A New Thriller: Visconti's Hitchcock Vertigo Pen Collection
This year marks the 67th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock's acclaimed film Vertigo, which some say is one of the best movies of all time and certainly one of the English film director's masterworks. And this anniversary year ushers in some exciting celebrations honoring the psychological thriller and its stars, including James Stewart and Kim Novak, among other well-known actors of that era. Next up is the Vertigo67: Fourth International Film Conference, which will be held at Trinity College Dublin. Slated for August 13 – 15, the event will include presentations by international scholars and artists, and a special screening of the movie will take place at the Lighthouse Cinema.
Visconti Pens As Objects of Creativity
Visconti Hitchcock Vertigo fountain pen.
While pens are often considered tools of the imagination, it's not surprising to me that one of this year's Vertigo-inspired nods is a new pen collection from Italian pen maker Visconti, which captures the spirit of the film – and its director – in its design. And the Visconti Hitchcock Vertigo references an aspect of the film's groundbreaking collateral: the well-known promotional poster designed by legendary American graphic artist Saul Bass, who also created the enthralling title sequence for the film. The poster features a swirling vortex with Stewart and Novak in silhouette, and its dramatic color scheme is echoed by the pen.
Bass's designs helped to revolutionize how movies are marketed and how audiences respond to opening credits. Sotheby's said of the artist's poster, 'Amongst his very best work is the legendary design for Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 film Vertigo, which incorporated a distinctive spiral graphic element to convey a dizzying sense of disorientation.'
A poster for Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 psychological thriller, 'Vertigo', starring James Stewart and ... More Kim Novak.
An interesting two-tone enamel engraving in black and ivory coils around the vibrant orange resin of the fountain pen and rollerball, recalling the poster's hypnotic motif - a metaphor for the film's mind-bending complexity. The cap is decorated with an engraved and enameled likeness of Hitchhock's bold signature, and the pens are accented with polished palladium metal trim and a white-enamel Visconti finial. The central ring is engraved and enameled with both the Visconti logo and Hitchcock's renowned profile. Here, too, is the emblem of the Alfred Hitchcock Foundation, established to preserve and promote the legacy of the filmmaker and director. There are just 958 pieces in the collection – a tribute to the year in which the movie was released.
More Details
The Hitchcock Vertigo fountain pen is fitted with a steel nib available in fine, medium and broad sizes; it is filled by cartridge or converter and is priced at $550. The rollerball pen is priced at $525. Both pens have magnetic caps.
Viscconti was founded in Florence in 1988 by pen collectors Dante Del Vecchio and Luigi Poli with a goal of creating writing instruments that not only write well, but also explore the outer limits of pen design. The company's evolution has included new principals and new pens, such as the Hitchcock Vertigo, that are an homage to the broader context of creativity. Other limited editions currently available include the iconic Homo Sapiens and the Van Gogh collection, each of which – like the movie – set a new standard.
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