Henry Todd and John Mabie started in business in New York City about 1845. they were joined by J. S. Bard in 1873 to form Mabie Todd & Bard. Initially the firm mass produced pen holders and pencil cases. Production of fountain pens began in the US in 1878 and in the UK only 6 years later. They were able to utilise the firms advanced production facilities to produce highly decorative pens which were an immediate success.
Following the departure of J.S.Bard in 1906 the firm was renamed to the familiar Mabie Todd. The famous Swan trademark was developed in 1909 as the firm began production in the UK. Following the demise of the US operation the business was switched entirely to the UK
Around 1923, the firm began production of its line of “Eternal” pens. These offered a lifetime warranty to match those of the American competition. The Leverless pens appeared in 1932 and were produced alongside the famous self-filling (lever operated) models until well after the war despite both the factory and the companies headquarters being destroyed during the blitz. In 1946 pen production resumed in new facilities in Park Royal. In 1948 the company made a public offering of its shares in order to raise capital but the results were disappointing. Biro purchased a controlling block of the shares in 1952 and renamed the firm Biro-Swan. New models were introduced as were ball pens of Biro design but the post war decline in fountain pen sales everywhere doomed the enterprise and Biro-Swan was closed about 1960.
