Oxford Papers
Studies in British Paper History: Volume 1
Proceedings of the British Association of Paper Historians Fourth Annual Conference
Held at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, 17-19 September 1993
Edited by Peter Bower
Paperback, 108 pages, A4, B&W illustrations throughout. Indexed. ISBN 095 25757 01.
This volume and the Exeter Papers now available for the price of £10 for both volumes
Exeter Papers
Studies in British Paper History: Volume II
Proceedings of the British Association of Paper Historians Fifth Annual Conference
Held at Hope Hall, University of Exeter, 23-26 September 1994
Edited by Peter Bower
Paperback, 105 pages, A4, B&W illustrations throughout. Indexed. ISBN 0 9525757 2 8
Contents
| A Curious ‘Saint’: a Watermark found in a Saxton Atlas of circa 1590. | William Ravenhill |
| Census Extracts as Indicators of Employment in Papermaking in the English Counties, 1831 – 1861. | Ian Dye |
| The Origins of Thermomechanical Pulp | Richard Hills |
| Stowford Mill, Ivybridge | Colin Harris |
| Rag Cutters, Couchers and Layers: a Profile of a Lost Exeter Industry | Ian Maxted |
| Operation Bernhard: The Forgery of British Banknotes by the Germans in World War II | Peter Bower |
| James Watt and Paper and Papermaking | Richard Hills |
| Notes on the Waterborne Trade in Paper in Devon | Walter Minchinton |
| Papermaking Extracts from Eden Philpott’s novel ‘Storm in a Teacup’ | Ian Maxted |
| Notes on Contributors | |
| Index |
Papermaking and Printing in Cumbria 1600 – 1900 by John Gavin
Studies in British Paper History: Volume 3
The definitive study on papermaking in Cumberland and Westmorland by the acknowledged expert in his field. The book contains a detailed and exceptionally well-documented description of both regional and national economic, industrial and social history, and will become an essential reference for any interested in development of both the paper and print industries in the UK as a whole.
Paperback, 156 pages, A4, 31 B&W illustrations and tables, with additional 8 page photo insert. ISBN 978-0-9525757-1-9.
Taxation of Paper in Great Britain 1643-1861
A History and Documentation
H Dagnall, MA, AKC, FRPSL
Published by the author in collaboration with The British Association of Paper Historians.
Hardback, sewn, with dust jacket. 240 x 170 mm. 179 pages. 43 b&w and 2 colour illustrations. Index. ISBN 0-9515497-7-4.
Shake
Shake was for many years treated by papermakers as a panacea. It is a far reaching and often controversial subject. It is hoped this monograph will arouse the curiosity of the reader. It is the product of a working group set up to establish and collect together knowledge, both technical and apocryphal, of the use of shake in papermaking. This will include information ranging from its use in the early beginnings of the craft of papermaking, to the sophisticated Fourdrinier mechanisms that are being abandoned in this new technological age. The study will deal with the reason for ‘shake’, and what can be achieved by it – and of course the contradictions. It is said that there ‘are few aspects of papermaking on slower Fourdrinier machines that are more individual to each machine than the effect of shake.’ This monograph considers the why and then the how of shake before we get on to practical applications. In addition to this no work on the subject would be complete without practical and sometimes conflicting observations.
A5, 48 pages, 16 b&w illustrations. ISSN 1759-765X
A History of Calendering
The calendering processes that we know today are the finishing methods developed from the early 1800s mainly to make machine-made papers sufficiently smooth for printing and writing and to give some grades a glossy appearance. These two properties are quite distinct, the former being related to the ability of a paper surface to receive ink satisfactorily and uniformly, the latter referring to its light reflecting characteristics. Because the methods employed since well before 1000 AD to increase smoothness invariably also increased gloss, they used to be called ‘glazing’ well into the 1800s whilst the processes used specifically to increase gloss were called ‘plate glazing’, ‘hot pressing’ or ‘sanitising’. Calendering also became necessary to reduce thickness variations across machine-made paper to avoid problems in making good reels and, in the manufacture of high density papers like glassine and condenser tissue, to change the paper structure more or less into a solid sheet. This monograph covers the development of calendering from hand papermaking to modern techniques and understanding.
A5, 54 pages, 18 b&w illustrations. ISSN 1759-765X
Sweetapple Cookery Book
The Sweetapple Family Cookery Book of 1796 is a departure from the usual publications produced by BAPH: bibliophily, cookery, and a hint of Quakerism, are just three aspects of historical interest covered in this short monograph about a unique manuscript. The family who produced this work, the Sweetapples, were a well-known group of papermakers. At the time of its production the family lived in Surrey and ran Catteshall Mill; later generations travelled widely and operated Hurstbourne Priors Mill
(Hampshire), Gunns Mill (Gloucestershire), Eynsham Mill (Oxfordshire), Snodland Mill (Kent), then Allenwood, Braithwaite and Derwent Mills all in Cumbria. The author provides a description of both the family and the mill where it was written, along with a portrayal of what can be learnt from the physical nature of the book. This is followed by a full transcription of all 38 recipes, which at last are made accessible to a modern audience. Copious notes and appendices complete the work, making it a must for all interested in the history of cookery, social and industrial historians, and bibliophiles.
´Papermaking´ in the Stamford Mercury 1714-1814
The Stamford Mercury claims to be the oldest continuously-published newspaper in Britain, having commenced publication in 1712. With this heritage it is an important repository of stories and information about papermaking and the paper industry. Although it might be anticipated the stories would be largely of regional origin — mainly from Lincolnshire and the surrounding counties — in fact it contains a surprising amount of information about both National and International subjects. This booklet contains all the references to Paper Mills, Paper Manufactories and Paper Makers, along with sundry other items of interest to Paper Historians, that have so far been found. Each entry is transcribed verbatim rather than in an edited format, thus placing the Paper Industry information in greater context. Indeed, the booklet contains a wealth of extraneous social history in more than 180 separate entries, the vast majority of which are unpublished elsewhere. The variety of subjects (including: beer, boards and bones; excise, executions and exports; medicines, mills and moulds) is fascinating, and the booklet is completed by a comprehensive index.
A5, 48 pages, 2 illustrations, ISSN 1759-765X
Paper Mills of Dorset
Dorset is one of the most beautiful of English counties. Although not famed for papermaking, it had a history of pursuing the craft that lasted almost three centuries. This well-illustrated booklet charts this history up until it ceased in 1991, giving a detailed account of the five definite mills, and one putative establishment, each entry being illustrated with maps, buildings or other imagery. A ´family history´ section contains copious details from parish registers and census returns, and after some ephemeral stories related to the mills, the booklet ends with the fullest reference
section of any publication on the subject to date, providing a useful platform for any wishing to pursue further study.
A5, 36 pages, 30 illustrations, some colour, ISSN 1759-765X
John Smith, Papermaker of East Morton, 1794-1871
John Smith was a papermaker who provided technical expertise at the beginning of the company that became Joseph Town and Sons Ltd of Keighley and Leeds. John Smith, soundly trained in Scotland, spent all his working life in Yorkshire. He made a significant contribution to the Yorkshire campaign for the repeal of the iniquitous paper tax. After striking out on his own, in 1831, John Smith had a mixture of good and bad luck, made and lost a good deal of money, and ended his life in an obscurity, from which he has now, thanks to this monograph, been rescued.
A5, 36 pages, 22 illustrations, some colour, ISSN 1759-765X
Mould Making DVD
Hand made paper is still in great demand by artists and for commemorative documents. Several mills in the UK still make paper by hand using traditional wooden moulds.
Making a mould is a very specialised craft. The only man in Britain still doing it is Ron MacDonald who started with E. Amies and Son Limited of Maidstone in Kent in 1948 and was involved with all aspects of mould making. He carried on into retirement with equipment moved to his home near Maidstone.
This DVD shows the skill and craftsmanship which Ron learnt over several decades.
The rectangular face mesh and the coarser backing behind it have to be made specially for each mould. They are woven on Ronald’s unique wire-twisting loom which was built by E. Amies in 1889.
The mahogany frames are sawn, planed and chiselled using all the techniques Ron was taught during his apprenticeship, including the very unusual and complex corner joints of the deckle.
- Written by Peter Eggleston
- 16:9 widescreen (anamorphic)
- © IAR 2010
- £13.00 – DVD (Standard definition)
- Running time: 28 mins.
- Price includes worldwide delivery.
- ‘PAL’ version from the BAPH Shop.
- ‘NTSC’ version available for £13.45 inc worldwide p&p from IA Recordings.