The Quarterly No. 6 – March 1993
The Tramping System – Jean Stirk
The tramping system developed from the mediaeval custom among the longer established, older crafts of giving informal assistance to visiting craftsmen. Each member of a Friendly Society, Benefit Club or Trade Union, the craft journeyman who had paid his regular contributions while working, would be entitled for agreed benefit payments for sickness, unemployment and funeral expenses. However, if
unemployed the journeyman would be required to travel around the country seeking work in order to claim, this article details the travels required to be done by unemployed paper workers and the
effects on the trade and the workers.
5 pages, illustrated
Advice on Working in the Paper Industry – Joseph Collier
Extracts from "The Parent's and Guardian's Directory and the Youth's Guide in the Choice of a Profession or Trade", published in 1761, supplied by Tanya Schmoller. Descriptions of the work of the Marble-Paper Maker, the Paper-Hangings Maker, the Paper-Maker and of the Rag-Man are
given.
2 pages, illustrated
Empire Paper Mills: The Original Machines – Anon
Follow up article to "The Early History of Empire Paper Mills" in The Quarterly No 5. Comprehensive details of each of the machines installed in the Mill are given including manufacturer and the eventual fate of the machine.
2 pages, illustrated
Archives of Paper History, part 1 – Peter Bower
It is intended in this and subsequent articles to draw attention to the range of information now available. We begin with: The Loeber Collection of the Dutch Foundation for Paper History. This collection is the culmination of forty years of travelling Europe photographing and drawing mills and machinery, documenting watermarks and talks with papermakers, merchants and historians. The collection is housed at the Municipal Archives, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, and consists of 18,000 tracings of watermarks, 7,000 technical drawings, 15,000 photographs and other archival material.
3 pages, illustrated
Letter
In response to the second part of Richard Hills article on the Cylinder Mould Machine, Alan Witt, Divisional Sales Development Manager of Whatman Paper Ltd. points out:
Your interesting article on the cylinder mould machine (December 1992) referred to Whatman's past production of drawing papers: "when Whatman Drawing papers were still being made at Springfield Mill". In fact we are still making them. A new range of mould made watercolour and printmaking papers were introduced in 1983 and now have distribution in more than fifty countries. We do also, as Richard Hills pointed out, use the mould machines for other speciality products including
filter papers and this year will be commissioning our first mould machine to supplement our existing capacity which includes a Fourdrinier.
Book Review
The Art and Craft of Papermaking. Sophie Dawson.
The Quarterly No. 7 – July 1993
Rags as Raw Materials for Papermaking, part 1 – Barry Watson
Prior to 1860 rag was the chief source of papermaking fibre. Despite the rapid substitution of wood for rags, to meet an ever increasing demand for paper that rags alone could not meet, there was still a sale for high quality rag content machine made papers in Britain until well into the nineteen sixties. Rags continued in use where durability, permanence, appearance and prestige were important factors in the choice of a particular paper. This article, originally written at Croxley Mill, Hertfordshire in 1948, describes the classification and characteristics of different types of rags as used within the
British paper industry at that date, including jute, hemp and linen.
5 pages, illustrated
Archives of Paper History, Part 2: Hayle Mill – Simon Barcham Green
Hayle Mill has probably the best papermaking archives in Britain and, according to the Kent County Archivist, is probably one of the best business archives of any sort in the country. The collection of books, ledgers, correspondance, plans, maps, charts, paper samples and equipment dates back to the early nineteenth century and includes deeds relating to the period 1808-1918 in which the mill was built and came into the hands of the Green family. There are, however, relatively few items
pre-dating 1838 when the mill went bankrupt, but after that the collection builds up rapidly.
4 pages, illustrated
Places to Visit: The Schoolmaster Mill – Richard Hills
Description of the last wind powered papermill in the world. This mill has survived in virtually original condition since its construction in 1692, and except for the introduction of an
intermittent board machine in 1877, has not been adapted to make a museum. Everything still works and a miller is employed to run and demonstrate the mill every day, making pure rag paper.
2 pages, illustrated
British Paper Mills: Bere Mill, Hampshire – Peter Bower
A short history of this mill from when it was built in 1710 as a corn mill. It was turned over to papermaking in 1712 by Henry Portal and the mill has survived relatively unspoilt. Subsequent uses of the mill buildings are detailed and a list of publications giving further information is provided.
2 pages, illustrated
Letter
From J S G Simmons:
Congratulations of Quarterly No 6, and on giving publicity to Ed. Loebers great Nachlass.
I was sorry to see that you quote the 1907 Briquet and hope that when the occasion arises in future you will refer to the 1968 New Briquet Jubilee Edition which does have much corrective and additional material (including details of post 1907 albums of watermark reproductions up to 1600). This isn't a puff for it (it's long out of print, alas) just an expression that all the work that went into preparing the new edition won't be wasted.
I would also like to put in a plea for an annual list of paper history and watermark literature published in the UK to be published – perhaps in the first issue each year of the Quarterly. Any self respecting discipline must have a basic record and our subject particularly so, as publication is often
scattered, privately printed, and in unsuspected places. But if you took this on and gave it advance publicity people would send offprints and information for inclusion in the record.
Book Reviews
Birkner Paper World 93/4: Directory of the International Paper Industry. Birkner & Co.
Kami '89. Cannabis Press.
James Watt and Papermaking – Richard Hills
A short article based on an extract from James Watt's journal of May – October 1770, in which he details a visit to a paper mill between Perth and Crieff. The machinery at the mill is described, but unfortunately the name of the owner is illegible, however, it still gives a valuable insight into an eighteenth century paper mill.
The Quarterly No. 8 – September 1993
Rags as Raw Materials for Papermaking, part 2: The Production of Rag Halfstuff at Croxley Mill, Hertfordshire in 1948 – Barry Watson
The continuation from The Quarterly No 7 of this highly detailed account of the selection and treatment of rags for papermaking. This part covers the production of the halfstuff, each part of the process is covered in some length with details of times, quantities and type of chemical used, and
the temperatures involved.
7 pages, illustrated
The Panhouse Disaster – N T Sharpe
An account of the explosion, and subsequent investigation, of a spherical boiling pan at Olive and Partington's Turnlee Paper Mills, Glossop, Derbyshire. The explosion occurred on 25th June 1943 and caused extensive damage and the loss of four lives.
3 pages, illustrated
British Paper Mills: Haughton Castle Mill, Northumberland – Peter Bower
A short history of this mill from its being built in 1788 till the last known reference in 1862. Haughton mill was involved in the production of paper for the forging of assignats, the paper currency used by the revolutionary authorities in France in the early 1790's as a controlled and deliberate weapon of war.
3 pages, illustrated
Letter
Simon Barcham Green.
Additional comments to part 2 of Richard Hills article on The Cylinder Mould Machine in The Quarterly No 5, December 1992. The writer gives details of the construction and use of removable covers, or sleeves, on cylinder mould machines supplementing Richard Hills article.
1 page
Book Reviews
A guide to watermark catalogues found in art historical publications.
Piranesi: Early Architectural Fantasies. A Catalogue Riaisonn of the Etchings by Andrew Robison.
Master Drawings in The Royal Collection. Jane Roberts.
Rubens & Rembrandt in their Century: Flemish and Dutch Drawings of the 17th Century from the Pierpont Morgan Collection. Felice Stampfle.
A Dictionary of Michaelango's Watermarks. Jane Roberts.
Andrea Mantegna. Edited by Jane Martineau.