The Quarterly No. 57 – February 2006
Cirencester Conference 2005
The British Hand Mould – Richard Hills
Development of the hand mould from its roots in the Chinese mould. Comprehensive coverage of the construction of the parts of the mould, watermarks and variations for special purposes. Appendix of moulds seen at Wookey Hole Mill.
10 pages, illustrated, appendix
Two Buckinghamshire Paper Mills c1825 – Peter Bower
Two drawings by William Henry Brooke of Mr Wright's and Mr Starford's paper mills on the river Colne in Buckinghamshire.
2 pages, illustrated
The Tartarus of Maids – Herman Melville
Story describing the lives of predominately female workers tending machinery in that relatively, at the time, new place of work, the factory. They were ruled by the machines, and are portrayed as slaves to the machines, literally working themselves to death. The story is based on a paper mill in New England an includes a description of the pper making process.
6 pages
Cirencester Conference 2005
Further Life in the Paper Industry – Barry Watson
Continuation of the author's extensive and varied life in papermaking following 'demob' in 1947. Includes his time with Albert E Reed & Co Ltd as a papermaking instructor, time at Reed College and overseas training.
3 pages
Book Review
Memories from the Mill. Compiled by Paddy Nash.
More Memories from the Mill. Compiled by Paddy Nash
Cirencester Conference 2005
Jacob Christian Schäffer: The Unsung Pioneer of Plant Papermaking – Christine Harrison
There is very little written about Jacob Schäffer, but Dard Hunter regarded him as 'the
person who did more than any of his predecessors in the quest for materials for papermaking'. The article starts with his background and history, continues with an account of his work in searching out papermaking fibres and concludes with a short mention of experiments to replicate his work.
6 pages, illustrated
Mould Growths on Wood Pulp
Fungi and moulds can cause significant damage to paper articles. However, the enzymes secreted by fungi are used commercially in the pulping industry to cause partial destruction of wood; so the action of these plants can be sometimes harnessed constructively. This article describes mould formation on wood pulp stored in less than ideal conditions.
2 pages, illustrated
The Wembley Papermaking Machine goes to Australia – Harry Dagnall
Probably no other papermaking machine that has been built during the last century has had such a colourful history as the one that was constructed for the British Empire Exhibition in 1924. During its eighty years of life so far it has made many tons of various kinds of paper in this country, has been shipped across thousands of miles of ocean, and has played an important role in the establishment of a new paper industry. This phase being complete, it suffered the indignity of being split in two. The hinder part was moved from place to place, earning money for its successive owners. What its end will be is unknown for it is still at work in a mill that bears its name – the Wembley Mill.
7 pages, illustrated
In Memoriam – John Simmons
John Simmons spent most of his life in the world of books and contributed greatly to the study of paper and its history. He did extensive work for The Paper Publications Society, including translation and other work on volumes of Russian watermarks, spending many years as General Editor. His work and enthusiasm will be greatly missed.
3 pages, illustrated
Chafford Mill: A Short History – Sarah Tanner and Daven Chamberlain
Short but comprehensive history of this Kent mill from the first mention in 1756 till closure in 1999. Papermakers associated with the mill are Stidolph, Taylor, Swayne, Turner and Warden. Paper from the mill was used by Henry Fox Talbot to produce his Calotype photograph paper.
7 pages, illustrated
On the Manufactory of Paper: A Poem – James Maxwell
A poem 'Setting forth the great utility thereof, and the benefits derived therefrom to all mankind by this noble invention'. James Maxwell appears to have been a weaver by trade and was a religious conservative who published several books.
5 pages
The Influence of the Seasons on Papermaking
A short piece reprinted from The World's Paper Trade Review, 1912. It describes how paper made during the various seasons of the year differed in subtle, but important ways, in mills where artificial means of protecting the raw materials and manufacturing processes from the elements do not exist.
1 page
The Quarterly No. 58 – April 2006
The Great Bank Note Paper Robbery, 1861-1862 – Ian Dye
A comprehensive article covering the origins of the crime from early 1858, the events at Messrs Portals and Co Laverstoke mills during 1861-62, to the trial and its outcome. Concentrating on primary sources, consisting of testimonies which relate to different parts of the events, the author attempts to re-cast these into one chronologically sequential story.
13 pages, tables
Early Experiments with Rag Substitutes
Short article reprinted from The World's Paper Trade Review 1910 showing there was a significant interest in finding substitute materials for rags at the end of the 18th century.
1 page
An Introduction to Turkey Mill – MJ Fuller
A brief account of the setting in which Turkey mill, Maidstone, worked and prospered, being transformed from a small fulling mill into one of the most important paper mills in the land. The earliest documented reference is 1629, it was converted to a paper mill some time in the late 17th century and operated till closure in 1976. The mill has now been converted into office suites, virtually all the original buildings have been retained.
5 pages, illustrated
History of Paper Test Instrumentation Part Three: Liquid Absorption Testers – Daven Chamberlain
Continuing this comprehensive and in-depth study of paper testing instruments, this part covering liquid absorption testers. Techniques and instruments used can be split into two main groups: those that seek to saturate the paper with the test liquid, and those that look mainly at surface phenomena. This article covers both sets of tests and instruments that have not been described previously.
7 pages, illustrated
Le Club de La Buse – Ian Hendry
During the German occupation of Belgium in the Second World War many paper mills were closed. Printers were issued with coupons, called 'Bons W6', which they exchanged with paper makers for paper. Regular weekly meetings between printers and paper merchants became known as 'Le Club de La Buse'. The 'Buse' continued on after the war.
1 page
The Conservation and Reproduction of Colin Campbell's Vitruvius Britannicus – Julie Fitzgerald
Vitruvius Britannicus was published in three volumes between 1715 and 1725. Volume II was published in 1717 and contains 200 intaglio prints of British country houses. This article describes the examination and conservation of this extensively damaged volume and subsequent digital copying.
6 pages, illustrated
In Memoriam – Rémy John Barcham Green
Rémy Green (1912-2004) was the fifth generation of the Green family to run Hayle Mill, Maidstone. During his term as Managing Director he moved the mill from from being dependant on hand-made paper with the introduction of a small cylinder mould machine. He adapted this to produce industrial and scientific filter papers. He also worked with bookbinders and paper restorers, developing papers to meet their needs. Green's 105 Lens Tissue sold all over the world and was
eventually recognised as also being suitable for paper repairs. He contributed greatly to paper history, working closely with EJ Labarre and Edo Loeber and was a founding member of the National Paper Museum. He was a long standing member of both the International Paper Historians and the British Association of Paper Historians.
1 page
Tropical Fibrous Plants for Paper, Textiles, etc.
A reprint of an article from The World's Paper Trade Review, 1912, showing a machine that, with suitable alteration, could be used for preparation of various plants for either paper-pulp or textile uses.
3 pages, illustrated
Millbank Paper Mill (Excise Number 213) – Mike Malley
Article following the fortunes of Millbank paper mill, Partington, near Warrington for over two hundred years. The author explores how the location of this mill, and the two other mills on this site, was chosen to best utilise water power. Furthermore, he identifies how changes in the watercourse influenced the mill's development.
4 pages, illustrated
Oxfordshire Mills part 1: Eynsham Mill – Frances Wakeman
The story of this mill from when it was converted to a paper mill in 1682 till closure in 1892 and eventual demolition in the early part of the twentieth century. The author records in detail the changes of ownership and occupancy and also paper types produced at the mill. There is also an appendix listing owners and papermakers from the 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871 census returns
5 pages, illustrated, appendix
Liebig Cards – Paper Making
The Liebig Company started publishing collectors' cards in about 1870 for publicity, the last were produced in 1975. The set illustrated is from 1932 and depicts scenes of papermaking, the original French text on each card has been translated.
3 pages, illustrated
Description of a Paper-Drying Apparatus Employed at the Imperial Paper Mill of Peterhoff, in Russia, Invented by Mr. William Reed
Short article reprinted from two issues of the Mechanics' Magazine, Museum, Register, Journal and Gazette, 1829, which gives a contemporary account of the development of the paper-machine during the early decades of the 19th century.
3 pages, illustrated
The Papermaker – Johannes and Casper Luiken. Translated by JM Banfield
Short poem by Jan Luiken the famous engraver and poet on the conversion of rags to paper, in both original Dutch and English translation.
1 page, illustrated
The Quarterly No. 59 – July 2006
Papermaking in Hertfordshire – Richard Hills
Hertfordshire was home to the first paper mill in Britain. The county has a further claim to fame in that mills in the county were the first in which the two most important types of paper machines were first installed. The author describes the rise, and fall, of papermaking in the county along with information on Tate's first mill, papermaking machines and alternative papermaking fibres.
9 pages, illustrated
York Conference 2004
The Miracle of Paper: Some Thoughts after 50 Years in Paper – Ian Hendry
An article looking at what paper actually is. It is an extraordinary material; it can exist in over 14,000 different forms; and new papers are being created every day. More than that, it is a material made from natural products, and no two sheets of paper are ever the same.
5 pages, illustrated
Bookbinders' Boards – JF Briggs
This article was serialised in The World's Paper Trade Review, but appeared first in the British and Colonial Printer and Stationer. It describes the manufacturing processes used to make different grades of Bookbinders' Boards, and very importantly from the conservation viewpoint, it lists many of the chemicals used during fibre processing, the residues of which were often left in this low grade board at the end of manufacture.
7 pages
British Bibliography of Paper History and Watermark Studies No 13, 2005 – Peter Bower
Listing of articles concerned with papermaking published in 2005.
3 pages
Sonnet to the Neckinger Mill – Alan Crocker
Neckinger Mill in Bermondsey is the mill where methods of recycling paper and making paper from wood, straw and other materials were developed. The prophetess Joanna Southcott is also linked with the mill. These two facets of the mill history are important to the interpretation of the sonnet which was published in the Gentleman's Magazine in 1802. The author also gives some history on the Gentleman's magazine and the history and structure of sonnets.
5 pages, illustrated
The Doctrine of Symbolism Applied to Watermarks
This article reprinted from The World's Paper Trade Review, 1909, consists of a book review containing a certain amount of criticism, followed by a reply from the book's author, then a counter-reply from the reviewer. The thesis of the book concerns the theory that contained within early watermarks is a secret code by which religious heretics (the Albigensi) could communicate.
3 pages
White Paper Condemned: Some Scientific Reasons Against the recent Methods of Printing
This interesting article was printed first in The World's Paper Trade Review, 1909. It highlights a criterion, that of legibility, which is still an important topic today in the graphics industry. Furthermore, since publication almost a century ago, the situation described has become even more extreme, as papers have increased in whiteness and also have the added effect of fluorescence. Claims in the article can be tested by changes to the background and fonts colours as displayed on the computer screen. We welcome any feedback from experiments.
2 pages
Index to The Quarterly Nos 53 – 56 – Terry Wells
The index is arranged in nine categories: Articles by author; Articles by title; Book reviews; General index; Illustrations; Papermakers; Paper mills; Tipped-in paper samples; Watermarks. The Watermarks index is further divided into those that are illustrated and those that are mentioned in the text.
13 pages
The Quarterly No. 60 – October 2006
Cirencester Conference 2005
The Women Workers of John Dickinson & Co Ltd – Michael Stanyon
This study explores the role of women within the paper industry of the Gade valley in Hertfordshire. Since 1809 the principal manufacturing company has been John Dickinson's, both as paper makers and as manufacturing stationers. The period covered is from the closing years of the eighteenth century
through to the end of the second World War, during which Apsley Mill alone grew from a small mill into a factory employing around five thousand people.
8 pages, illustrated, tables
Paper from Bamboo: Improved Preparatory Treatment of the Fibre
Short article reprinted from The World's Paper Trade Review 1911 detailing an improved method of treating bamboo preparatory to making it into pulp for paper-making purposes patented by Mr Samuel Milne of Edinburgh.
3 pages, illustrated
"For the Better Supply of the Paper Mills in General": George White's Handbill – Peter Bower
A short account of the examination of a handbill left by the dealer with householders to notify them that he would call back later to collect whatever they could collect together for him. Any information on George White or other rag men would be welcome.
2 pages, illustrated
Reminiscences about Kemsley Mill – John Parker
Notes of the recollections of the author when a new graduated Chemical Engineer at Kemsley Mill, north Kent between 1952 and 1960. He covers a wide range of the activities of a paper mill including employees, techniques, supplies and production processes.
4 pages
New Rag Cutting Machines: Nuttall's Patent
Illustration and description of the operation of Nuttall's Rag Cutting Machine as detailed in The World's Paper Trade Review, 1888
2 pages, illustrated
A Visit to Turkey Mill – Mick Fuller
Account of a press visit to Turkey Mill, in about 1930 it is believed, shown here in its entirety. An undated reprint in Hollingworth Paper was used for the article, but the original report was quoted as having been published in an unspecified edition of The Bookseller & Stationery Trade Journal.
2 pages, illustrated
Sketches of Mill Life: Changing the Cylinder Felt – John M Scrymgeough
Reprinted from The World's Paper Trade Review, 1909, to compliment the current series of reminiscences. It illustrates, in a humorous way, the trials and tribulations that can occur during paper manufacture, and the dangers involved in heavy maintenance procedures.
1 page
Mark Lander: New Zealand Papermaker Extraordinaire – Christine Harrison
The account of the authors meeting with this extraordinary artist. He has taken home papermaking to the ultimate degree including designing and building his own papermaking machinery. He also gathers local materials to make and colour the paper with. The article has to be read to appreciate the innovation and enthusiasm.
4 pages, illustrated
History of Paper Test Instruments Part 4: Surface Finish Testers – Daven Chamberlain
To date in this series the surface of paper has only been investigated from the viewpoint of liquid absorption. This article focuses on instrumentation used to quantify three largely independent properties of the surface, its roughness (or smoothness); glare (or gloss) and its slipperiness (or frictional properties).
13 pages, illustrated
Book Reviews
The Grinnell Hawaiian Missionary Stamps: the investigation of the Grinnell Hawaiian Missionaries by the Expert Committee of Royal Philatelic Society London. Patrick Pearson
Papermaking and the Art of Watercolour in Eighteenth-Century Britain: Paul Sandby and the Whatman Paper Mill. Theresa Fairbanks Harris and Scott Wilcox, with essays and contributions by Stephen Daniels, Michael Fuller and Maureen Green.
The Lost Mills: A History of Papermaking in County Durham. Jean V Stirk
An Interview with Mr Bryan Donkin Jun. Some Facts not Generally Known Concerning the History of the Fourdrinier Machine
Reproduced in edited format from The Paper Trade Review, Vol 10, 1888.
2 pages, illustrated
The Cannock Chase Foundry and Engine Works: Machines for Paper Bag Making
Paper conversion is a most important aspect of the paper industry. For many paper grades it is their sole reason for being manufactured. This article has been edited from that presented in The Paper Maker and British Paper Trade Journal, 1896 and describes two new machines, both made in Britain, for producing bags. The editors would be interested in any similar articles.
2 pages, illustrated
A Japanese Papermaker on Cheap Labour. Some Original Notes by an Eminent Japanese Official, Connected with the Japan Government Mills and Printing Offices
Poor wages are always a source of injustice and discontent. This article from The Paper Trade Review, Vol 10, 1888 compares labour costs from various countries. The article is motivated by overtly political sentiments at times but is nevertheless it is an interesting example of social history.
2 pages
Various Papermaking Machines
Encyclopaedias and other books often illustrate the machinery and equipment used in the manufacture of paper. The images shown come from prints from a print dealer who had broken up the books they had come from. Papermaking machinery is such a limited market that you would think that the dealer would realise that anyone wanting such a print might actually want the text that goes with it. We have no idea what books these images have come from. The only clue on one of the prints is the printed text: "Plate XXXVII Paper and Paperboard Machines. See page 1624" If anyone can identify the works from which these images came or knows about any of the individual machines, please contact the editor.
1 page, illustrated