia, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, Japan and Portugal. Till World War II and few years beyond that Saha’s factory used to buy ebonite mostly supplied from whole sale market of Calcutta and Kanpur (at later stage). ‘The India Rubber and Gutta Percha & Telegraphic Wares Co.’ at Silvertown near London used to manufacture vulcanite rubber in England. This company supplied vulcanite and Ebonite to the Indian market through their office at Fairlie Place in Calcutta. There were other global vulcanite suppliers as well namely- the Scottish Vulcanite Company of Edinburgh; Dr Heinrich Traun Und Sohn, with a branch agency at London; The Harburg- Vienna Factory; and the American Hard Rubber Company (Saha 1911). Nib making in the Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory
Stages of gold nib making at Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory out of 14- carat gold sheet, designed by Dr. R.N. Saha; documentation by Subhajeet Saha
112 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Demonstration of nib making in the factory by Ayodhya Prasad, Head Mechanic before Bhagwan Das (Bharatratna) in presence of Gopal Saha in the year 1933; documentation by Subhajeet Saha.
In the book Saha (1911) described the requirements for nib making facility in a pen factory that he hopefully adopted in his factory. This could be an obvious inference that Saha followed the same structure for nib production in his factory. These requirements were listed as follows:
1. “Iron boxes and annealing furnaces. 2. The shearing press. 3. The rolling mill. 4. The micrometer gauge and specimen plates of the standard thickness of the manufactured pens. 5. The ‘blank’ cutting hand-fly vertical screw press with punches and hollow beds 6. The name- marking foot- drop frame press. 7. The embossing foot-drop frame press.
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 113 8. The piercing and side- slitting foot- drop frame press with punches and beds. 9. The nib-raising hand- fly screw press with punches and curved dies. 10. The tempering pans, cylinders and furnaces. 11. The scouring drums and polishing materials forming a shaking mill, worked by power. 12. The polishing emery wheel bobs and holding sticks machine, worked by power. 13. The pen-slitting hand- fly vertical screw press with razor like double cutters and rests. 14. The potting drums and iron cylinders. 15. The electroplating outfit, if required, worked by a dynamo.”
Letter of Dr Bon Behary Sadhu, a relative of Dr Saha from Chinsurah in 1921 regarding his difficulty, and desired intervention by Dr Saha.
114 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen A unique ‘Instant Calendar’ and a ‘Calendar Stylo Pen’ Dr Saha’s observation on the calendar prior to 1752 led him to give a remarkable invention which he later patented. History behind the invention : While describing the background information behind creating this pen Dr Saha wrote: “In England the old style of calendar ended on September 2ndof 1752 AD., and the new style of calendar reformation with the leap year commenced on the following day- that day being called September 14th, 1752. Thus, in that year the dates from September 3rd to 13th did not exist. Dr R.N. Saha fortunately for the first time observed that owing to the introduction of leap years in every 4th or Century year, a calendar year repeats like a recurring decimal every 5th, 6th or 11th year. Like most other important inventions, the evolution of the present perennial calendar did not spring into existence by a mere coincidence of so-called accidental discovery. We have various forms of beautiful annual or permanent calendars thrown at us from every side, thanks to the range of advertisement. With the ever increasing tide of progress and material advance of the age, the American stem –widening watches and the type- writer took the sleeping nineteenth century man by surprise, and in the twentieth century Dr R.N. Saha’s ‘Automatic Frame Calendar and Stylo Pen’ have become a necessary factor in the modern business correspondence and like his ‘Wireless Stylo Pen’ and ‘Tubular Feed Fountain pens’ are invaluable in all offices and professional man.” Saha further wrote: “The history of the art shows how step by step various forms of frame calendars, cabinet calendars, calendar clocks and watches, calendar bottles, calendar lockets and pencils came into existence. We have the ‘Somerville Daily Date Indicator’ combined with the ‘Monthly Date Indicator’ and the ‘Hanover Perpetual Date Indicator’ in the market. We see various forms of calculating charts for ascertaining dates from 1752 to 1952. We have the calculating of the so called perpetual calendar by H.F.L Meyer.” Saha (1911) wrote that “within the last forty years, inventors, one after the
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 115 other, followed the craze of inventing the so called perpetual calendar, not unlike the Alchemists attempt to find out the philosopher’s stone or the Machinist’s three-hundred years’ hunt after a ‘Perpetuum mobile’. This is shown by more than half a dozen patents in America”. Saha mentioned the names of some patentees of whom noteworthy were Charls R. Talcott (1886), the patentee of ‘perpetual dial calendar’, George Milne (1898), the patentee of ‘a reference and perpetual calendar’, Adolf Zachrisson (1900) the patentee of ‘calendar’, and the ten year’s calendar of the Whitehead & Hoag Co., (1904) who also patented ‘Bill-hook’. Saha opined that in all of these devices there were much confusion, “loss of
Instant Table Calendar patented by R.N. Saha, (Saha 1911).
116 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen time and labour and some need of calculation, key reference or substitution and liability for errors”. Thus, he argued that it was not a little credit to an Indian (means Dr Saha himself) for having perfected a foreign invention. Dr R.N. Saha’s innovated and patented automatic calendar was perfect, quick and easy to operate as well as quite lucid. It could be read at a glance from a distance; hence, no separate almanac was required to set it. Radhika Nath was awarded a gold medal and a substantial cash prize of Rs 1200/-by Raja Chandra Chur Singh of ‘Chandapur Estate’ of Rai- Bareli of Oudh for this useful and noteworthy invention (Saha 2011). He applied the same concept to his stylo pen and created the ‘Calendar Stylo Fountain Pen’. This pen is almost rare to see today and even a broken piece of this pen is a prized possession to any fountain pen collector. Dr Saha obtained British patent for this invention as discussed earlier.
Saha’s arguments for superiority of his pens Dr R.N. Saha claimed that his fountain pens were most perfect among existing fountain pens in the market. Rightly so, because his pens were based upon thoroughly sound and patented scientific principles and were simpler in construction than all other existing (all foreign brands prior to 1911) fountain pens in the market. Saha explained that Luxmi Stylo fountain pen’s mechanism “gives to the barrel its maximum capacity and altogether does away with the long air-tube inside the barrel, and the needle inside the writing- section of the existing types. The action of the pen is thus made more certain, and the flow of ink is uniform to the last drop.” It was further ascertained by Dr Saha that all the scientific principles of his stylo and fountain pens combined and coordinated excellently, which could be marked as one of the prime and foremost advantages for these pens. He wrote “The pen writes admirably, uses any kind of ink, always ready for use, and will not leak or blot. If used with
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 117 ordinary care and occasionally kept clean, it will give satisfaction as any writing instrument.” For cleaning the pen he recommended to unscrew the point section, screw section and the barrel and clean them thoroughly by rinsing with water. He pointed out that in order to keep the three tubes embedded in the screw section quite dry and clean, air must be blown through their orifices. This is worth mentioning that unlike other
Letter of Raja Chandrachur Sinha of Chandapur Estate of Rai- Bareli of Oudh to Dr R.N. Saha after receiving Pen Holders from Saha dated 13th April 1911 documented by Subhajeet Saha and photographed by Sovan Roy.
118 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen manufacturers, Dr Saha always emphasized on scientific and technological innovations of his pen rather than the usual non-scientific commercial aspects. He sold his patented products to the people and thus he was confident about the feasibility of his patents. This evinces his commands and self-gratification as an inventor.
Inks for stylographic and fountain pens produced by R.N. Saha
Leaflets advertising blue and black Swadeshi fountain and stylo pen inks made by Dr Saha at the Luxmi Stylo Pen Works Co. Babu Woopendra Nath Saha (W. N. Saha printed on the right pamphlet) was the first manager of the Calcutta branch office of the factory from where this ink was distributed to the markets.
The word ink was derived from the Latin word ‘tingere’ means to colour i.e. a liquid that produced colour. Dr R. N. Saha produced fountain pen
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 119 inks from his factory from the beginning of his industry. He produced Aniline writing inks by simply dissolving aniline colours in boiling water and then it was filtered. The addition of gum was not essential. According to him these inks could never clog or thicken on the pen. However, he derived basics from Lehner’s “Ink Manufacture”; Mitchell and Hepworth’s “Inks Composition and Manufacture.” Dr Radhika Nath (1911) described following ink making procedures followed at his factory:
1. Permanent Blue Black ink for Stylo-pens Re (Take of) Indigo carmine, pure : 1 drachm Gum Arabic, powdered : 150 grains Tannic Acid, pure and dry : 325 grains Pyrogallic Acid : 10 grains Ferrous Sulphate, pure : 220 grains Liquid Carbolic Acid : 1 drachm Simple Syrup : 90 minims Distilled water Mix : 20 ounces
2. Black aniline ink (Stylographic ink) is made with soluble nigrosine, when dissolved in the proportion of one part in 80 parts of water or one part in 200 parts of water. This solution keeps well, flows ready, and dries to a good black ink but lacks the permanency of iron gall ink. 3. Blue-black aniline ink is made with soluble aniline gray in 200 parts of water. Re Methyl violet : 4 grains Bengal green : 5 grains Bismarck brown : 3 grains Gum Arabic : 20 grains
Mix up well. This is a very cheap stylo-ink and is best suited for ordinary school or correspondence purpose.
120 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 4. Permanent blue black writing ink :- Re Bruised galls : 3 ounces Iron sulphate : 1 ounce Gum Arabic : 1 ounce Vinegar : 1 ounce Add cold water to make the volume up to 24 ounces. Now add Pure Indigo Carmine to give a blue tint of desired level. Macerate with frequent shaking for 14 days (two weeks) and then decant. 5. Preparation of an official ink:- Re Ferrous Sulphate : 30.0 parts by weight Pure dry Tannic Acid : 23.4 parts by weight Crystal Gallic Acid : 7.7 parts by weight Powdered Gum Arabic : 10.0 parts by weight Hydrochloric Acid dilute : 25.0 parts by weight Carbolic Acid : 1.0 part by weight Add water sufficient to make up the mixture at the temperature of 60 degree F., to the volume of 1000 parts by weight of water. 6. Red ink (coal tar dry ink):-
Re Magenta : 2 parts Gum : 5 parts Spirit : 10 parts Water : 100 parts The magenta is dissolved in spirit 90 per cent strong with the aid of gentle heat. This is then dissolved in cold water, and the solution filtered and then heated to boiling when the magenta solution is poured slowly into it by constant stirring. In fact, red magenta makes very beautiful red inks. Green crystals create a dark-red solution in spirit. 7. Scarlet ink:- Re Eosine (crystalline powder) : 2 parts Gum : 5 parts Spirit (90 per cent) : 10 parts Water : 100 parts Follow exactly the above process
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 121 Radhika Nath sold ink under the brand name ‘Dr R.N. Saha’s Blue- Black Stylo ink’ &‘R.N. Saha’s Stylo ink’ etc. through stationers and book sellers and distributed the ink primarily through their Calcutta office. In fact, his ink could be used for both of his stylo and fountain pens. Although some of us are acquainted with the Luxmi pen, without knowing its history, yet I am not sure if anybody of us prior to publication of this book, has any information about the ‘Dr R.N. Saha’s Swadeshi Inks’ that once has existed in the market. This is worthwhile to mention that in India Messrs P.M. Bagchi & Co., 16 Canning Street, Calcutta and Messrs D. Waldie & Co., Konnagar near Calcutta have been the earliest manufacturers of fountain pen inks in late 19th century. The third one hopefully has been made by Dr R.N. Saha at Benares immediately after the production of pens from his factory in 1907. Literature showed that an ink tablet called “JBD ink tablet” also existed in the Indian market. In 1924 three Bengali young ex-students from Santiniketan namely Hiten Nandy, Tarun Roy, and Sisir Sen created an ink company named “Kajol Kaali”; that ink was certified by Tagore. In the same year “Krishnabeni” ink was created and marketed from Madras. After the death of Radhika Nath, in 1934 “Sulekha” ink (by N. Maitra and S. Maitra) appeared from Rajshahi (now in Bangladesh) and later flourished all over India from Calcutta since 1936. The formula was made by the erstwhile chief chemist of the ‘Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical works’, Babu Satish Chandra Dasgupta. The formula was named as “Krishnadhara” and the brand or trade name was “Sulekha”. This Indian formula once ruled Indian market in the second half of 20th century prior to its closure. Presently they have started producing fountain pen ink again.
122 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Chapter 8 Miscellaneous discussions
Future of pen industries in India: forecast by Dr R.N. Saha Saha in 1911 anticipated a bright future for the pen industry in India. This prediction really reached its carnival during 1950s, 60s and 70s, when every corner of this nation manufactured fountain pens in almost all meaningful names available in the Dictionary, although his creation ‘Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory’ by that time tragically witnessed an untimely decline and subsequent extinction. Radhika wrote “The total population of India is nearly thirty crores and equal to that of the whole of Europe. The population of Bengal is little over seven crores. Out of thirty crores of population, over one crore of males and ten lacs of females are educated in the vernacular only. Over ten lacs of male people and fifteen thousand females are also educated in English. The Christian population of India is about forty lacs. There are over one-hundred and forty-seven different languages spoken in India. The number of registered printing presses in India in the year 1902 was one-thousand-two-hundred and eighty three in total, releasing seven hundred and eight newspapers and five hundred and seventy three periodicals. The number of annual publications in English is three hundred and twelve, and in vernaculars about seven thousand and eight only”.
Dr Saha further ascertained that “with the spread of ever increasing education as well as population, the consumption of writing material- pen, ink and paper is bound to develop enormously...” He informed that in
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 123 1909 more than 43 lacs of rupees worth of stationary sold in the Indian market. Dr Saha’s apprehensions proved correct. Luxmi Stylo did a roaring business in next 40 years.
Press opinions on stylo and fountain pens
Testimonial delivered by J. Donovan, I.C.S. at Barishal exhibition in 1929; documentation by Subhajeet Saha and photographed by Sovan Roy.
Luxmi Stylo Pen Works and its products prior to 1911 were reviewed by a number of contemporary newspapers. Almost all these documents were obtained from Saha (1911). The Statesman, Calcutta wrote: - “The stylo and fountain pens made at the Luxmi Stylo Pen Works, Benares, are extremely cheap: they write well, and are durable. They are both patents invented by Dr R.N. Saha, and the design in each case is of such simplicity that there is nothing to get out
124 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen of order. In the ‘wireless’ stylo- pen the long air tube in the barrel and the delicate needle inside the writing section, which gives so much trouble in most ‘stylos’, is done away with, while the fountain pen is made in the tubular feed system and is fitted with 14-carat gold nib, iridium tipped. For such good pens price is extremely low. The pens are manufactured in India by skilled Indian workmen, and are pure ‘swadeshi’.”
Advertisement of ‘swadeshi’ pen by Saha to motivate British Indians; documentation by Subhajeet Saha and photographed by Sovan Roy.
The Bengalee, Calcutta, wrote: - “Among the recipients of gold medals at the Noakhali Exhibition Dr R.N. Saha of Benares has been awarded a gold medal for his patent Stylo and Fountain Pens, manufactured at the Luxmi Stylo-Pen Works, Benares.”
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 125 Advertisement of ‘swadeshi’ pen by Saha; documentation by Subhajeet Saha and photographed by Sovan Roy.
The Indian daily news, Calcutta, wrote: - “A new industry and one which deserves every encouragement is the manufacture of Stylo and Fountain Pens made by the Luxmi –Stylo Pen Works Co., of Benares. They also manufacture a Stylo and Fountain Calendar Pen and an automatic desk calendar which are marvels of ingenuity.”
126 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Testimonial given by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya to Dr R.N. Saha; documentation made by Subhajeet Saha and photographed by Sovan Roy.
Opinions of British India Government officials Saha (1911) printed the following reviews of L.S.P.W products. All these reviewers were elite officials of the then Government, Bank etc.
E.H. Radce, Esq., C.I.E., Collector and Magistrate, Benares, wrote: - “I visited today the Luxmi Stylo Pen Works this morning. I had no idea anything so good and complete in a small way existed in Benares. All the work from the rough materials is made on the spot, and even one of the lathes and the majority of the tools have been made here. I wish Dr R.N. Saha’s enterprise every success.” (Part of his comment was referred by a popular newspaper that reported the inaugural ceremony).
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 127 Certificate for silver medal given in first ‘United Provinces District Board’s Exhibition, 1924’ at Benares; documentation by Subhajeet Saha and photographed by Sovan Roy.
C.A.C. Streatfeild, Esq., I.C.S., Collector, Benares, wrote: - “I visited the manufactory of Dr R.N. Saha’s Patent ‘Swadeshi’ Stylographic Pen. The work is managed by Dr R.N. Saha, who has shown much enterprise and ingenuity in putting up the factory and working it. The pens write very well indeed.”
W. Gaskell, Esq., I.C.S., Collector, Benares, wrote: - “I visited the Luxmi Stylo- Pen Works of Dr R.N. Saha, Benares. I was extremely interested in the work which I saw, and in the Fountain Pen and Calendar Pen inventions of Dr Saha.”
128 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen A.P. Collett, Esq., I.C.S., Joint Magistrate, Benares, wrote: - “I have been most interested in seeing Dr R.N. Saha’s Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory. The ingenuity of the inventions and the manner in which all the parts and even the machinery are made locally mark out the proprietor as a pioneer of Indian Scientific Enterprise.”
A hand written certificate given by Bhagawan Das (Bharat Ratna) on 22.10.33 at Benares after demonstration of pen turning and a gold nib making by G.C. Saha at the Luxmi pen factory soon after Dr R.N. Saha’s death; documentation by Subhajeet Saha and photographed by Sovan Roy.
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 129 G.O. Allen, Esq., I.C.S., Assistant Magistrate, Benares wrote: - “I have been most interested to see Dr R.N. Saha’s Fountain Pen Factory, and consider it an exceedingly praiseworthy undertaking which does him great credit. I can testify to the excellence of the pens as I am now using one.”
W.J.O. Gready Gee, Esq., A.M.I.C.E., Benares, wrote: - “Dr R.N. Saha has shown me over his ‘Luxmi Stylo-Pen Works’ where I saw his patent wireless Stylo and patent tubular feed Fountain pens being turned out. The whole process was most interesting, and I wish Dr Saha every success in his undertaking.”
Mr and Mrs A.L. Kaye with Mr C.U. Peters of the U.P. Police, Benares wrote: - “We have been round Dr R.N. Saha’s Stylo-Pen Works and found them very interesting.”
W.E. Wood, Esq., Superintending Engineer, U.P., wrote: - “I visited the Luxmi Stylo Pen Works and was kindly shown over the workshop by Dr R.N. Saha. He seems to turn out work quickly and neatly, and evidently takes a great deal of interest in it.”
G.J.M. Hamilton, Esq. Agent, Bank of Upper India, Ld., Allahabad, wrote: - “I have inspected the Luxmi Stylo-Pen Factory of Dr Saha. It is most interesting and deserves every encouragement. These are the lines in which India should work out its own salvation on the industrial plane.”
Some unsolicited opinions, as described by Saha (1911)
P. Bruhl, Esq., Assistant Secretary to Government of India and Professor C.E. College, Sibpur, wrote: - “Dr Saha’s patent Stylo-Pen is simpler than those in the market, is based upon sound scientific principles, is simple in construction and certain in action.”
130 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen R.W.F. Shaw, Esq., MA., Principal Hooghly College, wrote: - “Dr Saha’s Stylo Pen is very satisfactory and free from the defects which characterize the pens of the market.”
B. Heaton, Esq., Principal C.E. College, Sibpur wrote: - “Dr R.N. Saha’s patent fountain –pen is a distinct improvement on the existing types.”
K.G. Gupta, Esq. Formerly Member, Board of Revenue, now Member India Council, London, wrote: - “Your pen is neat, durable and well made, and the ink flows freely.”
L.G. Fischer, Esq., I.M.S., Civil Surgeon, Dehra Dun, wrote: - “After trying Dr R.N. Saha’s Stylographic pen I find it written very well, the ink flowing readily. It is decidedly a cheap pen and good value.”
P.E. Butcher, Esq., Resident Surgeon of the Government X-Ray Institute, Dehra Dun, writes: - “I have used Dr R.N. Saha’s pens. They are extremely well made, and in appearance and utility they are equal to the European articles.”
Press appreciations for Saha’s book ‘Romance of Pen Industries’
The Capital, Calcutta wrote: - “With prodigious industry Dr R.N. Saha has written a book on the evolution of the Pen. The book contains much curious and useful information, and we commend it with a light heart to all students who want to be entertained.”
The Calcutta university Magazine wrote: - “The ‘Romance of Pen Industries’ is a book from the pen of that renowned inventor of ‘Wireless Stylo’ – Dr. R.N. Saha. The title of the book does not adequately describe the scope and nature of the work, for the ‘Pen Industries’ – their method
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 131 and their history – are the central theme round which he weaves a net of subsidiary discussion of various topics of national importance, e.g., Western Education and its invigorating and energising effects, the influence of Pax Britannica in developing the moral and material welfare of the country, the utility of Industrial exhibitions etc. In his treatment of these several topics he impresses into service a vigorous style and an astonishing knowledge of the varied subjects dealt with. The chapters dealing with the manufacture and history of Stylo Pens (which also give an account of the Doctor’s own progressive and successful endeavours on the same lines) are particularly interesting; ...” “...It would be useful to journalists, to students of Indian Economics and to future pioneers of Indian Industries.” (Calcutta University Magazine published an Advertisement of Luxmi Stylo and Fountain Pens probably in Vol. XX, No. 11-12, November-December issue. Yet to be verified)
The South Indian Mail, Madurai wrote: - “Dr R.N. Saha the founder of Luxmy Stylo Pen Works of Benares published an instructive volume entitled ‘Romance of Pen Industries.’ The book covers a vast field of information, much more than what its title signifies. It is profusely illustrated and is very neatly printed and strongly bound. All those who are academically and practically interested in the industries will find a mine of information in the book. The manufacture of nibs, paper, fountain pens, etc. full information on Indian paper mills, pen factories and pencil industries and such allied subjects as typewriters, wood engraving, photo engraving etc. are all dealt with by the author. Technical education, administrative relation to industries, social matters connected to the industrial progress and factory matter are also explained. The author has done a great service to his country-men by publishing such an invaluable book as the one under reference. It costs Rs 5.” The Indian Patriot, Madras wrote: - “Dr R.N. Saha, who is the author of
132 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen this remarkable book, in not a new author. He is known man, known enough to have his books known through him...”
Document that proves publication of advertisement of Saha's pen in Calcutta University magazine
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 133 Chapter 9
Legacy of Radhika Nath Saha in India and post-colonial Banaras
Today Radhika Nath’s descendant Subhajeet who live in present day ‘Banaras’ is desperately saving relics of his family heritage in spite of several constraints. Local administration virtually has no idea of the contributions made by this family in the history of science, history of entrepreneurial development of this nation through invention, and also in local socioeconomic developments. Downfall of culture, language, heritage, and deplorable livelihood of many Bengali families who’s forefathers once drifted from Bengal to Varanasi and had demonstrated a glorious past in ‘Benares’ have become evident in the present day ‘Banaras’ of Independent India. The race that once has contributed greatly to the cultural, social and financial enrichment of the city now finds it arduous to sustain their language, heritage and livelihood simultaneously, as far as this author has witnessed during his seven years continuous stay at Subhajeet Saha, the grandson of Banaras . Radhika Nath. Photo: Sovan Roy
134 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Decline and virtually obliteration of Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory soon after independence was caused by both external and internal reasons. Radhika Nath’s son Gopal Chandra Saha was only twenty two years of age when he had to take over the baton left by his deceased father. Initially it looked apparently smooth; however, management related complexities gradually started to arise and it became a herculean task for young Gopal to operate. The decade of 1930s culminated to 1940s. Cloud of World War II was looming in the sky, and the noose of constraints tightened up from all angles; despite every attempt it was cumbersome for Gopal Chandra to sustain the business for a long time under the perturbations. The whole operation was not always smooth. Record showed that there might have been legal wars even during Radhika Nath’s lifetime. Radhika himself fought a legal case against Jotish Chandra Sadhu in 1923. However, as the 2nd World War began, imports and availability of ebonite and other essential things in India were facing jeopardy. As the time passed, the company’s liability increased. It was not a cottage industry but a big factory with both voluminous assets and liabilities. Day to day running expenditure was high. Supply of raw materials, distribution and sell of pens in the market were severely affected due to price rise and social uncertainty. Further, cheaper new pens made of plastic moulds started to appear in the market since 1940s. The situation demanded a rapid change and incorporation of new technologies in the luxmy Stylo Pen factory to create new models of plastic moulded fountain pens as well. Input of more funds to the industry became essential. Another alternative was innovation of new technologies and extreme managerial capabilities of an inventor like Radhika Nath. None of these were possible. Further, in post- world war scenario the stress of partition of India created a psychological barrier between two different classes of artisans and labourers based on religion. Many of them left the industry. Banking system virtually faced stalemates in many fronts during partition. Many big, medium and small
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 135 entrepreneurs during that time had to shut down their business permanently in many parts of India. Gopal Chandra desperately tried to sustain his paternal entrepreneurship, but the history wrote he too didn’t succeed. Industry was gradually becoming sick with diminishing assets and increasing liabilities and somehow survived till early 1950s, when possessions of both factory building and land premises were relinquished out under the pressure of compelled compromise to reduce liabilities. The golden age of fountain pens had just begun in India and more and more manufacturing units already started to bring their products to the market created through new technologies. Plastic pens gradually started to dominate. During such a juncture when the market was ripe for fountain pens, ‘Luxmi Stylo’ a company by and large, nearing fifty years of eventful glorious life with already an established base of customers along with a rich heritage of technological innovations and confidence in the Indian market had to face extinction. Companies made by Parker, Waterman and other inventor entrepreneurs in Europe were gradually expanding round the globe under British control, but the same type of world class entrepreneurship of an Indian (rather say British Indian) inventor fast declined to obliterate not only from the industrial scenario but, holistically from the literature of the Indian history of science and technology, and to add further, the name disappeared from the mind of people of India and even Banaras. There was no provision for a separate and detailed discussion on the extinction of the company in this book as this was a family entrepreneurship and many other speculated reasons behind might not be within the purview of discussion by the author of this book. Radhika Nath however, left away a great legacy of fountain pen patenting and entrepreneurship in India. He stayed at the close vicinity of one of the renowned Universities of the world but, this author had no information if he had been ever honoured or felicitated by the University. This author would be happy to know about any evidence of felicitation if happened
136 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen could be discovered. However, Radhika Nath probably had read out papers in his multifaceted expertise in some of the symposiums of the Banaras Hindu University. Whatever be the prevailing scenario in Benares, being a fountain pen inventor as well as entrepreneur Dr Saha came in contact with a number of persons who were deeply influenced and motivated by his success.
Print on the back side of the fountain pen box marketed by F.N. Gooptu during his lifetime. Text writes that Gooptu started fountain pen production since 1911; Advertisements published by Gooptu’s company in the newspaper at the end of the 1940s, i.e. some years prior to their closure however, generalized the history in such a way that it appeared all their activities started in the year of inception of the company-1905? photographed and documented by Chandranath Chattopadhyay.
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 137 As soon as the book ‘Romance of pen Industries’ was released in 1911, many Indian entrepreneurs became interested in pen manufacturing. Hopefully after R.N. Saha obtained the first Indian fountain pen patent in 1900 and British patent in 1902, the news created a great impact among educated people. This was evident from Tagore’s request letter in 1910, for getting Saha’s patented fountain pens. This author apprehended that during the period around 1910 to 1930 many localized handmade imitated fountain pen makers might had appeared in some parts of India as a cottage industry and vanished in short time. However, all were probably trying to make copybook fountain pens. None were inventors and probably had no indigenously patented product. One prominent pen manufacturer that strongly appeared in India by that time was Fanindra Nath Gooptu, eldest son of Dr Dwaraka Nath Gooptu, and grandson of Gopal Chandra Gooptu, who pioneered industrial fountain pen manufacturing in Calcutta in 1911, through his already incepted (1905?) company F.N. Gooptu & Co., first founded at 5, Middleton Street, which was the residence of his grandfather ( In fact, Gooptu initiated the factory with an objective to do a variety of business) and later, the office was shifted to 12, Beliaghata Road, Calcutta. He initially created pen holders and later handmade pens were made, and further later established a big factory of fountain pens through importing machineries from abroad to Calcutta. By and large, he was contemporary to Saha in industrial pen manufacturing. As mentioned earlier in this book that F.N. Gooptu’s pen had a mention in P.G. Mavalankar’s article written in 1948 (see ‘M. K. Gandhi used to write with R.N. Saha’s fountain pen’, written earlier). It appeared to this author from multiple emergent conclusions based on different evidences that on the Gooptu’s pen barrel, “Raishaheb F.N. Gooptu” was written prior to Gandhi’s ‘Swadeshi movement’ call. Later the word ‘Raishaheb’ ( British title of honour for elite British friendly educated Indians) was removed particularly after the visit of Gandhi to their factory (?). ‘Gooptu’s Perfection’ was their most popular brand,
Note : Some are of opinion that ‘Raishaheb’ has been written on his parsonal pen only.
138 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen which also came in limited editions with a 'mother of pearl' finish. Gooptu family which belonged to the elite class of Calcutta, produced beautiful fountain pens that conqured the heart of many people in India. In fact by the end of 1910s and beginning of 1920s both Dr R.N.Saha and F.N.Gooptu ruled the fountain pen market in many parts of the undivided nation with India-made fountain pens as they both were market rivals. But this pen too perished simultaneously with Luxmi fountain pens. In Benares too, many businessmen started fountain pen business around 1950s. Luxmi stylo Pen practically dominated Benares and a large part of Indian market during the first half of the twentieth century. Ultimately, the virtual stoppage of lot- production from the company in post- independence period after 1947, created a huge lacuna in the local market of cheap but good quality fountain pens. This vacuum in Benares was filled up by a local pen seller named Tara Prasad Sahu, who obviously knew ‘Luxmi Pen Works’ very well for being involved in pen business for some time, and was deeply influenced by Saha’s success. Sahu was the son of Raja Ram Gupta, a cattle feeder around 1920s and 1930s, who used to feed cattle and horse particularly in a stable in Benares where horses for commercial and personal uses were kept. Tara Prasad was a very gentle and polite man who came from a financially weaker section of the society and had to struggle for day to day survival. He probably used to obtain pens from Calcutta based supplier and hawked those pens in late 1930s and 40s, targeting students of Banaras Hindu University and other schools and colleges. Being son of a financially impoverished father, he started hawking fountain pens only at an age of 13 years, i.e. during the second half of 1930s for his livelihood. T.P. Sahu was contemporary to G.C. Saha, the son of Radhika Nath. Radhika Nath has been no more after 1933; his grandson Subhajeet Saha (Shankar) the youngest son of Gopal Chandra, who is now 65 years of age in 2019 is desperate to save the relics of his grandfather in spite of several constraints, with an expectation that a beautiful day shall come when
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 139 evidences saved by him shall bring the long deserved recognition from the people of his motherland to his deceased Grandfather. Subhajeet has actively helped this author to write this book with the supply of many of the important documentary evidences related to the contributions of Radhika Nath. Tara Prasad was likely to be aware of Luxmi Pen’s downfall in the 1940s, when agents of ‘Luxmi Stylo’ were unable to provide an adequate supply of pens to the local market. Tara Prasad’s small business remained unaffected as he used to get other pen brands sourced from Calcutta. He conjectured the future success of his outsourcing pen business. In 1946, T.P. Sahoo established a pen shop named ‘Penco’ on the left side of the road from Godowlia to Dashashwamedh Ghat. Penco in 1960s started selling pens in its own brand name ‘Penco’. Penco nibs were also there in the market. Penco’s pens were largely made by B. P. Vishwakarma, who was a master ‘pen turner’ of Benares in post ‘Luxmi Stylo Pen Works’ era, although G.C.Saha and his eldest son Ajit Saha were still turning unbranded fountain pens from their home at a low key. Vishwakarma used to create his hand made fountain pens at his own little workshop at ‘Malabazar’ of Chowk at Varanasi. Tara Prasad passed away on 31.05.1996 at an age of 73 years. Penco continued creating pens through Vishwakarma till time around 2000 A.D., when production of fountain pens for public use no longer remained a profitable business. Vishwakarma also made pens for several other brands as well as wholesalers from his Malabazar workshop. Apart from Penco, there were one or two more brands of fountain pens from Banaras during late second half of the last century, They usually outsourced bulk of their products from Vishwakarma and different plastic pen makers and suppliers. Demise of Vishwakarma early in twenty first century, brought an end to the fountain pen making legacy of Benares, initiated and brought to cardinal by Dr Radhika Nath Saha since the first decade of the twentieth century.
140 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Late Tara Prasad Sahoo, founder of Penco at Benares. Documentation by Nishant Sahu; hoarding photographed by Sovan Roy.
Penco is still now existing and running as a normal shop with pen and stationary business when this book is being first published in 1919. They sell all types of pen of different Indian and foreign brands as well as inks and other stationary items. As time demands they have also changed a lot for survival. Present owners Sital Prasad Sahu (b.1953) and his son Nishant Sahu maintain a display of fountain pens of 20th century in their shop. Although in spite of several adversaries, they are keen to continue their family business as long as possible, yet clouds of uncertainty and doubt are looming in front of their eyes too in face of fast changing world. By 1930s South Indian quality pens from Ratnam appeared and dominated in regional market. More brands appeared in 1940s from
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 141 almost all parts of India and in 1950s it was tough competitions among several Indian brands along with foreign players. Actually in all parts of India locally made pens dominated in the later half of 20th century. However, one particular brand named ‘Wilson’ was an exception that appeared in 1940s and marketed several varieties of their pens all over India with their business controlled finally from Bombay till the end of 20th century. But, the soul of the genius Radhika Nath whimpered silently. Perhaps no pen brand of Indian origin had their own multi-nationally patented pens except Luxmi Stylo Pen Works, the brain child of a great inventor and the ‘Father’ of Indian fountain pen. In 1950s/60s/70s perfect decades of fountain pens arrived in India after freedom with the augmentation of education. However, the pioneering legendary pen man of India and his creations not only perished but surprisingly faded away completely into the dark dungeon of oblivion.
Learning from Radhika Nath episode of Indian science and technology history Dr Radhika Nath, the legend returns through this book of history of science. Unremembered, neglected and concealed polymath of Bengal who has lived and worked in Benares has been made alive again with his credentials as far as possible. The forgotten and unsung hero has left over a glorious legacy in ‘Benares’, but present generation of ‘Banaras’, does not even know that an inventor who may be called ‘the Parker or Waterman of India’ has lived and flourished his entrepreneurship in this ancient city. What could be the reason? Why the name of a man with such an inventing capabilities and temperament vaporized like camphor? Answer was perhaps rooted in the deep core of our illegitimate basic understandings about science and scientists. Banaras Hindu University exists just at a bicycle distance from Dr Saha’s residence. There has been no evidence of Saha’s attachment to the University nearest to his home except reading out papers in Symposiums.
142 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Like many world famous European Inventors, Saha never got employed in any university department. He was a doctor but a born inventor of fountain pen technologies. Plenty of researchers and scientists publish series of papers with routine and repetitive methods imposing alterations of treatments to satisfy hypothesis, most of which to be frank carry no practical relevance to the necessity of the society or ecosystem holistically. Many try to imitate papers of foreign origin in their own habitat context. Saha went on inventing technologies, patented those technologies and used those as start-up technologies, for successful income generation, providing employment to people and ensuring livelihood directly or indirectly to numerous people. Innovation only can spontaneously bring changes to the existing condition of a society to positive side. Only one innovation can provide employment to any number of people. However, only unbiased, stable, justified, and logical society can nurture scientific creativity and spontaneously produce innovators as every scientific innovation is not dedicated for public entertainment rather most of these are meant for spontaneous development and wellbeing that rarely get publicity. When innovation is the necessity of survival and flourishing, then society shall spontaneously generate and nurture people with innovative capabilities and meaningful creativity. Corruption, lawlessness, nepotism in the organization as well as political- racial- parochial biasness and discrimination by the people in control can never encourage spontaneous development of scientific talents and inventors. Biased- unfair practices in the academics, research organizations and Institutes end up with incapable and undeserving scientists involved in routine, repetitive production of trash in the name of scientific literature, or at the most useless patents year after year with no relevance to the requirement of the social ecosystem at large. Dependence of policy makers on such undeserving scientists and academicians leads to the generation of
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 143 erroneous policy and sustained failure in the sector of innovation and invention. Malpractices in academic milieu encourage the origin of opportunists engaged in unwanted and undesired activities and consequently the system ever fails to innovate. A stable civil society ensuring unbiased damnation of the amorals is the essential criterion for the prosperity and creation of innovators and inventors as this delivers a healthy atmosphere for nurturing good potentialities. Further, throughout the world artisans have made thousands of inventions in the course of human evolution and development. Since the inception of civilization, barring a few cases most of the spontaneous innovations and inventions have come from the artisans involved in works for day to day livelihood. Such artisans were barely involved in academic institutions or Universities, rather a number of them didn’t even have any formal education. Disciplined civilizations that revered and privileged artisans and expressed equal respect to all professions emerged as the developed civilizations of the world. Saha being a civilian inventor and businessman with own start-up technologies was not given due importance by the academic community of Independent India for an inherent apathy to a non-academic scientist. Saha’s descendants also could not shake away their incapabilities to bring him in front of the world in a proper way. However, occasional discrete efforts of Subhajeet with information input to local Hindi and English newspapers for printing small supplementary features loaded with least verified information through local journalists, yielded output so insignificant that rarely created any impact. Many of the present day inventions however, require involvements of high tech instruments provided only in Universities and Institutes. Such atmosphere demands for bias less merit oriented, creative people’s involvements in the Universities and Institutes. Otherwise, production of trash in the name of research papers shall continue forever and the competent authorities in many parts of the world have to carry forever, the burden of many useless so called scientists in the society. Intensity of
144 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen neutral, unbiased, equitable, impartial and impersonal administration determines the innovative capability and providence of a civilization.
My pilgrimage to Banaras The road that ascends up from Dashashwamedh kissing the Ganges moves straight to Luxa, and on the way leaves aside the Vishwanath temple on the right, and passes through busy Godowlia crossing at the centre, life centre of present day Banaras and leaving the St. Thomas Church on the left hand side the road gradually moves further towards west when exactly before Ramakrishna Mission at Luxa a lane moves right towards a place where dreams of an undocumented inventor of Benares once have flourished and perished. Many such roads and ways ascend from the ghats on the Ganges and spread further up like a spider net. These ascending networks of ways, alleys and roads, witnessed the descending footsteps of prophets, saints, monks, musicians, philosophers, poets, novelists, scholars, kings, invaders, plunderers, looters, harlots and billions of pilgrims since immemorial days of sixth century B.C. when the shine of Kashi existing on the confluence of the Ganges between the rivers Varuna on the north and the Asi (Assi) on the south, culminated into Varanasi. Maharaja Brihadratha swaggered with his army on these senile roads of mahajanapada that also witnessed the battle with Kosala. In ‘Markandeya Purana’ ‘Maharaja Harishchandra’ ratified his own truthfulness before the lord ‘Dharmaraja’ in this mahajanapada. Gautama Buddha enlightened Kondanna at her vicinity through ‘Dharma Chakra Pravartana’. Here the great Tulsidasa created the monumental epic ‘Ramcharit Manas’. Here Qamruddin Khan transformed into Bismillah through his magical melody of Shehnai. Soldiers of the plunderers Qutub-ud-din Aibak in the 13th century and Aurangzeb in the 17th century pranced with their swords on these ancient roads; but the city never died. She enticed prophets, philosophers and noble men ever and ever as Sri Chaitanya, Guru Nanak,
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 145 Totapuri, Ramakrishna Paramahansha, Vivekananda, James Prinsep, Mirza Ghalib, Rabindranath Tagore, Mohandas Gandhi, and many others had to come and stay at least for one or more times on her spiritual lap. It is the holiest city of Hindoos. In this city, flames of funeral pyres at Manikarnika (where rests the ‘Manikundala Karnahara’ i.e. ear ring of ‘Dakshayani’) never die down. Here the scores of strumpets dance their waists with the rhythms of dancing flames flickering from the funeral pyres and sounds of the ghungroos. Lights from these funeral pyres have enlightened yogis, prophets, poets, widow, sinners, harlots and plunderers through ages. This light can never die in the “city of light”. It enlightens the eternal soul to sanctity as people come here to die since time immemorial, although I myself went there not to die but to live. Yes, I went there to know how to live. I lived in her dark and senile vennels and ginnels where centuries coexisted together, I lived in her sunny quays of the Ganges that flowed northward, and I lived in the misty chilled winter mornings among her ever awakened people between sacred temples and mosques; I lived in her rainy nights of thunderstorms under the lightning of knowledge. I lived where lights came out from the eyes of ‘Bhairava’. The city and its people filled me with treasure that kept me moving on the sunlit path for the rest of my life, but alas! I seldom heard the silent call from a fore past inventor who left this world unrecognised. I never understood why I returned to her lap time and again although no one called me to come, but my ‘time’ pulled me back to the city as if I left some tasks undone. My sense of perseverance failed to look at insight until that fine morning I wonder, when my perception listened to the voice summoned from the ‘heaven’ that I had to return again to my city of light to light-up an entirely neglected golden lamp of Indian history of science and technology.
146 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen User's mannual of Luxmi Stylo and fountain pens (Page 1)
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 147 User's mannual of Luxmi Stylo and fountain pens (Page 2)
148 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Chronology
1870- Birth at Chinsurah of West Bengal. Date unknown. 1892- Published ‘Capillary Brut’ as a joint author with his father. 1897- Published ‘Stylography of the English Language’ as a joint author with his father. 1899- Published ‘Sarala Barna Jnan’ as a joint author with his father. Designing of Indian Stylo type fountain pen. 1900- Filing of Applications for Indian and German (18.07.1900) Patents at their respective patent offices. Indian Patent No. 187 received for his “Wireless Stylo Pen” as a resident of Chinsurah, Bengal. 1901- Patent application filed for ‘Wireless Stylo Pen’ to British Patent Office. 1902- British Patent No. 18583 received for his ‘Wireless Stylo Pen’ as a residence of Rangamati villa, Chowmatha, Chinsurah, in Bengal. German patent granted after much opposition in December. First Indian origin prototype pen manufacturing starts at Chander Nagar (Chandannagar) in West Bengal (now) by Nilmony Karmakar in accordance with Radhika Nath’s patent. Father shifted to Benares from Chinsurah along with family. R.N. Saha stayed at Chinsurah/ Calcutta to complete his medical studies. 1903- Nilmony Karmakar completes the manufacture of first hand made pen of Indian origin in accordance with Radhika Nath's patent. Luxmi Stylo Pen Factory establishment initiates. German patent received for the same pen. Company got registered. 1904- Indian Patent No. 200 received for ‘Calender Stylo and Fountain Pens’. Radhika Nath receives Medical degree. Luxmi pen factory establishment continues. 1905- Luxmi pen factory establishment continues. Labour training continues for the factory. Hand turned and engine operated trial pens (both fountain and stylo types) produced for standardization, and training. 1906- Luxmi pen factory establishment completes. Labour problem just prior to inauguration of the factory. Labours demand higher wage. Factory opening postponed. New set of labour training starts. 1907- Indian Patent No. 394 was obtained for further improvement in wireless stylo pen. Inauguration of India’s first engine turned fountain pen factory at Luxmikunda, Benares. Beginning of Luxmi Stylo Pen Works Co. Ltd. 1908- Application filed for obtaining American Patent 1909- ? 1910- Receives the prestigious American Patent No. 962982 for “Fountain Pen” as a resident of Benares, India for his improved wireless stylo type pen. Rabindra Nath Tagore requested Dr Saha that he wanted to buy his patented fountain pens. Scientific American praised Saha's invention.
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 149 1911- Published the monumental authentic work “Romance of Pen Industries”. Birth of his eldest son Gopal. Attended Coronation Durbar of the King Geroge the Fifth with his father, held at Delhi from 7th to 16th December, after being invited by the Indian Government. 1912- ? 1913- ? 1913- ? 1914- ? 1915- ? 1916- ? 1917- Became Non-Resident Member of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. 1918- ? 1919- ? 1920- ? 1921- ? 1922- ? 1923- ? 1924- ? 1925- Became a member of the British Institute of Philosophical Studies. Father Brojo Nath died on 14th December. 1926- Applications filed in Indian and British patent offices for improvements related to stylographic and fountain pens. Application filed in British patent office for another two patents related to calendar stylo/ fountain pens and safety type of fountain pens. 1927- Indian Patent No 12674 accepted and published for ‘Improvements in and relating to Stylographic and Fountain Pens and the like’. British Patent No. 273,884 accepted and published as ‘Improvements in and relating to Stylographic and Fountain Pens’. British Patent Number 283262 published in the name of “Improvements in calendars, calendar fountain pens and pencils and the like”. British Patent No. 277844 published as “An improved packing to prevent leakage in propelling or ‘safety’ type of fountain pens. 1928- Delivered at least 8 lectures in Fifth Indian Oriental Conference at Lahor. 1929- Mahatma Gandhi started using Luxmi Fountain pen of R.N. Saha after being gifted by Siva Prasad Gupta at Varanasi. 1930- ? 1931- ? 1932- Health deteriorates 1933- Radhika Nath Saha passed away on 24th February in Benares.
150 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Further Reading Adolf Zachrisson (1900). Calendar. U.S. letters patent no 658309, dated 18th September 1900. Allahabad High Court (1923). Radhika Nath Saha vs Jotish Chandra Sadhu on 21st May 1923- Judgement. Walsh,j. https://indiankanoon.org/doc/661101/ Bengal and Assam, Behar and Orissa. Their history, people, commerce and industrial resources. The Foreign and Colonial Compiling and Publishing Co. 1917. Pages 671. Charles R. Talcott (1886). Perpetual dial calendar. US patent no. US 342981A. Chisholm, Hugh, (editor) (1911). Lusai Hills. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 17, (11th edition). Cambridge University Press. P.130. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_ Encyclop%c3%A6dia_Britannica/Lushai_Hills George Milne (1898). A reference and perpetual calendar. Great Britain patent no. GB189812787A. Gooptu Stobraj (2015). History of Dr D. Gooptu. dgooptu.bolgspot.com ; 10th July. History of Dip Pens. www.historyofpencils.com/writing-instrumentshistory/dip-pen-history/ Hunter, W.W. (1868). The Annals of Rural Bengal. Smith Elder & Co. London. Pages 475. WBDG. Hutchinson, R.H. Sneyd. (1906). An Account of Chittagong Hill Tracts. Calcutta : Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. Hutchinson, R.H. (1909). Eastern Bengal and Assam District Gazetteers : Chittagong Hill Tracts. Pioneer Press. Allahabad. La Fargue, G.V. (1836a). Notes sur les effects de quelques medicaments introduits sous Pepidermic. C.R. Acad Sci. Paris, 2: 397-398, 434. La Fargue, G.V. (1836b). Lettre de M. Le Docteur La Fargue de Saint- Emilion, Sur Pinoculation de la morphine avecLe Lancette. Bull. Acad. Med. Paris, 1: 13-18. La Fargue, G.V. (1836c). Lettre de M. Le Docteur Le Fargue Saint- Emilion. Bull Acad Med Raris, 1: 40-42. Lewin, T.H. (1869). The Hill Tracts of Chittagong and the Dwellers therein, with Comparative Vocabularies of the Hill Districts. Bengal Printing Company Ltd., Calcutta. India. Lister, Joseph (1867). Principles of the Practice of Surgery. British Medical Journal; 21st September, 1867. (1967, British Medical Journal Reprint). Mavalankar, P.G. (1948). Reminiscences of Gandhi: Sweet and Sad. Mahatma Gandhi Information Website of Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya, 19 Laburnum Road, Gamdevi, Mumbai-400007. (www.gandhi-manibhavan.org/eduresources/chap10.htm ) Nevill, H.R. (1909). Benares: A Gazetter. Volume XXVI of the District Gazetters of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. Govt. Press, United Provinces. Paul, Lewis A. [Wichita, Kans., assigner to Beech Aircraft Corporation, Wichita, Kans., a corporation of Delaware] (1947/ 1952). Writing and Drawing Implement. U.S. Patent no 2,595,097. Pages 3.
Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen 151 Paul, Lewis A.[Wichita, Kans., assigner to Beech Aircraft Corporation, Wichita, Kans., a corporation of Delaware] (1947/1950). Fountain Pen. U.S. Patent no. 2,495,179. Pages 3. Proceedings of the Fifth Indian, Oriental Conference, Lahore (Volume 1) (1930). Patron- Sir Geoffrey Fitzhervey deMontmorency, Chancellor, University of the Punjab. Roy, Sovan (2003). Environmental Science: A comprehensive treatise on Ecology and Environment. Publishing Syndicate, Kolkata. Pages 624. Saha, Gopal Chandra (1991/1992). Personal verbal communications with the author. Saha, Radhika Nath (1911). Romance of Pen Industries: Being a complete manual for the manufacture of writing materials, their history, progress and effects on human advancement, with special reference to the Economics and prosperity problems of India. Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta, India. Pages 238. Saha, R. N. (1901/1902). Improvements in Stylographic and Fountain pens. British Patent Publication No. 18,583. Pages 6. Saha, R. N. (1908/1910). Fountain Pen. U.S. Letters Patent No. 962,982. Pages 3. Saha, R. N. (1926/1927). Improvements in and relating to Stylographic and Fountain Pens. British Patent Publication No.273, 884. Pages 4. Saha, R. N. (1926/1927). Improvements in and relating to Stylographic and Fountain Pens and the like. Indian Patent Publication No 12674. Pages 6. Saha, R.N. (1926/ 1927). An improved packing to prevent leakage in propelling or “safely” type of Fountain Pens. British Patent publication no. 277,844. Pages 3. Saha, R.N. (1926/1928). Improvement in Calendars, Calendar Fountain Pens and Pencils and the like. British Patent Publication No. 283, 262. Pages 4. Saha, Subhajeet (2019). Personal verbal communications with the author. Singh, Ramesh K. (2007). We have only memories. The Pioneer. City Supplementary page, Tuesday, July 12; Banaras. Supplement to Who’s Who in India (1912). Containing lives and photographs of the recipients of honours on 12th December 1911, together with an illustrated account of the visit of their Imperial Majesties the King-Emperor and Queen-Empress of India and the Coronation Durbar. Popular Edition. Newel Kishore Press, Lucknow. Viswakarma (Sudhindra Nath Dutta). 1969. Lokkhir Kripalaav o Bangalir Sadhona ( in Bengali). Published by Srimoti Dutta, 2-F, Dover terrace, Calcutta -19. Printed by Sree Gauranga Press Pvt. Ltd. Calcutta and distributed by Ananda Publishers Private Limited, Calcutta. Pages 386+1. Whitehead and Hoag company (1905). Bill-hook. US letter patent no. 789218, dated 9th May 1905. Wing, R.T. (1945/1952). Fountain Pen. U.S, Patent No. 2,581,739. Pages 5. World Wide Wikipedia has been consulted for various understandings and coss-checkings only.
152 Radhika Nath Saha Unsung Hero of Indian Fountain Pen Radhika Nath Saha; oil painting belonging to Subhajeet Saha. Photographed by Sovan Roy in April 2019.
An advanced stylo pen made by Radhika Nath Saha in 1920s; photographed by Sovan Roy.
153 Gopal Chandra Saha at his Luxmi Kunda residence; old transparency that provided important breakthrough Kiron Bala Devi, the wife of Dr R.N. Saha; to link up facts; photo taken by Sovan Roy during oil painting; photographed by Sovan Roy. conversation in 1991.
Old oil painting of Nistarini Davi, Brojo Nath's wife and mother of Radhika Nath; photographed by Sovan Roy. Brojo Nath Saha, father of Radhika Nath. photographed by Sovan Roy.
154 Medical qualification of Dr R.N. Saha, from the 'College of Physicians and Surgeons of Calcutta' (Now Calcutta Medical College); year1904.
Letter of Annapurnanand dated 6.6.1938 or 39, to the proprietor of Luxmi Stylo Pen Works to order pens for Rajendra Prasad and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad; photographed by Sovan Roy. A different recent date has been written later, may be for some other purpose.
155 Front cover of “Romance of Citation from the Royal Asiatic Society, Pen Industries” 10th May, 1917.
Certificate awarded to the agents of Citation of the British Institute of 'Luxmi Stylo Pen Works' for silver medal Philosophical Studies; at 'Kolhapur Agricultural Show' in 1929; date 9th July, 1925. photographed by Sovan Roy.
156 Both sides of the post-card written by Rabindranath Tagore to Radhika Nath. Date 18.2.1910 was written above the write up by Tagore himself. Date 18-2- 1910, written again below the write up later by G.C. Saha as the date written by Tagore was fading away. This digital copy of the letter had been made availabe to the author by Subhajeet, the grandson of Dr R.N. Saha. Original not seen, probably lost.
157 Historical documents discovered at Saha's residence prove that Gandhi used R.N. Saha's pen. The letter on behalf of Siva Prasad to R.N. Saha (see text), and letter of Annapurnanand regarding bill payment to the manager of the Luxmi Stylo Pen Works by Mr. Shiva Prasad.
158 German patent : first and last pages filed in 1900 and granted in 1902.
Certificate for gold medal at Noakhali Exhibition (industrial section) Jawaharlal Nehru signed citation in 1910; photographed by Sovan Roy. given at the Exhibition of Lahore Congress Session, 1929.
159 Some earliest stylo and fountain pens made by Luxmi Stylo Pen Works, photographed by Sovan Roy.
Calendar fountain pen; a rare pen to find now; invention of Dr Saha; patented in India, Britain and Germany; photographed by Sovan Roy
160 Sovan Roy is a writer and antiquarian. He has special interest in history of science and cultural heritage. The author has stayed in Varanasi for about seven years while pursuing his Post-graduate and Doctoral studies at Banaras Hindu University. The city where many centuries coexist together has ever fascinated him. This is his first book on science and entrepreneurial history exploring contributions of an unknown genius for the first time who once lived in Benares during British period. The book represents a perfect blending between science and literature at the backdrop of colonial history and is written for all readers who are interested in Indian antiquity and particularly the fountain pen history of India. Professionally Sovan is an ecologist and has written a well sought massive treatise in environment and ecology first published in 2003. He has co-authored and co-edited books as well. His scientific contributions in the form of limited but noteworthy international publications and his lifelong dedication towards the promotion of scientific research & development have brought him honour and felicitations in many national and international events.
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