Derwent Cumberland Pencil Company, trading as Derwent, is an English brand of pencils and other art materials. The business began in 1832 in Cumberland under the name Banks, Son & Co.. Pencil manufacture in the Keswick area developed in the nineteenth century using local Borrowdale graphite.[1][2] The company later became the Derwent Cumberland Pencil Company. In 1980, it was acquired by the US corporation ACCO Brands, then known as Rexel, and became one of its brands.[3][4]
History
In the early 19th century, Keswick was well known for pencil production. In 1832, Banks, Son & Co. opened a pencil factory in the area. The business later passed through several owners before becoming the Derwent Cumberland Pencil Company in 1916.[5]
Products
Derwent produces a range of art materials including coloured pencils, graphite pencils, water soluble pencils, pens, paints, pastels, and accessories. Its product lines have included Artist, Studio, Watercolour, Pastel, Coloursoft, Inktense, Lightfast, and Procolour.[6]
Awards
Derwent received a Queen's Award for Enterprise. In 2002, The Cumberland Pencil Co., then described as a division of Acco UK Ltd, received the award in the Sustainable Development category for its solvent free paint application systems.[7] In 2014, Derwent received the Environmental & Energy Awareness Award at the CN Business Awards.[8]
Pencil Museum
Derwent is historically associated with the Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick, which covers the history of pencil manufacturing in the Lake District.
External links
References
- Henry Petroski. The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance Knopf, 2006^
- The history of the pencil British Library^
- ACCO Brands history^
- Brands on ACCO Brands website^
- James Ward. Adventures in Stationery: Stories from Your Pencil Case Profile Books, 2013^
- Company Derwent Art^
- The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise 2002: Sustainable Development The London Gazette, 21 April 2002^
- Environmental & Energy Award Winner: Cumberland Pencil Company In-Cumbria^