For the past couple of weeks, Gov. Jay Inslee has been busy signing bills into law as proud legislators and bill supporters cluster around and watch each pen stroke. As is customary, the governor shakes hands, poses for photos and hands out souvenir  pens with his name on them as a keepsake to be used or framed.

Since it’s “bill-signing season” here in Olympia, here’s a look at the collection of the bill-signing pens used by Washington governors going back six decades. Nearly all of the pens are part of a collection kept by Patrick McDonald in our Executive Office, a former assistant to Gov. John Spellman back in the ’80s. The Gov. Rosellini pen shown below is from the State Archives.  The one gap is Gov. Dan Evans, who signed thousands of bills in his three consecutive terms.

Starting with Gov. Dixy Lee Ray’s pen, white apparently was the “in” color for these pens until Gov. Chris Gregoire went with black, a color choice kept by Gov. Inslee.

Gov. Albert Rosellini’s pen

Gov. Dixy Lee Ray’s pen

Gov. John Spellman’s pen

Gov. Booth Gardner’s pen

Gov. Mike Lowry’s pen

Gov. Gary Locke’s pen

Gov. Chris Gregoire’s pen

Gov. Jay Inslee’s pen