Welcome These pages contain historical information for lovers of old manuscripts, newspapers, books, photographs, paper money, stamps, and every kind of paper memorabilia. The information presented is for the general reader as well as for the artist, archivist, conservationist, collector, and historian of paper artifacts. Please enjoy yourself, and feel free to write and express your opinion or ask a question.

Dard Hunter, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, held a common world view of papermaking. Dr. Hunter's Papermaking; The History and Technique of an Ancient Craft, first published in 1943, remains the most popular book on the subject. Today the Dard Hunter Society forms the support network for the American Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta Ga. 
 

Slideshow of American Paper History; 1801-1900 

Part 1: July 21, 2009. Selected photos of paper history .

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Author Exhibits:

Salute to Papermaking 
Part 1: The Machine Revolution; 1822-1859

PDF August 31, 2005. Selected pages from the exhibit.  .
Entry 1. May 30, 2005. An award winning exhibit of letters and paper artifacts surrounding the important people, places, and events of American paper history. 

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Part 2:
The Envelope Explosion; 1851-1922

PDF  May 18, 2006. Selected pages from the exhibit.  .
Entry 18. May 18, 2006. Critique of the exhibit of letters and paper history artifacts from the latter half of the 19th Century. 
Entry 16. February 10, 2006. An exhibit of 80 pages is  scheduled for WESTPEX 06. 
PDF February 10, 2006. Single page showing Holyoke paper mill and train station. 
Entry 13. November 11, 2005. An exhibit of 80 pages is  scheduled for WESTPEX 06. 
Entry 2.  July 31, 2005.  Proposal for for next season of exhibiting. Now, all new material from the latter half of the 19th and early 20th Centuries!

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Mounting the Paper History Exhibit
I mount most all my paper history exhibit using the Lineco archival hinging tissue. This product is a pressure sensitive tissue. Simply cut a 4-6" segment, double it back, and apply to the exhibit item with the folds oriented in the vertical direction. The item is then placed on the exhibt page and pressed securely in place for about 5 seconds. The item will hold in place securely even as the page stands in the exhibit frame. The tape is fully reverseable, but should be removed very carefully. This procedure is not recommended for fragile items. 

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 Critique Corner

Entry 30. October 19, 2007.  Critique of "The Myth of Laid Paper", by Larry S. Weiss, United States Specialist, v78 no.7, July 2007. 

Entry 24. February 12, 2007.  Critique of "The Controversial 24c Continential Stamp of 1875", by Ken Lawrence; appearing in Scotts Monthy Journal for January, 2007. 

Entry 23, February 08, 2007   Envelopes used to post letters in New York  in 1842

Entry 22. February 08, 2007.  Author's earliest known reference to envelope paper in the US,  1840. 

PDF February 08, 2007.  Ledger sheet of commission paper sales of a Philadelphia merchant for the entire month of January, 1845. CAUTION: HIGH RESOLUTION FILE FOR HIGH SPEED DOWNLOAD ONLY. 

Entry 17. February 22, 2006.  Critique of "The China Clay Variety of the 1908-1910 Washington-Franklin Issue", by Edward M. Liston; appearing in the US Specialist Vol 77, Nos.1,2 January, February, 2006. 
Entry 15. December 28, 2005.  Public comments on US stamp paper of late 19th Century.
PDF December 28, 2005.  PDF showing post card paper circa 1874
 
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 Current Web Blogs 

Paper History Channel 
A dedicated site with an interactive forum for discussion. Run by Luigi Bagnato and Oyvind Haugen of the Beloit Paper and Mfg. Co. (see web articles below). Current research projects include paper for the National Geographic Magazine and the Hudson River Mill in Corinth NY. Lots of photos/drawings of antique machines makes for excellent viewing. 

Friends of Dard Hunter, Inc 
Site primarily devoted to artistic endevors in hand paper-making.  

The Crane Insider 
A modern recreation of the house organ. Crane & Co. news, commentary, and history of paper and paper-making. Arguably the oldest paper concern in the United States, and current manufacturer of American currency paper.

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 Blog Commentary

The subjects here concern important topics in the world of 19th Century American papermaking. . 

Begin reading the entries starting at the bottom and work your way up. As new entries are made they will go on top.

AJ Valente is a writer and collector in the field of papermaking and related artifacts.

August 28, 2005.  Blogging on Paper History.
 

Contact the author by e-mail

Rag Paper Manufacture in the United State, 1801-1900--A History with List of Paper MIlls and Owners

The above book will appear in the fall of 2010. Please click on the above link to go to the publisher's website and view the pre-release book cover and write-up. 

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Claremont NH Paper History Project 

Entry 42.  June 5, 2010. A brief history of the author's adoped home town--Claremont, NH.

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 Children's Book Project

Entry 10.  April 15, 2004. Proposal for fictionalized account of children growing up in Paper Mill Village, New Hampshire, 1835.

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Entry 40: August 30, 2009: A major paper variety of 1878 recognized by all US stamp collectors is under discussion. Its make-up and origins remain a profound mystery, and the writer investigates the potential sources of paper makes some interesting findings. 

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PDF September 13, 2005. The entire article in black and white..
Entry 5: Published November, 2001  Post Office officials deciding to apply perforations to stamps in 1857 find handmade paper particularly tough to tear.
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The Demise of Handmade Paper

PDF September 14, 2005. The entire article in black and white. .
Entry 6: Published June, 2004.  Machines had been around for 40 years before hand mill's came into jeopardy.   

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The Northwest Mills - A Philatelic Perspective

PDF October 20, 2005. The entire article as previously published on the Oregon Stamp Society website (www.oregonstamp society.org) 
Entry 12. Completed: March, 1999. After the success of wood pulp paper in the east during the 1870s, the vast forests of the Northwest became the focus of large scale operations. 

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 Paper Research 

The author will research articles of paper or their watermarks. Please  e-mail your request to alv@ieee.org. 

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Paper Conservation & Preservation

The web plays host to a good number of amateurs who espouse methods of 'cleaning' or 'restoration' that actually can be quite harmful to the long term preservation of paper artifacts. The science of conservation is constantly improving, and so the writer will try to post the most relevant web pages for the  various areas of paper collecting. 

Preservation and Care of Philatelic Materials
The American Philatelic Society hosts this site for collectors of stamps and postal history. The methods are one-size-fits-all for the most part, and the emphasis is on chemical wood pulp paper. Recommend that treatments suggesting boiling water or benzene be avoided with rag paper stamps and stationary.

Chloramine T and Stamps
Senior paper conservator Michael Maggen discusses the pros and cons of Chloramine T and the trend toward stain reducing agents which do not leave active materials or traces in the object. 

Conservation of Books
Dictionary of descriptive terms by Matt T. Roberts and Don Etherington with drawings by Margaret R. Brown.Has an outstanding search engine that permits rapid retrieval of information that is extensively cross-linked. 
 

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 Museum Watch

Entry 36. October 17, 2008 Trip report to the American Museum of Papermaking. The writer goes to the museum to conduct research on the upcoming book. Located on the grounds of the  Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta GA, the museum and library is a primary center of research for the school of paper science. In addition to traditional papermaking, the museum also covers a range of topics from non-traditional papers to modern art.  

American Museum of Papermaking
(Currently exhibiting Dr. Hunter's collection of hand crafted books)
Dard Hunter Studios
(Currently outlining the life of the celebrated Dard Hunter)
Stanford University - Abbey Newsletter
(Discussion of new biography of Dard Hunter by Cathy Baker of Buffalo State College)
Hagley Museum 
(Discussion of duPont Ancestral Home new Wilmington DE - near where the first paper machine was erected in the US on the Brandywine River.)
British Association of Paper Historians
Just an outstanding web site having a glossary of papermaking terms on the main page. There's also a handy index with summation of all the articles published since 1989. The British are so civilized!

International Association of Paper Historians
Organization dedicated to preservation of paper history. Excellent resource for paper historians. 

Crane Museum 
 Crane & Co.'s web site dedicated to the the Old Stone Mill (1845) and the family's legacy in Berkshire County MA. 

Friends of Scull Shoals, Inc. 
 Georgia papermaking web site promoting the state's first paper mill in Scull Shoals Mill Village. References to slave labor on mill site, although further details are scarce. 

Historic Rittenhouse Town
Fine web site about the 1st American paper mill. Here we find the original 1702 mill was torn down to make way for a park. The picture depicted on US postcard and elsewhere is actually the Rittenhouse family home. 

Paper Online
 Brief outline of paper history, paper and the environment, glossary of paper terms, paper grades, and etc. 

Society for the Preservation of Old Mills.
Discourse on equipment and supplies available for old mill restoration.No information on paper mills per' se', but still valuable discussion of  mill technology. 

Thomas L. Gravell Watermark Collection (University Delaware) 
Great site for watermark research. Provides excellent insight into the handmade era. 

Waterwheel Factory
A fine website with lots of pictures of waterwheels. Identifies the principal differences between the over-shot and more powerful under-shot waterwheels.