The Faber-Castell </HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFF86"> <HR> <H1> The Faber-Castell Story <TABLE BORDER="0" ALIGN="DEFAULT" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD>Faber Castell is one of those old long established art materials companies.</TD> <TD ROWSPAN="2"><IMG BORDER="2" SRC="fcpastel24.jpg" ALT="Tin of 24 Faber-Castell Polychomos Pastels" WIDTH="100" HEIGHT="151"></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Like many businesses they often keep their history to themselves. This lead me to try to find out more about them and this is what I came up with.</TD> </TR> </TABLE> <P> </P> <P> </P> <HR> <BR> <BR> <CENTER><TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="10" ALIGN="center" BGCOLOR="#006405" WIDTH="400"> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="center"><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style" SIZE="+2" COLOR="White"><I>"From the outset, my concern was to rise to the highest rank by making the best that can be made in the whole world"</I></FONT></P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="center"><B><FONT COLOR="White">Lothar von Faber</FONT></B></P> <P ALIGN="center"><FONT COLOR="White">1817-1869</FONT></P> </TD> </TR> </TABLE></CENTER> <H2><BR> <A NAME="Faber">Chronology of Faber-Castell</A></H2> <P><BR> </P> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="5" CELLPADDING="10" ALIGN="DEFAULT" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD>1761</TD> <TD>The cabinet-maker Kaspar Faber produces his first "lead pencils". <P>The Company comes into being.</P> </TD> <TD ROWSPAN="8"><IMG BORDER="2" SRC="fabersketch.jpg" ALT="faber-castell flat sketching pencil" ALIGN="RIGHT"></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1784-1839</TD> <TD>Anton Wilhelm Faber (1784-1810) and Georg Leonard Faber (1810-1839) expand the pencil workshop in Stein near Nuremberg, Germany. The company is now called A.W.Faber.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>from -1840</TD> <TD>Lothar Faber (the fourth generation) produces the hexagonal-section pencil, develops the first quality pencil in Germany and marks it "A.W.Faber" - the brand name pencil is born.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1843</TD> <TD>A.W.Faber pencils are first sold in America through an agency.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1844</TD> <TD>A.W.Faber sets up the first company health insurance scheme in Germany.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1849</TD> <TD>The first foreign subsidiary is founded, in America.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1851</TD> <TD>Lothar Faber defines a standard for the length and thickness of pencils, as well as for the hardness of the leads...this is later adopted by the pencil industry worldwide.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1855</TD> <TD>Pencils in gold and silver cartons meet with national acclaim. The first poster advertising a branded product is created. A.W.Faber pencils are awarded certificates and medals at national and international exhibitions. <P>A subsidiary is set up in Paris.</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1856</TD> <TD>By acquiring a graphite mine in Siberia, the company assures a supply of the best graphite then available.</TD> <TD ROWSPAN="11"><IMG BORDER="2" SRC="fabergraphitevert.jpg" ALT="Faber-Castell Pure Graphite" ALIGN="RIGHT"></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1861</TD> <TD>The factory at Geroldsgrun is built to mark the company's centenary. Lothar Faber is made a freeman (Freiherr) of Nuremberg.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1862-1865</TD> <TD>King Maximilian II ennobles Lothar Faber (1862) and nominates him privy councillor (Reichsrat) to the Bavarian throne (1865)</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1869-1884</TD> <TD>Lothar von Faber becomes co-founder of the Bavarian trade museum (1869), the Union Bank of Nuremberg (Bayrische Vereinsbank1871), and the Nuremberg Life Insurance Company (Nuremberger Versicherungen 1884).</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1870</TD> <TD>The company now has 500 employees.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1874</TD> <TD>With his petition to the German Federal Diet "for legislation to protect trade marks", Lothar von Faber paves the way for the German Trademarks Act (May 1875)</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1879</TD> <TD>Lothar von Faber drafs a memorandum on the creation of a European Parliament.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1880-1891</TD> <TD>Lothar von Faber is made a baron by King Ludwig II (1881) and a hereditary privy councillor by Prince Regent Luipold (1891).</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1890</TD> <TD>A.W.Faber now has 1000 employees</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1898</TD> <TD>The marriage of Lothar von Faber's grand-daughter Ottilie to Count Alexander zu Castell-Rudenhausen brings a change of name for the family and the company: Faber-Castell.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1900-1928</TD> <TD>A new factory is built at Stein for modern mass production of pencils. The new Faber-Castell Castle is built nearby (1903-1906). <P><A HREF="#Faber">Back to top</A></P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1905</TD> <TD>The famous green Castell 9000 pencil comes on the market; so does the famous poster with the fighting knights.</TD> <TD ROWSPAN="14"><IMG BORDER="2" SRC="faber9000.jpg" ALT="Faber-Castell Artist Graphite pencil" ALIGN="RIGHT"></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1928</TD> <TD>After the death of count Alexander, his son Roland takes over the chairmanship at age 23.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1931</TD> <TD>The Johann Faber factory and other small companies are incorporated into the Faber-Castell organisation.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1937</TD> <TD>Faber-Castell aquires a share in the Lapis Johann Faber pencil factory at Sao Carlos in Brazil. </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>after 1945</TD> <TD>Numerous foreign sales points have to be re-acquired after the 2nd World War.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1948</TD> <TD>The TK pencil, a new clutch pencil for technical drawing, finds international acceptance.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1949</TD> <TD>Faber-Castell is the first German pencil manufacturer to market a ball-point pen.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1957</TD> <TD>Re-aquisition of a share in the Faber-Castell Corporation in the USA, which was lost as a result of the 1st World War.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1960</TD> <TD>A sales company in France is re-founded.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1961</TD> <TD>A factory for writing and drawing instruments is built in Australia. <P>Faber-Castell sets up a factory for felt-tip and fibre-tip pens at Engelhartszell in Austria with a sales subsidiary in Vienna.</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1965</TD> <TD>A ball-point pen factory is built in Lima, Peru. </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1967</TD> <TD>Faber-Castell aquires a majority share in what has since become the world's largest pencil factory, Lapis Johann Faber in Sao Carlos.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1977</TD> <TD>A Faber-Castell sales company opens in Tokyo.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1978</TD> <TD>After the death of Count Roland, his son Anton Wolfgang (the 8th generation) takes over as sole managing director. <P>Faber-Castell starts the manufacture of cosmetic pencils.</P> <P><A HREF="#Faber">Back to top</A></P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1978</TD> <TD>The Alpha-matic becomes the world's first fully automatic fine-lead pencil. <P>Faber-Castell establishes a sales company in Hong Kong.</P> </TD> <TD ROWSPAN="14"><IMG BORDER="2" SRC="fcpittorange1.jpg" ALT="Faber-Castell Pitt pastel pencil" ALIGN="RIGHT" WIDTH="45" HEIGHT="117"></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1979</TD> <TD>Further sales companies are founded in South Africa and the United Kingdom. <P>The world's largest eraser factory is built in Kuala Lumpur.</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1982</TD> <TD>The new injection moulding production line for the entire Faber-Castell group goes into operation at Geroldsgrun.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1985</TD> <TD>Bavaria Film shoots the four-part TV series "Fathers and Sons" in the Faber-Castell Castle.(Starring Burt Lancaster, Julie Christie and various German actors)</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1986</TD> <TD>Faber-Castell celebrates its 225th anniversary. The castle is again open for regular exhibitions. </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1989</TD> <TD>A sales company is set up in New Zealand.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1992</TD> <TD>Faber-Castell sets up a pencil factory in Indonesia.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1993</TD> <TD>The company re-aligns its entire marketing strategy, with a new brand image...the Jousting Knight logo. The products are divided into clear fields of competance. <P>The premium "Graf von Faber-Castell" Collection creates a new generation of exclusive pencils and desk accessories. </P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1994</TD> <TD>The oldest graphite pencil in the world (17th century) is purchased for the Faber-Castell archive.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1995</TD> <TD>The Faber-Castell book "The Pencil" is published. <P>The "Graf von Faber-Castell" Collection is further extended to include the first perfect pencil with eraser, extender/protector and built in sharpener.</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1996</TD> <TD>The premium range now includes fountain pens and roller-ball pens in unique designs</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1997</TD> <TD>Aquarelle sticks are developed and released. </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1998</TD> <TD>The PITT range now has 60 pastel pencils added to its already impressive drawing media. </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>1999</TD> <TD>?</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD></TD> <TD></TD> <TD></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <HR> <CENTER><FONT SIZE="1">The Pencil Pages © 2000</FONT></CENTER> </body></html>