The Quarterly No. 81 – January 2012
Perth’s Paper Mills – Robin H. Rodger
This article lists seven paper mills around the Perth region, but concentrates in particular on just two: Ruthven and Woodend Mills. Both started in the latter decades of the 18th century, and both operated until the mid-19th century. This extremely detailed article described the various legal documents extant concerning both mills, allowing detailed descriptions of the ownership of both premises to be described.
9.5 pages, 2 illustrations
The Colour of Pen and Ink
A short piece dating from the late 19th century about the colour of printing inks and background colouration of paper, and how both can be manipulated to better effect as regards readability.
0.5 page
Outside the Square: A Considered Approach to the Treatment of a 3-Dimensional Paper Object – Ute Larsen and Camilla Baskcomb
An article describing the conservation of a rare late 18th century paper globe. Conservation of 3D objects brings its own problems, and these are amply described in this detailed exposition of the conservation treatment, and subsequent display considerations, used when working upon this unique object.
5 pages, 8 illustrations
Updated Notes on ‘Papermaking in Lincolnshire 1600-1900’ – Daven Chamberlain
In 2008 a book was published entitled Papermaking in Lincolnshire 1600-1900 by Hugh Nott, which contains a large amount of detailed information about most of the mills that operated in the county between the dates shown. This article adds further information on these mills, and includes a further mill which the author of the book failed to include.
4 pages, 1 illustration
William Town on Sizing
A small article from the notebook of this mid-Victorian mill owner, upon the intricacies of sizing quality hand-made fine papers.
0.5 page, 1 illustration
Hanging Wallpaper during the Regency Period – Rowena Beighton-Dykes
Wallpaper is one of the many decorative uses to which paper is put. This article, which is a summary of the author’s research thesis, outlines problems with our understanding of an apparently simple problem – how wallpaper was displayed during the Regency Period. In some situations it pasted direct to the wall; others attached it to wooden frames that were themselves attached to the wall. A very detailed reference section completes this article, which is set to become a standard reference work on the subject.
8 pages, 4 illustrations
How to Get Paper – Charles Dickens
This rather oddly-titled article describes non-paper writing materials used mainly in America, then goes on to outline the problems associated with rag shortages and how these were limiting the availability of paper. It ends with an exhortation not to waste paper, due to its scarcity.
3.5 pages
History of Paper Test Instrumentation Part 21: Miscellaneous Test Instruments – Daven Chamberlain
The miscellaneous and eclectic items of test equipment described in this article include: sheet splitters; sample preparation equipment; filter-paper testers; copying paper apparatus; electrical insulation paper testers; and paper core testing instruments.
6 pages, 6 illustrations
Cholera and Rags
The transmission of cholera and other diseases by rags was an ever-present topic of enquiry, even in the early 20th century. This article, from 1884, outlines problems current at the time involving a cholera epidemic in France, and the effect this was having upon importation of rags into the UK.
1 page
Industrial Relations in the Papermaking and Boardmaking Industry: Gold Medal Lecture 1971 – Michael Lambert
This article is a transcript of a speech made upon the retirement of the author, who had been the director of the Paper Federation. It outlines his lifelong involvement with the subject of labour relations. Aside from personal reminiscences of strikes and negotiations, it gives a potted history of the subject stretching from the late 17th century to the late 1960s.
6 pages
Enemies of Books
A short, sometimes humorous, article about some of the various insects that feast upon paper.
1.5 pages,1 illustration
Book Reviews:
The Pulp: The Rise and Fall of an Industry – Allan Jamieson
The definitive book on the modern Australian Paper Industry in general, and on Burnie Pulp and Paper Mill in particular.
Railways – The John Dickinson Connection – Michael Stanyon
A small booklet from the Apsley Paper Trail (APT) outlining the way the railway was embraced by the John Dickinson company.
Paper – Bihiyyih Nakhjavani
An unconventional work of fiction, taking the subject of paper as its core.
The Poetry of Paper: An Anthology of Papermaking Verse – ed. Michael Stanyon
Another APT booklet, combining some regular poems about papermaking and the paper trade with those penned specifically by members of the Dickinson workforce that have hitherto not been published.
The Quarterly No. 82 – April 2012
From Britain to Botany Bay: Art Material Supply in Colonial Australia – Louise Wilson
A detailed article describing the trade in both paper and other artist’s materials from the UK into Australia from the late 18th to mid-19th centuries. Before the home market was established artists were reliant upon links with UK firms to supply all forms of equipment required for painting and drawing. This account is illustrated with various prints produced by Australian artists of the period.
8 pages, 10 illustrations
Rating of Paper Mills in Lancashire – Mike Malley
The Quarter Sessions held at Preston in 1903 contain a two page document describing the ‘ratings of paper mills in the county of Lancashire’. Aside from the mill name, information includes number of paper machines, their sizes, distance to the nearest railway station, and the poor rate assessments. The two pages of this document are shown, alongside an assessment of some of the important information it contains.
2.5 pages, 2 illustrations
William Town on the Rag Women’s Strike
A contemporary report from a mill owner of the steps taken in a dispute with rag women over pay.
0.5 pages
Paper in Simone Martini’s Frescoed Maestà – Professor Norman Muller
This frescoed Maestà is dated 1315. It contains unusual materials not usually found in frescos: glass, paste gems, silver, tin, gold leaf, and something originally described as parchment. This article is a re-assessment of the latter, which shows in fact it is paper.
2 pages, 4 illustrations
Reading the Fragment: Bullet Holes, Mildew, and Blood Stains – Dr Sydney J Shep
Aside from ammunition and standard military kit, soldiers tend to carry various miscellaneous items of no military value – but with sentimental attachment. This article describes some of the paper-based artefacts carried by soldiers during the Boer war, including: paperback books, writing sets, newspapers, photographs, and banknotes. The significance of the material is discussed alongside its sociological context.
7 pages
Reminiscences of a Pulp Sampler
A short article from the very late 19th century, describing the woes and trials of an itinerant analyst or pulp tester, who plied his trade the length and breadth of the English countryside.
1 page
The Japanese way of Making Vessels of Paper or Saw Dust
A mid-Georgian article from the mid-18th century describing the production of imitation metal and ceramic dishes from papier mâché. Included in the description is the use of various varnishes, paints and metal leaf used as decoration.
2 pages
Curdridge Paper Mill – John Hammond
This mill in Hampshire operated from around 1640 until the mid-19th century. This very detailed description outlines most of the paper-making information, along with some history of the site following its closure as a paper manufactory. Copious appendices describe some of the various papermaking families that worked at the mill, mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries.
10 pages, 5 illustrations
History of Paper Test Instrumentation Part 22: Wet Pulp Test Apparatus – Daven Chamberlain
To date this series has concentrated upon laboratory test instrumentation used to analyse paper sheets. However, much specialised apparatus has also been devised to assess pulps prior to their transformation into a sheet of paper. This detailed article describes test equipment used to assess pulp samples in a wetted state.
10 pages, 6 illustrations
Review of a Popular Publication in the Searching Style – Charles Dickens
One of the great master’s literary rambles, this time taking as its subject the bank note. The paper, inks and printing process are all described, as is the subject of forgery, and the steps taken by the Bank of England to identify counterfeit notes.
4 pages, 1 illustration, 1 table
The Quarterly No. 83 – July 2012
Life’s Wonderful Surprises: the Rediscovery of a Collection of Drawings by John Constable RA (1776-1837) and Thomas Stothard RA (1755-1834) – Peter Bower
A review of a collection of drawings by these two notable artists that was put up for sale during mid-2012. The article shows some of the sketches along with a detailed analysis of the papers made by the author.
12 pages, 35 illustrations
English Wallpaper Manufacture, c1700 – c1800 – Clare Taylor
A very detailed and well-referenced description of the English wallpaper trade during the entirety of the 18th century, which includes information on imagery and styles, by one of our foremost authorities on the subject.
11 pages, 5 illustrations
History of Paper Test Instrumentation Part 23: First Addendum to Parts 6-10 – Daven Chamberlain
Updated information and images relating to Opacity, Tactile, Dimensional Stability, Tensile and Burst Testers.
3.5 pages, 5 illustrations
Glory Mill, c1900
A montage of four images from Wiggins Teape’s Glory Mill.
0.5 page, 1 illustration
Joseph Town and Sons Turkey Mill, Keighley, and Albion Street, Leeds (In Memoriam: John Town 1923-2011) – Catherine Wright
The Town family built and operated this mill between 1822-1918, after which Portals purchased the business, which in turn became part of Wiggins Teape in 1930. Much of this information comes from a recently discovered family scrapbook, which gives personal reflections on many of the changes that occurred during the family’s tenure of the mill.
10 pages, 10 illustrations
British Bibliography of Paper History and Watermark Studies No.19, 2011 – Peter Bower
Listing of articles concerned with papermaking history and paper conservation published in 2011.
2.5 pages
Australian Watermarks
Two Wiggins Teape watermarks produced by the Shoalhaven mill in Australia.
0.5 page, 2 illustrations
The Quarterly Index Nos 77 to 80 – Terry Wells
The index is arranged in eight categories: Articles by author; Articles by title; Book reviews; General index; Illustrations; Papermakers; Paper mills; Watermarks. The Watermarks index is further divided into those that are illustrated and those that are mentioned in the text.
12 pages
The Quarterly No. 84 – October 2012
Benjamin and Richard Nun(n), The Dublin Paper Makers – Eddie Jordan
The Nun(n) family were Irish papermakers who operated from the mid-18th century until the turn of the 19th century. This article, which is part family history and part industrial history, charts the family’s involvement in the paper trade.
8 pages, 6 illustrations
Henry Fuseli: Necessity or Frugality? The Artist’s Selection of Drawing Papers – Ute Larsen & Camilla Baskcomb
Fuseli (1741-1825) was a Swiss-born artist who settled in London where he studied with Joshua Reynolds. This article describes a project undertaken to identify how the artist used paper; the sides upon which drawings or paintings were executed; and the importance of stains and various ephemeral items such as paper patches in documenting the life of a work of art.
10 pages, 9 illustrations, 3 tables
Humour in the Paper Mill: Sandoz Cartoons
Humorous cartoons on the subject of industrial processes are often taken as the domain of Heath Robinson, whose cartoons on the subject of papermaking have been featured several times in the pages of this journal. Yet, although Robinson is undoubtedly the best known cartoonist, he was not unique. These two cartoons, dating from the 1950s, were produced on behalf of Sandoz, a Swiss chemical firm that supplied the paper industry with dyes and other chemicals.
2 pages, 2 illustrations
Martin Billing and his Ownership of Tibberton Paper Mill – Mike Malley
Tibberton is a small Shropshire village, not particularly well known for papermaking, yet the industry flourished for well over two centuries. This article gives the most detailed account yet of the history of the three mills involved, the last of which stopped production in the early 20th century.
7 pages, 5 illustrations
History of Paper Test Instrumentation Part 24: Laboratory Papermaking Apparatus – Daven Chamberlain
The previous article in this series described apparatus designed to test wet pulps. This article follows on with detailed descriptions of the apparatus used in laboratories to transform wet pulp into paper sheets, such that their properties could then be assessed using other laboratory equipment described in many previous editions of the series.
7 pages, 6 illustrations
Lost & Found: Part 1 Trews Weir Mill, Exeter – Daven Chamberlain
The start of a mini-series in which the sites of former paper mills, or other buildings related to the paper trade, are identified and photographed as they appear today. Included in the short text is data (postcode or map references) to allow readers to find the sites.
0.5 page, 2 illustrations
Papyrus, Parchment and Paper. Part 1. Early Writing Materials – Introduction – Richard L Hills
The author intended this to be the introduction to a book on the subject of early writing materials, which was ultimately to chart how paper came to be the preferred material of choice worldwide. Unfortunately the project was shelved, which has allowed BAPH to publish the various chapters in serial form in the pages of The Quarterly. This article sets the scene, and describes the origin of writing before focusing upon various early writing materials including wood, stone and textiles.
3 pages
A Visit to the Laboratory and Experimental Paper Mill of Arthur D. Little, Inc. – S Chas Phillips
The consulting firm of AD Little is today one of the largest of its kind in the world. What most customers of this firm probably do not realise is the founder was a cellulose chemist, and among the industries he targeted in the early 20th century was paper and pulp. For this he built (in America) a laboratory and had installed an experimental paper machine. In effect he provided an American equivalent to the services offered in the UK by Cross and Bevan.
3 pages, 3 illustrations
Packs of Cards, Old & New – Charles Dickens
The master writer describes the evolution of the cards, from the tarot cards of the middle ages, through the many historical- and political-themed packs of the Renaissance, to the ‘modern’ Victorian playing card.
3 pages
In Memoriam: Harry Dagnall, BD MA AKC FRPSL (1914-2012) – Peter Bower
An obituary of one of the BAPH’s most consistent supporters, which describes some of his interests and research topics from which he managed to publish in excess of 500 books, articles and reviews. A life lived to the full, and remembered fondly.
1 page, 1 illustration
A Unique Watermark Combination – Peter Bower
A short description of an unusual sheet containing a watermark of the Royal Arms of England (used approx. 1694-1702) and a countermark (Crown / AR) used between 1702-1714. To the knowledge of the author, this particular combination is unique.
1 page, 2 illustrations
Book Reviews:
Protecting the Business: The John Dickinson and British Paper Company Volunteer Fire Brigades – Paul Sturman, Michael Stanyon & Alan Penwarden
A small booklet, published by The Apsley Paper Trail (APT), on the fire brigades that were a part of many mills up until recent times. (This particular booklet is based heavily upon an article in The Quarterly No.75.)
A Lion Goes to War: from Waterloo to World War 2 – Michael Stanyon
Another small booklet from the APT concentrating upon how the firm operated during wartime.