Union Ink Company Glass Inkwell

This is a domed (central neck) inkwell made by the Union Ink Co. of Springfield, Massachusetts. Based on its design and manufacturing markings, this piece dates to the mid-to-late 19th century, likely between 1865 and 1880.

Physical Description

• Form: The inkwell features a classic “domed” shape, designed to be stable on a desk and less prone to tipping. It was blown into a cup-bottom mold, which gives it that clean, circular base.
• Material: It is made of aqua or light green glass, a color naturally occurring in 19th-century glassmaking due to iron impurities in the sand.
• Markings: The front is embossed with “UNION INK CO” in a bold, serif typeface.
• Lid: It features a metal flip-top lid (a silvered white metal alloy) with a decorative guilloche or engine-turned pattern of concentric wavy circles.

History of the Company

The Union Ink Co. was a brand or division of the Union Paper Company located in Springfield, Massachusetts.

• Manufacturing Era: The company was most prominent in the late 1860s. Historical records show the Union Paper Company advertising its “Commercial Writing Fluid,” “Brilliant Red Ink,” and mucilage (glue) as early as 1868.
• Springfield Connection: During the mid-1800s, Springfield was a major industrial hub for the stationery and paper trade (home to other giants like the Morgan Envelope Company). The Union Paper Company was a key player in this ecosystem, producing not just ink but also paper products like the “paper collars” that were popular at the time.
• Transition: By the late 1880s, many of these smaller specialized firms were being consolidated. The Union Paper Company’s plant was eventually sold in 1888 to the Connecticut River Paper Company (part of the Powers Paper Company).

The Springfield Connection

The Union Ink Company was closely tied to—and likely a brand of—the Union Paper Company, which operated in Springfield during the mid-to-late 1800s.

• Key Figure: The company was led by Elisha Morgan, a major industrialist who also founded the Morgan Envelope Company in 1864. Under his leadership, Springfield became a hub for paper and writing supplies, eventually helping to form the United States Envelope Company.
• Production Era: This inkwell likely dates to the late 1860s or 1870s. Historical records show the Union Paper Company heavily advertising their “Commercial Writing Fluid” and “Brilliant Red Ink” around 1868.
• Variations: While many surviving examples are embossed with “Union Ink Co / Springfield / Mass,” it was very common in 19th-century glass manufacturing to have multiple molds. Some molds omitted the city name, either to save on engraving costs for smaller runs or for distribution by jobbers who sold the ink under their own regional labels.

Historical Context

In the 1870s, ink was sold in two ways: in large “master” bottles for refilling, or in small, individual “stand” inks like this one. Because this piece has a permanent metal lid, it was designed to be a permanent fixture on a desk rather than a disposable shipping container. A clerk or student would have used a steel-nibbed dip pen, occasionally refilling the glass reservoir from a larger jug of Union Writing Fluid.

It’s a great example of the transition from purely utilitarian bottles to more decorative desk accessories. Another interesting fact:  Elisha Morgan’s companies were so successful they eventually provided much of the stationery used by the U.S. Postal Service during that same era.

Inkwells of this style were the “workhorses” of the office. Before the widespread use of fountain pens, a clerk would dip their steel-nibbed pen directly into these reservoirs. While many similar glass bottles were sold with simple cork stoppers, this version with the integrated metal flip-top was a more “deluxe” stationery item, intended for permanent desk use rather than just as a shipping container for the ink.