Eberhard Faber, Inc. records
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Dates
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The Eberhard Faber, Inc. records includes materials related to the business and family history of Eberhard Faber, Inc., a pencil manufacturing company based in Brooklyn from the 1870s to 1956, and its predecessor companies. The collection contains documents related to the founding, operations, and intellectual property of the company, along with marketing and sales materials and photographs.
Historical Note
The Eberhard Faber Pencil Company began as a U.S. subsidiary branch of A.W. Faber Company in 1849. Johann Eberhard Faber's (1822-1879) (referred to as just Eberhard Faber) great grandfather, Kaspar Faber (1730-1784), began to manufacture and market pencils in the village of Stein, located near Nuremberg, Bavaria (now Germany), in 1761. Kaspar Faber's son, Anton Wilhelm (A. W.) (1758-1839), took over the management of the business in 1784 and grew the business. He eventually renamed it A.W. Faber Company, now Faber-Castell. The company continued under several more generations of Fabers, until Eberhard Faber moved to New York City to manage a subsidiary branch of A.W. Faber Company.
The original New York City office of A.W. Faber Company was located at 133 William Street in Manhattan. In 1858, Eberhard Faber expanded its operations to include the manufacture of rubber bands and rubber erasers under Eberhard Faber Rubber Company (formerly the C. Roberts Rubber Company), which consolidated with Eberhard Faber Pencil Company in 1950. This factory was located in Newark, New Jersey. Until 1860, A. W. Faber Company was still exporting its pencils to the U.S. In 1861, the company opened its first U.S. pencil factory on East 42nd Street, on what is the present-day location of the United Nations. After a fire destroyed the factory in 1872, the A.W. Faber Company moved its U.S. manufacturing to Greenpoint in Brooklyn, although it kept its sales office in Manhattan.
When Eberhard Faber died on March 2, 1879, his sons Eberhard II (John) (1859-1946) and Lothar W. (1861-1943) took over the management of the company. After years of conflict between the German and U.S. branches of the company, the U.S. branch split ties with A.W. Faber Company. First incorporated as E. Faber Pencil Company in 1898 and finally as Eberhard Faber Pencil Company in 1904, the factory in Greenpoint grew to envelop two square city blocks bounded by Greenpoint Avenue, West Street, Java Street, and Franklin Street. In 1923, a new six-story building was also added. By 1924, Eberhard Faber Pencil Company had sales offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Dallas. Later, the company expanded to have factories in Canada, Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.
The factory remained at its Greenpoint location until 1956 when it moved operations and headquarters to Crestwood Industrial Park in Wilkes-Barre, PA. In 1962, Eberhard Faber Pencil Company and Eberhard Faber Toy and Game Company, already based in Pennsylvania, merged. During this transition, the company changed its name to Eberhard Faber, Inc. In 1987, Eberhard Faber Pencil Company (by then EF, Inc.) was sold to Faber-Castell.
Sources:
- Faber-Castell USA. http://www.faber-castell.us/14798/About-Us/index_ebene3.aspx (accessed June 29, 2010).
- Habstritt, Mary. "Eberhard Faber's Pencil Factory," Archive of Industry. http://www.archiveofindustry.com/images/EberhardFaberHistory.pdf (accessed June 29, 2010).
- The Story of the Oldest Pencil Factory in America. New York: Eberhard Faber Pencil Company, 1924.
Arrangement
The records are organized into four series:
- Series 1: Administrative records, 1857-1987
- Series 2: Marketing and advertising records, circa 1875-1972
- Series 3: Faber Family records, 1825-circa 2016
- Series 4: Photographs, circa 1900-circa 1980
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of materials relating to Eberhard Faber, Inc., or the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company, and its operations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Germany, and Pennsylvania, among other places the company conducted business. The collection includes documents related to the history of the business: legal documents chronicling company purchases and consolidations, intellectual property certificates, certificates of amendment and by-laws, and Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, and Stockholders meeting minutes. Promotional and marketing materials include product catalogues, news clippings, and other publications produced by Eberhard Faber Pencil Company to showcase their products. Photographs depict Eberhard Faber Pencil Company's offices and factories, company events, and headshots of executive-level employees in the 1960s. Also included are records related to the history of the Faber family, particularly Eberhard Lothar Faber IV (1936-2022) and Julia Taylor Faber (1900-1992).
There are no employee records in this collection aside from a 1917 handwritten list of employees in Sub-series 1.1: Business ownership records.
Subjects
Genres
People
Topics
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Eberhard Faber, Inc. records, CBHM.0033, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Photographs of interior of Wilkes-Barre, PA factory, product catalogs, and Mongol pencil product display were a gift of Eberhard Faber IV, 1988. Further materials were a gift of Lo Faber, 2024.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
If digital surrogates exist, they should be used in place of the originals whenever possible.
About this Guide
Processing Information
The 1988 accessions (1988.017, 1988.019, V1988.035) were initially processed in 2010 by Patricia Glowinski as the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company collection (ARC.028). This collection was reprocessed by Alice Griffin in 2026 to include the 2024.032 accession.
Folder titles in brackets were provided by the archivist. Original newspaper clippings were discarded after preservation photocopies were made.
Sponsor Note
Revisions to this Guide
Repository
Series 1: Administrative records, 1857-1987, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Series 1: Administrative records is made up of records related to the business operations of Eberhard Faber, Inc. and its predecessors. Materials include patents, trademarks, and copyright registrations; contracts and legal documents related to company ownership; correspondence; annual reports and meeting minutes; ledgers of transactions between the company and customers and vendors; and stock certificates.
Arrangement
This series is organized into six sub-series:
- Sub-series 1.1: Business ownership records, 1898-1987
- Sub-series 1.2: Intellectual property records, 1871-1980
- Sub-series 1.3: Correspondence, 1866-1979
- Sub-series 1.4: Annual reports and meeting minutes, 1883-1987
- Sub-series 1.5: Ledgers of transactions, 1857-1863
- Sub-series 1.6: Stock certificates, 1869-1985
Sub-series 1.1: Business ownership records, 1898-1987, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Sub-series 1.1: Business ownership records, 1898-1987, is made up of contracts related to Eberhard Faber, Inc.'s acquisitions of C. Roberts Rubber Company, eventual sale to Faber-Castell, and agreements with A. W. Faber after a dispute over using the Faber name. Also included are the certificates of incorporation, amendments, and by-laws interfiled with copies of these contracts.
This sub-series also includes a group of folders ("exhibits") related to recovering control and restarting operation of the plant in Neumarkt, Germany after World War II.
Arrangement
This sub-series is organized chronologically.
[Agreement with A. W. Faber], 1898
[Bond, C. Roberts Rubber Company to Emily Elizabeth Coxe], 1903
[Agreements between Eberhard Faber Pencil Company and Eberhard Faber Rubber Company], 1914-1929, inclusive
[Lists of employees], 1917
[War Trade Board, joint-stock association information affidavit], 1918
Historical file: Recovery of Germany from Nazi control to control EFPCO, 1945-1966, inclusive
Certificate of incorporation and amendments, 1856-1987, inclusive
By-laws, 1924-1933, inclusive
By-laws, 1940
By-laws, 1948
By-laws, 1955-1956, inclusive
By-laws, 1961
By-laws, 1974-1976, inclusive
Staedtler/Faber agreement of sale - German company, 1978-1979, inclusive
Sale of assets by Eberhard Faber, Inc. and affiliates to Faber-Castell Corporation, 1987
[Agreement of sale between Eberhard Faber, Inc. and Faber-Castell Corporation], 1988
Sub-series 1.2: Intellectual property records, 1860-1980, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Sub-series 1.2: Intellectual property records, 1860-1980, includes patent, copyright, and trademark registrations held by Eberhard Faber, Inc. Patents cover pencils, pens, and erasers. Copyright and trademark registrations cover publications, product and brand insignias, and promotional giveaways, such as a book of blotting paper.
Also included are agreements and court decisions regarding disputes over the use of the Faber name between Eberhard Faber and other writing implement companies A. W. Faber and Faber-Castell.
Arrangement
This sub-series is arranged chronologically.
[A. G. Shaver brevet d'invention (patent)], 1860
[Patent], 1870
Minutes of hearing in matter of appeal of Eberhard Faber from the appraisement of certain lead pencils for alleged under-valuation, 1871
[Patents], 1875
[Trademark registrations], 1881
[Patents], 1882
Trademark assignment to E. F. by L. W. Faber, 1882-1902, inclusive
[Faber company name lawsuits], 1889
[Patents], 1891
[Library of Congress confirmations of deposit], 1891-1899, inclusive
[Trademark registrations], 1895-1897, inclusive
[Patents], 1902
[United States Cicuit Court of Appeals Faber-Castell vs. Eberhard Faber decision], 1904
[Trademark registrations], 1905-1909, inclusive
[Trademark registrations], 1911-1912, inclusive
[Trademark registrations], 1914
[Trademark registrations], 1917
[Trademark registrations], 1920
[Trademark registrations], 1923-1925, inclusive
[Copyright registrations], 1924
U.S. copyrights (D. C. Taylor), 1910-1924, inclusive
U.S. copyrights (D. C. Taylor), 1930
U.S. copyrights (D. C. Taylor), 1932-1941, inclusive
[Agreement between A. W. Faber-Castell, Eberhard Faber, Eberhard Faber Pencil Company regarding use of Faber name], 1939
[Eberhard Faber trademark consent], 1944
Agreement with Faber-Castell regarding use of "Faber" name, 1980
Sub-series 1.3: Correspondence, 1866-1979, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Sub-series 1.3: Correspondence, 1866-1979 includes correspondence between the Eberhard Faber New York offices and other Eberhard Faber plants or other companies. Of note is an 1875 report from Allan Pinkerton of Pinkerton's National Detective Agency regarding the investigation of an Eberhard Faber employee.
Arrangement
This sub-series is arranged chronologically.
[A. G. Shaver's Patent Eraser], 1866
[Allan Pinkerton, Pinkerton National Detective Agency report], 1875
[C. Roberts Rubber Company], 1884-1904, inclusive
[Correspondence regarding United States Government contract], 1894
[Correspondence regarding foreign and domestic pencil manufacturers], 1920
[Correspondence between Eberhard Faber USA and Franz Barensfeld], 1925-1931, inclusive
Correspondence, 1944
[Correspondence with Colombia plant], 1979
Sub-series 1.4: Annual reports and meeting minutes, 1883-1987, inclusive; 1966-1987, bulk
Scope and Contents
Sub-series 1.4: Annual reports and meeting minutes, 1883-1987, includes minutes from Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, and Stockholders meetings, as well as some annual reports. Many years in this sub-series are missing.
Arrangement
This sub-series is arranged chronologically.
Protokoll über die Conferenzen der Vertreter der Fabriken und Häuser der Firma A. W. Faber [Minutes of the A. W. Faber Company representatives meeting], 1883
Trustees minutes, 1966-1974, inclusive
Trustees minutes, 1977
Minutes -- Directors, 1987-1988, inclusive
Minutes -- stockholders, 1979-1987, inclusive
Annual report, 1985
[Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors], 1987
Stockholders meeting, 1987
Sub-series 1.5: Ledgers of transactions, 1857-1926, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Sub-series 1.5: Ledgers of transactions, 1857-1926, includes three ledgers with itemized transactions between the Eberhard Faber company and customers or vendors. The information in the ledgers is organized alphabetically by company or personal name and then chronologically.
Arrangement
This sub-series is arranged chronologically.
[Ledger of invoices], 1857-1863, inclusive
[Ledger of invoices], 1898-1900, inclusive
[Ledger of business expenses], 1924-1926, inclusive
Sub-series 1.6: Stock certificates, 1869-1985, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Sub-series 1.6: Stock certificates, 1869-1985, includes certificates of stock confirming ownership of shares in predecessors and successors of the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company: C. Roberts Rubber Company, Graphite Pencil Company, Eberhard Faber International Sales, Inc., and EFCO Industries, Inc.
Arrangement
This sub-series is arranged chronologically.
[Rubber Tip Pencil Company stock], 1869
Stock certificates (historical), 1898
Stock certificates (historical), 1911
Stock certificates (historical), 1916
Stock certificates (historical), 1934
Stock certificates (historical), 1937
Stock certificates (historical), 1945-1947, inclusive
Stock certificates (historical), 1950-1955, inclusive
Stock certificates (historical), 1960-1979, inclusive
Stock certificates (historical), 1983
[Capital stock voting trust certificate], 1937-1938, inclusive
[Blank stock certificates], circa 1950, inclusive
[Stock certificates], 1974-1975, inclusive
[Stock certificates], 1977-1981, inclusive
[Stock transfer tax], 1977-1979, inclusive
Stock and transfer ledger, 1964-1985, inclusive
Series 2: Marketing and advertising records, circa 1875-1972, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Series 2: Marketing and advertising records, circa 1875-1972, includes product catalogs and brochures, price schedules, advertisements and press clippings, and awards from the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876 and the New York World's Fair in 1964.
Publications created to demonstrate product uses and heritage, such as a course booklet for teachers titled "Color in Camouflage"; a color poster with "The Pictorial History of Writing"; a portfolio of pencil sketches promoting lead pencils; and a 75th anniversary promotional publication titled "The Story of the Oldest Pencil Factory in America" are also included.
Of note are a sales representative manual and Mongol pencil product display showing the stages of pencil production from wood block to final product from the 1940s-1950s.
Arrangement
This series is arranged chronologically.
["A. W. Faber's Lead Pencils" article], circa 1875, inclusive
[Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition report on awards], 1876
["The American Stationer," Eberhard Faber advertisement], 1883
[Pencil schedule], 1907
[Press clippings scrapbook], 1910-1919, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The press clippings in this scrapbook were collected by Burrelle's Press Clipping Bureau, 45 Lafayette Street, New York.
[A. W. Faber's Gold Pens and Pencil Cases advertisement], circa 1908 - 1958, inclusive
Clippings, 1920-1976, inclusive
["The Story of the Oldest Pencil Factory in America"], 1924
["A Portfolio of Sketches Illustrating the Artistic Possibilities of Black and Colored Lead Pencils Made by Eberhard Faber Pencil Company"], circa 1928, inclusive
[Emerald pencil erasers product packaging], circa 1930, inclusive
[Product catalog], circa 1940, inclusive
[Mongol pencil product display], circa 1940, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Interior shows the process of pencil manufacturing from raw stock to finished product in 11 stages. Cataloged under object identifier: M1988.58.1a-aa.
["Pictorial History of Writing" poster], circa 1940, inclusive
[Product brochures], circa 1940 - circa 1965, inclusive
Catalogs, 1940-1947, inclusive
[Price lists and schedules], 1942-1943, inclusive
[Advertisement from The Office Magazine of Office Equipment], 1945
["Color in Camouflage: A Basic Reference Course for Teachers"], circa 1950, inclusive
Sales Manual, circa 1950, inclusive
[Catalogs], 1951-1957, inclusive
[New York World's Fair, Eberhard Faber Day proclamation], 1964
[Articles by Eberhard Faber, Fortune Magazine], 1971-1972, inclusive
Series 3: Faber Family records, 1825 - circa 2016, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Series 3: Faber Family records, 1825 - circa 2016, includes materials related to the Faber family from Georg Faber to Eberhard Faber IV: educational certificates in German, citizenship and identification documents from when the Faber brothers moved to the United States, photographs, a biographical file on Julia T. Faber, and a Faber family tree. The educational certificates show Johann Eberhard Faber's enrollment in law school and the Faber brothers' completion of university courses and certifications of passing tests.
Arrangement
This series is arranged chronologically.
[Georg Faber educational certificate], 1825
[Johann Lothar Faber educational certificate], 1844
[Johann Eberhard Faber educational certificates], 1844-1847, inclusive
[Johann Eberhard Faber citizenship documents (copies)], 1857-1873, inclusive
Eberhard Faber (Founder), circa 1880, inclusive
[John Eberhard Faber II citizenship documents (copies)], 1888-1924, inclusive
[Eberhard Lothar Faber III identification and voter registration documents (copies)], 1914-1917, inclusive
[Lothar W. Faber passport application (copy)], 1925
Faber sons, circa 1940, inclusive
[Julia T. Faber biographical file], 1961-1969, inclusive
[Julia T. Faber photographs], circa 1960, inclusive
[Eberhard Faber IV photographs], circa 1940-circa 1975, inclusive
[Eberhard Faber IV and Julia T. Faber photographs], circa 1960-circa 1985, inclusive
[Faber family tree], circa 2016, inclusive
Series 4: Photographs, circa 1900-circa 1980, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Series 4: Photographs, circa 1900-circa 1980, includes photographs of the Greenpoint factory and offices, Manhattan offices, E. Faber's Cedar Mill in Cedar Key, Florida, Sao Paulo, Brazil factory, and the Wilkes-Barre, PA factory. Photographs of the factories depict machinery used in the factory and exterior and interior views. The interior photographs include images of workers on the job, such as the Box and Labeling Department, and images documenting the manufacturing process.
Also included are photographs of store merchandise displays, company gatherings, such as a 1943 sales dinner, and two award ceremonies: Eberhard Faber Day at the New York World's Fair in 1964 and a Board of Directors testimonial presented to Julia T. Faber in 1965.
The scrapbook includes portraits of employees and board members from the 1960s and 1970s, photographs of company gatherings and Eberhard Faber factories and offices in Manhattan, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia. The bulk of photographs in the scrapbook are from the 1960s and 1970s.
Arrangement
This series is mostly arranged chronologically. The scrapbook, which spans years from the 1920s to the 1980s, is placed at the end of the series.
