HAN D P APERMAK I NG
N E W S L E T T E R
Number 76, October 2006
Newsletter Editor: Tom Bannister. Columnists: Cathleen A. Baker, Sidney Berger, John Bordley, Susan Gosin, Helen Hiebert, Elaine Koretsky, Winifred Radolan, Pamela Wood.
Hand Papermaking Newsletter is published
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Papermaking, and in spring and autumn it is
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The deadline for the next newsletter (January
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Hand Papermaking is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization. Staff: Tom Bannister, Executive
Director; Mina Takahashi, Magazine Editor.
Board of Directors: Cathleen A. Baker, Inge
Bruggeman, Gail Deery, Helen Hiebert, Peter
Hopkins, Barbara Lippman, David Marshall,
Margaret Prentice, John Risseeuw, Marilyn
Sward, Beck Whitehead. Board of Advisors:
Timothy Barrett, Simon Blattner, Gregor R.
Campbell, Mindell Dubansky, Jane Farmer,
Helen C. Frederick, Elaine Koretsky, James Sitter,
Claire Van Vliet, James Yarnell. Co-founders:
Amanda Degener and Michael Durgin.
20th-anniversary challenge campaign begins
Be a “Founding Contributor” to the Hand Papermaking Endowment Fund
To honor the past twenty years of Hand Papermaking magazine, and to ensure its
future, the board of directors is pleased to announce the launch of the 20th-Anniversary
Challenge Campaign. Funds raised and pledged through this campaign will be used to
start an endowment fund.
“We are thrilled with the enthusiasm and commitment of the board in undertaking
an endowment campaign during this important anniversary year,” said board chair
Marilyn Sward. “We hope our subscribers and friends will join with the board and
give enthusiastic and monetary support to this exciting initiative. When we think of all
the information and beauty contained in the first twenty years of Hand Papermaking
magazine, it inspires us to reach our goal and ensure the availability of this valuable
resource for the next twenty years and more. This endowment will secure Hand
Papermaking’s future for those young papermakers and enthusiasts we are currently
training and encouraging.”
To launch the 20th-Anniversary Challenge, the board has pledged an initial gift of
$10,000, which it hopes to match with gifts from readers and subscribers by
December 31. Donors pledging $500 and more will be acknowledged as founding
contributors to the Hand Papermaking Endowment Fund. We anticipate raising as
much as $40,000 in the first phase of the campaign. The 20th-Anniversary Challenge
Campaign committee members are Marilyn Sward, Gail Deery, and Bobbie Lippman.
For more information about this campaign, or to make a pledge, contact Tom Bannister
at (800) 821-6604 or <info@handpapermaking.org>.
Paper in Flight is a series of workshops, studio demonstrations, lectures, exhibitions, a
symposium, and benefi t dinner event exploring how handmade paper has been used in
humankind’s attempt to leave the ground and soar above. Join us October 24-28, 2006.
October 24, 25, or 26: Take an afternoon class making paper kites and/or hot-air balloons.
October 27: Enjoy morning kite and papermaking demos, and an evening with Lesley Dill.
October 28: Don’t miss the big Paper in Flight events! Our free afternoon symposium
and exhibit is followed by a festive benefit dinner. See page 20 to make your reservations
now or visit <www.handpapermaking.org/anniversary> for all the details. See you soon!
Dear Hand Papermaking,
I read Timothy Barrett’s article “Washi at
War” with great interest (Summer 2006
magazine). I thought you might be interested
in this image of a section of a washi
balloon that was sent to my grandfather by
John C. Simpson of British Columbia in
July 1945. The paper is rather stiff, a little
brittle but easy to bend and probably twice,
maybe three times the thickness of present
day Sekishu. It is in excellent condition
despite its crossing of the Pacific Ocean,
landing in a forest, being sent through the
U.S. Post Office and my saving it for all
these years.
Best regards,
Joan Iversen Goswell
Valencia, Pennsylvania
ALONG THE PAPER ROAD...
This regular feature offers paper musings from
Elaine Koretsky – renowned paper historian, researcher,
and traveler. In this issue, Elaine tells
the story of her long-awaited return to Tibet.
Twenty years ago I wrote about
papermaking in Tibet and China for the
first issue of Hand Papermaking, Volume
One, Number One. Although my search for
hand papermaking was fruitless in Tibet, I
located the unusual plant that the Tibetans
traditionally used to make paper, Stellera
chamaejasme. The plant grows wild, high in
the Himalayas, where little else can flourish.
The Tibetans had discovered that the root
fiber of this plant could produce a wonderful,
strong paper for their sacred writings.
A few years after my extraordinary 1985
month-long expedition to Tibet, I learned
from my friend, the Chinese paper historian
Dr. Pan Jixing, that there was still one
Tibetan family making paper in Nyemo, a
town southwest of Lhasa.
For many years I longed to return to
Tibet, and finally, in 2003, I realized this
ambition. Swiss friends had sent me information
that the Pakhong Printing House in
Dege, idle for many years but not destroyed
in the Cultural Revolution, was now going
strong, printing the ancient Tibetan sutras.
In addition, the printing house was also
permitted to make the old Tibetan paper.
Dege was described in an Air France
in-flight magazine as “…a village lost in
the wilderness of the huge Tibetan plateau,
nestled between cliffs and whipped all
winter long by an icy wind, which hides
a unique rare pearl: its printing house.”
The town lies in eastern Tibet, but when
the Chinese took over the entire territory
of Tibet, they changed the borders, so that
Dege and many other Tibetan cities and
towns became part of Sichuan Province. I
had read vivid, stirring accounts of working
and traveling in that area by the medical
missionary Dr. Albert Shelton and the
botanist Joseph Rock during the years 1903
to 1949. The fighting between the Chinese
and Tibetans, and among the different
Tibetan factions had dissipated after the
Chinese assumed total control, so I asked
my friends in Yunnan Province if they
could arrange a trip for me traveling from
northern Yunnan to northwest Sichuan.
But they declared it was still too dangerous
a route – a combination of bandits, very
poor roads, and threat of landslides. They
suggested I fly to Chengdu, capital of
Sichuan Province, and start from there.
Based on my prior experiences with
many guides, some of whom were wonderful,
while others proved disastrous, I knew
it was essential to find the right person who
understood my research projects. To that
end, I enlisted the aid of Wu Zeng Ou, who
had been invaluable in Guizhou Province
during my research projects there. He had
never traveled to Sichuan or Tibet, but he
was a clever and resourceful young man,
and I was confident of his ability to maneuver
through difficulties.
Wu was delighted at the challenge of
traveling to Dege and was aware of potential
problems. We planned out a route and he
agreed to meet us in Chengdu. In advance
he had obtained a rugged vehicle for the
expedition, a four-wheel drive late-model
Mitsubishi, with a V6 engine and a high
chassis. Best of all, the driver had traveled
to Dege several times and was completely
familiar with the rough route and
unpredictable delays.
On the morning of August 23, we
left in the rain for the three-day journey
to Dege. We detoured slightly to visit
the extraordinary Dujiangyan irrigation
project, where we inspected the original
Min River dam, built in the third century
BC during the Western Han dynasty,
when paper was first invented in China.
The dam is a remarkable example of early
engineering and still functions to divert
water for agriculture. We walked around
the ancient Erwang Temple, perched on
a cliff, affording us fantastic views of the
countryside. The temple was built in 494
AD to honor Li Bing, the brilliant engineer
who devised the amazing dam.
At 1:30 p.m. we continued our drive
west, following a tributary of the Min River
through the Qionglai Shan (mountains) to
our first destination, Rilong town. As we
followed the raging river, we enjoyed the
mountain scenery while our driver expertly
wound around the steep slopes, maneuvering
one hairpin turn after another. We kept
driving higher, reaching altitudes of 10,000
feet or more, encountering rain and fog.
Soon it was dusk, with visibility steadily
decreasing. After a brief stop at a roadside
restaurant, we drove on with the vehicle’s
yellow hazard lights constantly blinking. By
8:00 p.m. we began descending into a valley,
and I spotted a bizarre apparition down
below. It was a circle of brilliant flashing
lights that resembled exploding fireworks.
As we drew closer, I could make out a hazy
cluster of buildings. We had arrived at the
Jin Kun hotel in Rilong. The Jin Kun was
unbelievable – a luxurious, four-star hotel in
the middle of nowhere, with two towers of
bright colored bulbs flashing off and on to
simulate a firework display. Rilong itself is
such a small town that it rarely shows up on
a map of Sichuan Province. After the day’s
arduous journey from Chengdu, we appreciated
the fine dinner at the hotel restaurant
and its other amenities, while we rested and
prepared for the following day.
Next morning we departed for the
town of Dao Fu, estimated at a distance
of 300 km. The weather had improved
and we delighted in the profusion of
marigolds, cosmos, hollyhocks, petunias
and geraniums covering the mountain
slopes. Very few vehicles were on the road,
and we proceeded at a good clip. By 11:00
a.m. we had nearly reached the outskirts of
Xiao Jin County, when a massive boulder,
followed by other rocks, roared down the
mountainside onto the road. A van in front
of us had fortunately stopped in time. The
three occupants were already moving the
rocks away when our jeep pulled up behind
them. Our driver and Wu jumped out to
help, and eventually we were on our way
again. At a nearby village, a farmer related
that only two months ago, on June 13, 2003,
a devastating landslide had occurred here. It
happened at midnight, lasted five minutes
and destroyed 26 homes. Fifteen people
were killed out of the thirty families in the
small village. The landslide hit another
village behind this one, destroying the
houses of fifty families. All along the road
we saw the remains of ruined homes and
prayer flags hanging from the trees. The
villagers told us that although there are
frequent rockslides in this area, a landslide
of this magnitude had only happened once
in their memory, 100 years previously.
At noon we reached Donba County,
where we stopped for a lunch of yak, pork,
and mushrooms. The ride now was pleasant
as we passed fields under cultivation
and typical Tibetan villages. But two hours
later, both weather and road deteriorated
again. The road was bumpy and muddy, the
sky was overcast, and we even saw some
snow. Our vehicle crawled along, stopping
frequently because often the road allowed
only one way of traffic, and we had to wait
for oncoming vehicles to pass. We made a
brief stop near the town of Bamei, where
I noticed a small Tibetan monastery. From
the road I videotaped the monastery and
the sounds of the monks chanting. By 7:00
p.m. we finally arrived at the Shambala
Hotel in Daofu.
We left at 8:00 a.m. the next morning
to begin the third and final day of our
arduous journey to Dege. It was another
magnificent drive. Travel through these
areas was reminiscent of our 1985 expedition
in Tibet, but there was one important
difference. In 1985 we traveled through the
south central part of Tibet, a very arid area,
where we viewed the spectacular landscapes
in shades of gray and white. But here in
eastern Tibet, rainfall was abundant. On
one side we passed sculptured terraces of
wheat and barley fields; on the other, we saw
trees, shrubs and brilliant flowering plants
growing up the mountains. In the distance
was the backdrop of the snowy Himalayan
peaks. After we passed the city of Ganzi,
where we stopped for lunch, our route led
us over the highest part of the journey. We
crossed the Chola Shan (mountain range),
stopping at the highest point of the Qin
Er Shan pass, at 5050 meters (over 15,000
feet), to photograph the Tibetan shrine
there, bedecked with hundreds of fluttering
prayer flags. As we began descending
the mountain, a brief, sudden rainstorm
engulfed us and magically a huge rainbow
appeared below, emerging from a panorama
of cliffs. It was awesome.
By 7:00 p.m. we reached Dege, which
lies at an altitude of 12,000 ft. (4,000 m.),
the same as Lhasa. We settled in for the
next two nights at the Qin Er Hotel, where
facilities were minimal, but breakfast in
the morning was phenomenal. It featured
delicious rice porridge with roasted peanuts,
pickled turnips, hard-boiled eggs, pork-filled
baozi (dumplings) and traditional Tibetan
yak butter tea. Dege is built on the side of
a cliff, and is basically a vertical city. Below
our hotel was the street where the Pakhong
printing house was located, and we discovered
a flight of stairs that was a good shortcut.
The printing house, started in 1729,
was a simple four-story structure, built
in typical Tibetan style. Brightly painted
columns supported the front entrance. Men
and women in traditional Tibetan attire circumambulated
the building twirling prayer
wheels as they walked in the customary
clockwise direction.
We paid the entry fees for visiting the
Pakhong and for permission to photograph.
The fee included the services of a young
English-speaking guide. She took us on a
tour of the printing facilities, pointing out
the thousands of wood blocks, some dating
back to the start of the printing house. One
hundred people work here, printing the
sutras entirely by hand. Two men working
in tandem with perfect precision print each
page separately. One man inks the block;
the other places a sheet of paper on the
block, runs a brayer over it and lays aside
the sheet. They work so swiftly it is difficult
to figure out who is doing what. Meanwhile,
another worker collects the inked sheets
and takes them away to dry in a loft. We saw
other workers busily delivering more wood
blocks to the printers and collecting the
blocks that are no longer needed. The paper
that is used for printing the sutras is not
handmade as in the past. However, there
are special printings of religious subjects
produced on handmade paper. Our guide
led us to that part of the Pakhong, where we
observed two men printing from very large
woodblocks. The printings were for sale,
and I was invited to select a wood block that
the men would print, using paper made by
the Tibetans at the printing house. Immediately,
the men set to work to produce my
selection. When the work was finished, they
hung it up to dry, and I agreed to return
after we visited the hand papermaking
operation.
Now we walked across the street to
the building that housed the papermaking.
Outside, in the courtyard, I noticed two
large concrete vats. The front door opened
directly into a large room where eight
Tibetan women were at work. We met
the leader of the group, Zhe Zhu, who
informed us that she had learned traditional
papermaking from her mother. The other
women learned the skill from her. They
use the roots of Stellera chamaejasme for the
raw material, the same as the Tibetans we
had interviewed in 1985. The plant grows
wild in the Dege area, and the papermakers
can readily gather enough for their needs.
The Tibetan word for the plant is Ajolijo; in
Chinese, Da Lang Du.
We watched the entire process of
papermaking, which was a fairly simple
procedure. First,
they smashed
each root with
a mallet and removed
the woody
interior, which
was discarded.
The next step
was cleaning
the bast fiber by
removal of the
outer bark, a
time-consuming
process. All the papermakers were engaged
in that cleaning when we walked in, and
they worked at it constantly when they were
not doing something else. Then they cooked
the fiber in a pot on their wood stove for two
hours, using soda ash in the cook. They did
a cooking every three days. Finally, the beating
began. One woman put several handfuls
of fiber into a stone mortar, enough for 15
sheets of paper, and started beating with
a wooden mallet. A second woman joined
her and they beat together with alternating
strokes for about an hour. We were told that
the mortar was more than 300 years old,
older than the printing house. Originally it
was used for pounding herbs that were used
in traditional Tibetan medicine. Toward the
end of the beating time, the worker took
out a pinch of pulp, put it into a glass of
water, and gave it to Zhe Zhu to determine
if the pulp was sufficiently beaten. When
Zhe Zhu decided the pulp was ready, it was
put into a large cylindrical
container called a ja-tom,
which resembled a butter
churn. Water was added,
and the plunger of the jatom
was vigorously moved
up and down to thoroughly
mix the pulp with water.
After the mixing, the papermaker
poured the pulp
into a bucket, and we went
out to the courtyard to
watch the sheet forming.
The mould was a simple wood frame
with fabric stretched on one side. First the
papermaker wet the mould thoroughly and
set it in the vat of water, where it floated.
Another woman started to pour the pulp
onto the mould. She put in three dippers
full, and then two other women began
dispersing the pulp in the water. When they
were satisfied that they had formed an even
sheet, they raised the mould from the vat
and let it drain. After sufficient drainage,
one woman carried the mould away to let
the paper dry in the sun. The final step was
removal of the dry sheet. The papermaker
gently pulled the sheet from the mould and
folded it in half. The sheets were very large,
27.5 by 39 inches (70 x 100 cm).
We said good-bye to the papermakers
very reluctantly. The entire process had
been absolutely mesmerizing, especially
since I had waited so many years for this
experience. Now my documentation was
complete. I returned to the printing house
to collect the Buddhist printing that I had
commissioned, which remained a lovely
remembrance of this day of fulfillment.
BEGINNER TOPICS
Well-known author and teacher Helen Hiebert
offers helpful tips and guidance for newcomers.
Her column below takes a fresh approach, on
the topic of vacuums for papermaking.
This column is taking a new form
as I write for this issue. I’ll still write a
how-to column, highlighting traditional
and alternative papermaking techniques.
I would love to hear from any of you
with comments or suggestions for future
columns. Thank you.
I’m always amazed when I stumble
across yet another innovative use of a
household tool in papermaking. The
wet-vac is one such tool, and I’ve seen it
used in a variety of ways.
The first time I saw a vacuum used for
papermaking was at the Penland School in
North Carolina, where, coincidentally, I am
now teaching a 2-1/2 week workshop. I was
taking a papermaking class and the instructor
showed us how to couch sheets of paper
directly onto a 4 x 4 foot silkscreen which
was stretched over a wooden frame. After
filling up the screen with several freshly
made sheets of paper in various sizes and
shapes, she got out the wetvac
and sucked the water out
of the sheets from the back
side of the silkscreen, which
simulated pressing. I couldn’t
believe it! This eliminated
several pieces of papermaking
equipment. No need for
felts, a press, or a restraint drying system.
We left the sheets of the screen to dry in
the sun, and when they were dry, we peeled
them off and they had a smooth surface
(the texture of the silkscreen) on the back.
I think this technique can be credited to
Nance O’Banion, who set it up for Penland
many years ago. At this session, I tried it
out again on various silkscreens, ranging
from course to fine (180 mesh), and they all
worked. As with any new technique, I had
a couple of sheets rip, and one peeled off
the screen while drying, but I had success
with all types of fibers, ranging from kozo to
cotton to overbeaten flax and abaca. I found
that having the screen horizontal while
couching worked best (afterwards, I stood
the screens up vertically for drying). I also
used a sponge and pressed through the back
of the mould while couching.
Another use which is perhaps more
common is the vacuum table, which can be
used for pressing dimensional sheets of paper.
There are many types of vacuum tables,
but I won’t go into detail here, because you
can find instructions on building your own
vacuum table in the Summer 1991 issue of
Hand Papermaking magazine.
At a recent Guild of Bookworkers
conference though, which I attended in the
Fall of 2005 because it was held in Portland,
Oregon where I live, I saw a nifty vacuum
bag developed by Nicholas Yeager, which
was devised to be used in tandem with a
special type of blotter to remove water from
paper during book repair. This got me to
thinking about those large resealable bags
you can buy to store clothes in – aka space
bags. You put your clothing in and then
hook a household vacuum nozzle to suck
the extra air out of the bag. At some point
in my life I actually purchased some of
these for clothing, and luckily I found one
and it was empty when I decided to do my
papermaking experiment. I thought I could
hook up a wet-vac to one of these bags to
suck water out of a dimensional sheet of
paper. It would act just like a vacuum table,
and since I don’t have one, it seemed like
a worthy experiment. And besides that, I
could transport this bag easily for teaching
and we could use this method in studios
without vacuum tables. Once again, all we’d
need was the wet vac. So I tried it, and it
worked pretty well!
If you have a wet vac and a space bag,
here’s what you do. You need something
rigid to set your paper on to keep your sheet
of paper from just
curling up completely.
You can drill small
holes in a board
that fits into the bag
(waterproof the board, too, if you will use it
repeatedly), or rig up something simple by
taping a piece of fluorescent lighting grid
with a piece of wire window mesh over the
top. It is important that the surface have
holes in it, so the water can move easily
when the vacuum is on. Next, place a piece
of pellon on top, followed by the item you’d
like to press: a relief type object, which can’t
be completely 3D. And finally, place a piece
of freshly made wet paper which has been
lightly pressed on top of the object. You can
cover your sheet of paper with a thin pellon,
but it isn’t necessary. Seal the bag and place
the vacuum attachment on the bag.
Depending on the fit of the vacuum
nozzle, you might need to duct tape it to seal
it. Turn on the vacuum and your bag should
deflate as water is sucked out, pressing your
sheet of paper. Remove everything from the
bag, keeping it all intact, and leave it to dry.
Your paper needs to remain in contact with
the relief object until the sheet is completely
dry, which could take 12-48 hours.
TEACHING HAND PAPERMAKING
Based in Philadelphia, Winifred Radolan operates
an itinerant teaching papermill, and has
taught papermaking to thousands of adults and
children. In this issue Winnie takes eight students
along the path of an 18th-century pioneer.
Today there are many among us who
glance at our gardens with a curious eye
towards the type of unique papers we can
make from the plants therein. But what
must it have been like to be one of those
mid-1700s pioneers in search of alternative
fibers to deal with the incredible linen and
cotton rag shortage threatening papermakers.
Hundreds of years before the many
recipes of Lillian Bell and the clear guidance
of Helen Hiebert could be found on
local bookshelves, Jacob Christian Shaffer
embarked upon an eight year odyssey
(1763–1772) of experimenting with over sixty
different plants from his garden and local
fields. He left a seven volume treatise with
accompanying paper samples that led the
way for later experimenters to be successful
with alternative fibers for paper.
This past July, I had the incredible
privilege to work at the Robert C. Williams
Paper Museum with eight adult students,
learning about Dr. Shaffer and his fascinating
experiments and attempting to “follow
in his footsteps” somewhat, making a
variety of plant fiber papers. On the first
day of the week-long workshop while I was
traveling to Atlanta, Cindy Bowden, Teri
Williams, and Fran Rottenburg introduced
students to the Museum and the history of
papermaking in the old and new worlds.
Cindy gave the group a special glimpse of
the Rare Book Collection. And Juan Chevere
had everyone building their very own
moulds and deckles.
As I arrived at the Museum on Tuesday
it was difficult to contain my joy upon
viewing the new George W. Mead Paper
Education Center for my first time. I wish I
could have lingered longer with its comprehensive
exhibit, “From Hand to Machine:
the Evolution of Papermaking.” But I was
drawn immediately to the well designed
and equipped classroom/studio where I
would be spending the next four days. Here
was a papermaker/educator’s dream space,
complete with a brand new Reina Hollander
beater, great sinks, vat tables, a big press,
marble drying rack, and lots of tables, counters,
and storage spaces. What a treat!
I had learned enough to share with my
students about the life, times, and works
of Shaffer by reading Dard Hunter’s book,
remembering Chris Harrison’s presentation
at the Friends’ Conference a couple years
ago, and with the expert tutelage of Doug
Stone. He is doing research and translation
of Shaffer’s works in preparation for the
Museum’s upcoming exhibition this fall. We
had a rare look at all seven volumes of the
Shaffer books that are in the Museum’s collection.
Among my favorite samples in the
books were thread made out of poplar down
and woven into paper cloth, and a small
piece of lace made out of aloe fibers.
We left the Shaffer volumes and moved
on to looking through my (for once, and
especially for this occasion, well organized)
extensive plant fiber samples as I
introduced bast, leaf, seed hair, and grass
fiber categories of cellulose. We discussed
when and what plant fibers to harvest, then
how to cook, beat, and process them into
paper. And everyone received a homework
assignment: “Go home with this celery,
these onions, these artichokes, corn husks,
beet stems, etc., and come back tomorrow
with them all cooked and rinsed. Then we’ll
blend them, fill vats, and no more sitting
and staying dry this week – let’s make some
paper with those new moulds and deckles!”
Anyone who enjoys making paper from
their gardens is well aware of how labor
intensive the process is. So I did much of
the fiber harvesting, preparation, and cooking
before arriving in Atlanta. I left a part
of each step to be done on site with the students,
but shipped two big boxes of a variety
of prepared materials all ready to try out in
that new Reina beater. While I didn’t come
close to Shaffer’s list of over sixty types of
paper, we did have fourteen different plants
in addition to those veggies. I believe the
Museum’s intern staff can attest to washing
two dozen vats up at the end of the week!
The workshop was designed to bring
teachers up to speed on how they can bring
papermaking into their schools. So we
addressed classroom set-up; crowd maintenance;
blender, whiz mixer, and hand
beating fiber preparation; cooking veggies
without caustic; and the history, science,
and art curriculum correlations. We explored
the process using modest materials
for sheet forming, pressing, and drying.
Everyone had the opportunity to participate
in the various steps of fiber preparation.
We steamed Rose of Sharon twigs,
then stripped them, cooked them in caustic,
and hand beat them to a pulp. We snipped
banana leaves and cooked them as well. We
gave that new Hollander a workout, beating
cotton and abaca as our foundation fibers,
then adding day lily leaves, jobe’s tears,
cattail seed hair and stalk fibers, down of
thistle, orchid leaves, and other delights!
We hand beat the milkweed and dogbane
fibers and set up eastern vats for them and
the Rose of Sharon. Everyone made plain
samples sheets from each fiber. Then I pigmented
some well-beaten cotton fiber and
we worked with layers of color, stencils, and
inclusions.
The week of papermaking, sharing,
creativity, and friendship passed way too
quickly. Juan Chevere kept the studio
humming and somehow
kept up with our fiber
frenzy (here he is with
Erica Warshawsky
restraint drying paper).
The steadfast interns
got stuck with filling,
emptying, carrying,
watching pots boil, and lots of clean-up!
What an outstanding team! The students
made some beautiful papers and shared
exciting ideas. The space was a pure joy to
work in. And we all agreed we are looking
forward to re-visiting the Museum when
the Jacob Christian Shaffer Exhibit is up,
October 12 – December 22, 2006.
ON-LINE
Pamela S. Wood of Arizona makes one-of-akind
books from her handmade papers. She
explores the internet seeking out notable paperrelated
sites. In this installment Pam takes to
the sky, visiting an inspiring site about kites.
I have a special place that I go to
recharge my spiritual batteries. This place
is all about kites, and no matter what time
of year, no matter the weather, kites are out
in full force. Mostly I’m like a toddler too
young to completely grasp what is going on,
but the whole process brings a smile to my
face. Kites are somehow primal; they take
us back to the carefree days of our youth.
Kites have a direct historical connection to
handmade paper, but for me, here’s the connection:
making paper is fun, and making
and flying kites is fun! Point your browser
to <www.drachen.org> and let’s get flying!
Drachen is a German word for kite or
dragon. The non-profit organization that
runs this site offers a wealth of information;
just about everything you want to know
about kites is here somewhere.
Start with “About Kites” and view the
kite history timeline for an overview. “Kite
Basics” covers the who, what, why, where,
and how; including launching, landing
control, and a very important wind speed
chart. Glance at the glossary to stay up to
speed with all the lingo. The section on
“Kite Building” is huge. Here is all you need
to know to do it yourself, or click over to the
on-line store to purchase kits and materials.
Before you move on, try tying some basic
knots – they even have animation to show
you how they are tied. This is so cool.
Perhaps you will be interested in “Kite
Cultures.” Many societies have integrated
kites into their lives much like we have
embraced, say, baseball. In countries like
Cambodia, China, Guatemala, India, Japan,
and Taiwan, kites are a very big deal. Another
fascinating topic is “Art Kites.” Here
we go way beyond basic diamond shapes as
unique artistry meets up with the science of
flight. I would love to see these creations in
the sky. “Kites in Sports” is another section
of the site that will astonish you. These folks
are very intense.
“Kite Research” introduces you to
projects with whales, bats, and insects. Kites
were commonly used for 19th-century research
prior to the invention of flight. “Kite
Workshops” are offered for teachers, or you
can just take a class for your own personal
enrichment. Hey, you can even get funding
to make kiting part of your college degree.
Truly, this is a great place to rekindle
childhood memories, gain a greater understanding
of the kite world, and perhaps
create your own paper kite.
If you do find yourself in the studio
and want to make sure your groovy kite will
actually fly, there’s some additional science
on the NASA web site at <www.grc.nasa.
gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/kite1.html>. Load
the section titled “wing warping” and the diagram
will work by sliding the control right
or left, depending on whether you want
mechanics, lift force, altitude, etc. Further
down, you come to a graphic depiction of
kite launch and flight. No matter if you hit
the highlights or delve deeper, this site will
help anyone understand basic aerodynamics,
without having to be a rocket scientist.
Here’s one last little goodie for you.
How many times have you cursed in disgust
while wrangling with lengthy URLs? There
is a great tool, free, that will turn giant
URLs into tiny ones. Try <http://tinyurl.
com/znaa6> to get to the URL listed above.
Now I’m ready to leave the virtual
world and head out into the sun, the wind,
and a clear blue sky!
PAPER HISTORY
Cathleen A. Baker, PhD, is Senior Paper
Conservator at the University of Michigan
Libraries. She has written books about Dard
Hunter and John DePol, and is proprietor of
The Legacy Press, specializing in the printing,
paper and book arts. A Samuel H. Kress
Conservation Publication Fellow, she is writing
a book on nineteenth-century American paper
and papermaking. Here is part two of her threepart
article on the J Whatman-countermarked,
handmade paper used for J. J. Audubon’s
monumental, The Birds of America (London,
1826–1838).
The visible wire watermark or
countermark in a handmade sheet occurs
as the fibrous pulp settles on a wove or
laid wire cover fixed to the bottom frame
of the papermaker’s hand mould. Because
the pulp is thinner on top of the raised
wires, in transmitted light, the mark is
seen as a lighter image within the denser
sheet. Strictly speaking, watermarks are
images or figurative designs such as the
Fool’s Cap and Pro Patria. Countermarks
usually comprise the name or initials of the
papermaker or mill, and sometimes, a date.
Countermarks and watermarks are often
found on opposing – countering – halves of
a sheet of paper; countermarks are usually
found in the left half.
Prior to 1794, countermark dates
did not necessarily indicate when English
papers were made because mill owners did
not routinely make a new wire mark with
every new year. Any date was more likely
to indicate when the mould was made or
recovered. Peter Bower notes that, in 1794,
parliament passed a law requiring mill
owners to countermark printing papers
with the year it was manufactured. By 1811,
when the act was repealed, most English
mills had become accustomed to changing
the date annually.
The two types of countermarks found
on the sheets of the printed Plates of The
Birds of America were outlined, broad letters
set out in small capitals with titling- or
display-numerals; all were centered on two
or three lines (“1832” is an example):
J Whatman J Whatman
1832 Turkey Mill
1832
Because “J Whatman” is in both countermarks,
it is not unreasonable to assume
that the papers were made in mills owned
by the family of the renowned English
papermakers, James Whatman I or II. That
is, however, not the case.
In 1740, James Whatman I (d. 1759)
married the widow of the owner of Turkey
Mill in Maidstone in Kent county. It had
been a textile mill, so-called because of
Turkish red fulling cloth for which it had
been famous, but it was re-erected into a
papermill. Following visits to celebrated
European paper mills, Whatman brought
home the knowledge to make better paper
than had been made previously in England.
The Turkey Mill specialized in
drawing, writing, and copperplate paper,
and by 1760, the reputation of Whatman
papers had spread throughout England,
Europe, and America. Whatman I is also
credited with the manufacture of the first
western “wove” paper in about 1755; papers
made prior to this were antique laid. This
change in the paper mould cover came
about because John Baskerville, English
printer and type-designer, disliked the irregular
surface of antique laid paper and
asked Whatman to make a smooth-surfaced
paper. The “wove” (also “vellum”) surface
was produced by replacing the undulating
laid and chain wire cover with a fine, plain
weave wire cloth. All of the paper used for
The Birds of America is wove.
Following his father’s death, in 1762,
the control of the business was handed over
to James Whatman II (1741–1798). Whatman
II made further improvements to the
quality of paper made in his mills, until
they rivaled French papers. In 1794, Whatman
II sold his four papermills to three
partners: Thomas and Finch Hollingworth,
and William Balston; the
latter had been in Whatman’s
employ for twenty years.
The mills were Turkey Mill,
Poll Mill, Loose Mill, all
in or near Maidstone, and
Hollingbourne Mill, located
near Leeds. This partnership
lasted until 1805, when the Hollingworth
brothers assumed ownership of the three
Maidstone mills, and Balston took control
of the Leeds mill. Balston eventually built a
large mill at Maidstone, called Springfield
Mill because the site had abundant, pure
spring water, essential for making quality
writing and drawing papers.
Also with the 1794 sale went the rights
to the countermarks J Whatman / Turkey
Mill and J Whatman. When the partnership
dissolved 1805, the Hollingworth firm
retained the exclusive use of the J Whatman
/ Turkey Mill countermark, while Balston
owned the J Whatman countermark. By
1810, the two companies were competitors
manufacturing similar large-sized, writing
and copperplate printing papers, including
Double Elephant, the paper used for the
Plates in Audubon’s monumental work. In
1859, the two firms signed an agreement
that limited the use of the countermarks
J Whatman and J Whatman / Turkey Mill
to handmade papers. In return for a large
monetary payment, the Hollingworth company
agreed not to use either countermark,
although, by then, no Hollingworth mill
was making paper by hand.
When considering the quality of the
papers made in the two mills as found in
The Birds of America, Emory Hanaburgh
noted that
The “Turkey Mill” paper was of lighter
weight than the “J. Whatman,” generally
took on a slight drab tinge in the
course of time, and the colors painted
thereon softened in tone. The paper
having the “J. Whatman” watermark
only was heavy, maintained its sparkling
white, if kept under proper conditions,
and held the colors as brilliant
as on the day they were applied. To
the collector it is a question of choice
whether he prefers time softened coloring
or outstanding brilliance.1
It is not clear whether Hanaburgh was
aware that the papers were made by two
different firms. Following the examination
of The Birds of America owned by Syracuse
University, the author can confirm that the
J Whatman / Turkey Mill papers used in
1832 were superior in quality to those made
by the same mill in 1837; the later papers
are now quite discolored. On the other
hand, the J Whatman papers, with very few
exceptions, now seem to be superior to the
J Whatman / Turkey Mill papers regardless
of date of manufacture. In the last part
in this series, the characteristics of these
“Whatman” papers will be discussed.
Above: Countermark on Plate 428, “Townsend’s
Sandpiper”: J Whatman / 1838 (H: 6.0 cm; W: 22.0
cm). Dark vertical line is a fold in the paper.
1 Emory F. Hanaburgh, Audubon’s “Birds of
America.” A Check List of First Issues of the Plates in
the First Folio Edition 1828–1838 (Buchanan, N.Y.:
Emory F. Hanaburgh, 1941), 3.
Further Reading:
Balston, Thomas. William Balston, Paper Maker,
1759–1849. 1954. Reprint, New York and London:
Garland Publishing, Inc., 1979.
Bower, Peter. “Reading the Paper: Context and
Interpretation in the Analysis of Paper” Hand
Papermaking vol. 20, no. 2 (Winter 2005): 24–29.
PAPER SCIENCE
John Bordley is F. B. Williams Professor and
Chair of the Chemistry department at Sewanee:
The University of the South. In this issue, John
introduces cellulose, a polymer of glucose.
Using the ideas of charged species
(January ‘05), intermolecular and intramolecular
bonding (April ‘05), water (October
‘05), alcohols (January ‘06), and polyhydroxy
aldehydes and ketones (April ‘06),
we encountered glucose in the previous
newsletter (July ‘06). Of all the possible
six-carbon sugars, also called saccharides,
glucose is the monosaccharide of interest in
paper chemistry. This chapter shows how
glucose units can combine with each other
to form dimers (disaccharides, units made
of two sugar units) and eventually polymers
(polysaccharides, units made of many sugar
units). One possible polymer, starch, will
be of interest when additives are discussed
in the next article. The other polymer, cellulose,
is of major interest and the topic for
this issue!
In the last installment, Glucose and
other sugars: polyhydroxy aldehydes and
ketones, one diagram showed how the
three-dimensional, ring structure of glucose
was formed by part of the molecule folding
around on itself and attacking another part
(left). Another view of this same structure
with a better three-dimensional representation
is also shown (right).
Next, two monosaccharides can combine
to form a disaccharide. A well-known
disaccharide (dimer) is sucrose, composed
of one fructose monomer and one glucose
monomer. A water molecule is particularly
stable and can be released as two sugar
molecules come close to each other and
actually join. The reaction to form the disaccharide
is known as a condensation reaction
or a dehydration synthesis. If two glucose
monomers joined, the structure would be:
This kind of dehydration synthesis reaction
can continue, at both ends of the dimer,
and long chains of monomer units can
polymerize. The polymer we are interested
in, cellulose, is made up of just glucose
monomers, all joined at the β position:
Notice the two 'open bonds' at each
end of the polymer. These indicate that the
structure continues at both ends. An actual
cellulose molecule ends somewhere (!) and
would be terminated with –OH groups.
In unaltered, “native” wood, there are
about 10,000 glucose monomer units per
cellulose molecule. In highly bleached kraft
pulps, there are fewer than 1000 glucose
units. Typical wood samples are about 40-50
percent cellulose; cotton is almost 100%
cellulose. Physically, cellulose is a white,
solid material.
The polyhydroxy property of sugars
is still a feature of cellulose and is very
important, because it is possible for intermolecular,
hydrogen bonding to occur with
surrounding water molecules. During the
beating process, fibrillation occurs and there
are many sites for water to attach to the cellulose
molecules, hydrating the fibers.
The water acts somewhat like a ‘match
maker’. You can imagine one strand of
cellulose with some –OH groups involved
with hydrogen bonds with nearby water
molecules. Then there is a nearby strand of
cellulose, also hydrogen bonded to the same
water molecules. In the diagrams below,
dotted lines (- - - -) indicate hydrogen bonds.
In the drying process, water evaporates,
and the hydrogen bonds that occurred
between the cellulose molecules and water
now reform between the adjacent cellulose
molecules, which are all properly lined up.
Acknowledgement: Thanks to my
friend and colleague Ed Kirven, for help
with the chemical structures. Next: Additives
to cellulose.
PROFILES IN PAPER
Susan Gosin co-founded Dieu Donné Press
& Paper in 1976. She regularly lectures and
teaches papermaking, and has compiled a
significant collection of interviews with noted
personalities in the hand papermaking community.
In this column Sue writes of John Koller,
the man behind HMP paper.
Those of you who’ve had a chance to
read some of my previous “Paper Profiles”
have seen John Koller’s name mentioned
before in conjunction with other hand papermakers
who initiated the revival of hand
papermaking in the second half of the 20th
century. And, of course, many of you know
of and use his HMP paper. Though HMP
paper is perhaps better known than the man
who makes the paper, their subtle, consistent
quality reflect only part of the history
behind HMP.
Recently, I got a chance to travel to
Woodstock Valley to visit John and Kathy
Koller at their home and the site of the
HMP Mill. As we sat in the kitchen of their
bucolic corner of northeast Connecticut, I
began to understand how this thoughtful
artist’s commitment to production hand
papermaking had evolved over the course
of four decades. As they told me the story
of their life in hand papermaking, John and
Kathy often turned to each other to coax
out the details of how they first discovered
handmade paper and how papermaking
helped define their life together. As I’m sure
many of you might agree, hand papermaking
is as much a “calling” as it is a “profession”
in this day and age.
Thus, John began his narrative by
saying that his life involvement in papermaking
was “a series of happy accidents as
opposed to a planned career choice.” His
and Kathy’s discovery of handmade paper
occurred in 1966, when they came across
a “chunky and crusty embossed handmade
paper piece” that Roland Poska was selling
at the Milwaukee Art Fair. Not only did that
encounter lead to their first art purchase
but it also led to an influential friendship
with Poska. Roland Poska had learned hand
papermaking at Cranbrook School of Art
while studying printmaking with Laurence
Barker and encouraged John to do the same
for graduate school. Though his undergraduate
degree from Concordia College
was in preparation for the ministry, classes
in studio art at the University of Wisconsin,
Milwaukee, prepared him for graduate
school at Cranbrook.
Koller recalled Laurence Barker’s
program as very similar to what Walter
Hamady had experienced just a few years
earlier at Cranbrook: “Our graduate curriculum
consisted of learning all the fine
printmaking processes, including making
a book and at least one batch of our own
rag handmade paper; considering the size
of the mill, it really was “closet papermaking.”
Readers may recall that I used that
very description in an earlier column
when describing the mill where I learned
papermaking from Walter Hamady at the
University of Wisconsin, Madison, in the
mid 1970s. I mentioned this to John Koller
and it prompted a discussion about the fact
that though hand papermaking offers vast
potential as an art medium because of it’s
history as a craft, fine art departments too
often view hand papermaking as marginal
and if it were not for dedicated and enlightened
teachers like Laurence Barker and
Walter Hamady the contribution that hand
papermaking has and continues to make
for fine artists working in all the visual arts
would not be available.
Because of Laurence Barker’s extraordinary
enthusiasm for both printmaking and
papermaking, Cranbrook in the late 1960s
and into the 1970s was a hotbed of activity.
Barker invited the legendary master printer
and publisher Ken Tyler to be a guest artist
in 1970. Intrigued by the handmade paper
being made at the school, Tyler commissioned
Barker and Koller to make custom
paper for a Roy Lichtenstein print he was
publishing. The paper John made for Tyler
was similar to almost all the paper that was
produced at Cranbrook. It was 100% cotton
paper from used diaper rags and it was
waterleaf, or unsized. As John recalls, using
pulp and the hand papermaking process to
create imagery was not a common practice
at the school at that time. Nor was there
much knowledge of how to size and color
pulp; if you wanted colored paper you
found, cut up, and beat colored rags. This
first collaboration with Tyler while John was
still a student led to an important professional
partnership for the two men and
served as an equally important catalyst in
the developing partnership of printmaking
and papermaking
When John graduated from Cranbrook
in 1970, he took a teaching position at
the University of Connecticut and quickly
proceeded to assemble a hand papermill as
a new addition to the printmaking facility.
Though his printmaking students were
very enthusiastic about papermaking, the
school stopped supporting it and when he
left the school two years later he took the
equipment with him to relocate the mill in
the ground floor of his home. Ken Tyler had
recently relocated from Los Angeles to New
York and was interested in more custom
paper for prints. Wary of the insecurity of a
career in teaching, John and Kathy decided
to become professional hand papermakers.
With the encouragement of others interested
in custom orders (e.g., Jack Robinson
and Vera Freeman of Andrews, Nelson and
Whitehead Co., wholesalers of fine specialty
paper; Steve Steinberg of New York Central
Supply, also a connoisseur and retailer of
fine paper; and Bernard Guerlain, agent for
Arjomari-Prioux) John and Kathy began producing
thousands of sheets a year in orders
of 100 to 500 sheets.
To quote John’s writing from June
of 1977: “The primary reward for us as
papermakers is the independence we have
as self-employed craftsmen. We are able
to make our living under conditions we
find ideal. Our family life and our work
are integrated.” Further, he writes, “We
are currently one of the three commercial
hand papermills in the United States. The
other two, Twinrocker and Farnsworth and
Serpa, both have larger operations than our
own.” He concludes with these thoughts,
“We produce what is basically a luxury item
by virtue of physical labor. This means an
unpredictable market and little chance to
accumulate wealth. However the facts of our
daily life outweigh future uncertainties.”
The slow, Zen-like rhythm of production
papermaking set against the unhurried
life of rural Connecticut of the 1970s was
periodically energized when John collaborated
at HMP with Ken Tyler and his artists,
such as Frank Stella, Ron Davis, and Ellsworth
Kelly. Working shoulder to shoulder
on ground-breaking innovations with Ken
heralded in a new era in the role hand papermaking
played as an expressive art medium.
And though John and Kathy enjoyed
the intimacy of sharing their mill and home
with these extraordinary artists, even took
delight in watching Ellsworth Kelly teach
their daughter how to draw at the kitchen
table, he found the quiet rhythm of sheet
forming more suited to his nature. And by
1978, Ken Tyler, always enthusiastic about
exploring new possibilities, added a sophisticated
papermaking facility to his printmaking
studio in New York to continue his
papermaking collaborations on site. Though
the focus of work at HMP was custom sheet
production by the mid 1980s, an earlier
collaboration with Clinton Hill evolved into
both an enduring professional relationship
and a rewarding friendship which spanned
30 years of biannual collaborations at HMP.
And though Koller did not publish or seek
out contract studio work, occasionally artists
such as Michelle Stuart from New York and
Nancy Genn from California traveled to
HMP to collaborate on new work.
John created a line of stock paper in
standard sizes but found that the greatest
demand was for custom orders. In the years
following his collaborative work with artists,
John, himself, has made the thousands of
sheets of HMP paper with no assistance
except for the help of Kathy when, together,
they pulled the 32” x 46” sheets. As he says,
partner papermaking is like dancing and
he’s found no better partner than his wife.
And though he no longer makes the thirty
thousand sheets per year of his production
heyday, decades ago, he still fills orders for
custom sheets of paper mainly for fine art
and letterpress printers. However, when you
tour his immaculate studio and mill, it is
not so much the evidence of a centuries-old
tradition that strikes the eye but of a distinctive
body of art which hangs on the studio
walls, evidence of John’s equal commitment
to making his own art. On display is
a remarkable arrangement of three-dimensional
heads inspired by Matisse’s drawings
formed from leftover pulp, and hanging on
another wall are “chunky” pulp canvasses
which vibrate with abstract patterned color.
It is too bad that John Koller is known
only for his beautiful custom HMP sheets
of paper and not these inventive works of
playful color. But for the man who wrote in
1977, “most noteworthy of paper’s qualities
is what might be called it’s humility – in a
sense, it’s quiet service,” perhaps joyful self
expression is a private endeavor.
DECORATED PAPER
Sidney Berger, a professor at Simmons College
in Boston, has been collecting and researching
decorated paper for over thirty years. Here Sid
reveals a little of his own background while
extolling the numerous benefits of collecting
handmade and decorated paper, thus highly
recommending this eccentric passion!
The collector gene has been in me
since my early childhood when one of my
aunts gave me and my brother a huge tin of
foreign and American postage stamps. So it
is not surprising that when my professional
life exposed me to books as artifacts, I began
collecting in earnest all the things having to
do with them.
As a budding medievalist in grad
school, I wanted to learn all I could about
Medieval manuscripts. In 1972 I took a
six-week institute on Medieval Codicology:
the study of the Medieval book. I also took
some workshops on papermaking from
Roger Levenson of the Tamalpais Press
in Berkeley. And I began incorporating
what I learned into my teaching, primarily
of the History of the Book course, but
also in a series of workshops I offered
in papermaking, paper decoration, book
collection, book appraisal, Medieval books,
and handpress printing.
The classes were enriched by my being
able to expose the students to original
materials and hands-on experiences.
Thanks to Muir Dawson, I made my own
hand paper mold. It was a bit crude, but I
have made thousands of sheets on it over
the last 35 years and it is still in fine shape.
I experimented over the years with making
decorated papers of various kinds, and I still
bring many sheets to class to show students
the endless potential of this fascinating
medium.
So what impact has this mania had on
my life? To begin with, my wife and I have
put together a fine collection of beautiful
papers, and we have learned a great deal
about paper decorating techniques from
them. This alone brings us a good deal of
satisfaction and lots of information. Both
of us have published and spoken publicly
about paper, and we were able to do much
of our research based in good part on our
own collection.
Second, as the reputation of our
collection has spread, an increasing number
of people have come to visit us. For me, this
has been the most enriching result of our
collecting: getting to know many wonderful
people who seem to be as interested in
paper as we are. Many of them understand
our passion; a few of them understand
my madness. Every year when I teach
my History of the Book class, I bring the
students to the house for a buffet and a
viewing of the papers. The collection has
brought many people into our lives.
A third effect of this endeavor is that
the walls of our house are adorned with
some absolutely lovely sheets. We have
displayed papers from Chris Weimann,
Graham Day, Dick Wolfe, Mohammed
Zachariya, Milena Hughes, and Feridun
Osgoren and other Turkish marblers. In
our storage cabinets we have some of the
most beautiful papers in the world. I feel a
deep sense of satisfaction and contentment
being able to go to the collection just to flip
through the folders of marbles, watermarks,
paste papers, and so forth.
The collection also gives us the thrill
of the chase. We hunt for new and curious
papers, unfamiliar artists, and creative
decorative techniques all the time. In my
last column I mentioned that we have a
wide array of unusual papers. Every time I
come across (and acquire) something new,
it gives me a jolt of satisfaction while it adds
to the store of my knowledge.
As I have suggested, all of the papers
enable me to be a more thorough teacher,
for my classes and the workshops I conduct.
In Leipzig I met Gisela Reschke, Ilona
Hesse, and Susanne Krause, excellent paper
artists. I featured some of their brilliant
paste papers in the last workshop I gave,
and it was instructive to see how students
tried to come up with patterns modeled on
them.
A sixth effect of our collecting is the
doors that have opened to us. Michèle
and I got a fine guided tour of a paper
museum in Tokyo and another guided
tour (thanks to Hiromi) of the papermaking
village in Echizen. Henk Porck of
the Koninklijke Bibliotheek in the Hague
and Frieder Schmidt at the Deutsche
Bucherei in Leipzig opened their collections
to us, and have become good friends.
The opportunities that we have had thanks
to our paper interests have enriched our
lives.
My infatuation with the exquisite
marbled papers of Karli Frigge led to a long
friendship, and to my writing a book about
this incomparable artist. For Karli and also
for Graham Day I was instrumental in
mounting exhibitions of their work. I got
to meet Phoebe Easton, Elaine and Sidney
Koretsky, Henry Morris, Norma Rubovits,
Milena Hughes, Patti and Mimi Schleicher,
Laura Sims, Marie Palowoda, Dick Wolfe,
Diane Maurer, Claire Bolton, Marie Ange
Doizy, Iris Nevins, Nedin Sonmez, Vi
Wilson, and many others, thanks to the papers.
Other friendships have led me to the
writing of The Hand Made Papers of Japan
and Edward Seymour and the Fancy Paper
Company. In working on these books, I got
to meet family members of the subjects of
my scholarship, and I have had a ball doing
the research.
I have been asked, “How has your
paper collection affected your life?” My
response is, “It is my life.”
CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
Amagansett Applied Arts, 11 Indian Wells
Hwy., PO Box 1336, Amagansett, NY 11930,
(631) 267-2787, <www.a3arts.org>. Papermaking
classes on the eastern end of Long
Island.
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Box
567, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, (865) 436-5860,
<www.arrowmont.org>. Classes and workshops
in a variety of disciplines, including
papermaking.
Marbling on Paper, Fabric & Wood, October
27-29, with Pat K. Thomas. Engage in a
weekend swirl of marbling basics on paper,
with tangents into fabric and wood.
Brookfield Craft Center, 286 Whisconier
Road, Brookfield, CT 06804, (203) 775-
4526, <brkfldcrft@aol.com>, <www.brookfieldcraftcenter.
org>. A wide variety of craft
workshops at a colonial vintage campus 75
miles north of New York City.
Suminagashi, October 21, with Paulette
Rosen. Discover the ancient and beautiful
technique of printing from liquid sumi ink
floating on water.
John C. Campbell Folk School, Route 1, Box
14A, Brasstown, NC 28902, (704) 837-2775,
<www.folkschool.org>. Classes in papermaking
and other crafts in the mountains of
western North Carolina.
Parchment Craft-Paper Lace, October 22-27,
with Pat Pietras. Cut, emboss, and perforate
parchment paper, creating delicate lace-like
designs.
Paper Bead Jewelry & Paper Boxes, October
27-29 with Judy Anderson. Create colorful,
one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry from paper.
Paper and the Stitch, October 29-November
4, with Claudia Lee. Make sheets of handmade
flax and abaca papers, then pigment,
dye, and print the sheets to create an assortment
of materials for stitching.
Pop-ups and Paper Construction, November
12-17, with Margaret Estes. Create kinetic
sculptures of paper using simple materials
and imagination.
Carriage House Paper, 79 Guernsey St.,
Brooklyn, NY 11222, (800) 669-8781,
<www.carriagehousepaper.com>. A full program
of beginning and advanced papermaking
classes taught by Donna Koretsky and
Shannon Brock.
Center for Book Arts, 28 West 27th Street,
New York, NY 10001, (212) 481-0295,
<www.centerforbookarts.org>. Dozens of
book and paper workshops offered.
Columbia College Chicago Center for Book
and Paper Arts, 1104 S. Wabash, Chicago,
IL 60604, (312) 344-6630, <www.bookandpaper.
org>. Classes in papermaking and
book arts.
Tuscan Papers, October 14-15, with Rhiannon
Alpers. Create paper from the plants and
herbs that grow around the Tuscan region
of Italy.
Cheap Papermaking Day, November 4 or
5, with Lisa Switalski or Kirstin Demer.
Introduce yourself to the basics of papermaking
– sheet forming, couching, pressing
and drying – in one action-packed day.
Cottage Industry Technology Center,
20 Russet St., SSS Village, 1811
Marikina City, Philippines, (632) 942-
3974, <LorEto.DA@gmail.com> or
<bookendshere2002@yahoo.com>.
Handmade Paper Arts and Crafts, October
17-18, with Loreto Apilado. Learn the basic
techniques of making unique picture
frames, photo albums, scrap books, book
boxes, or jewelry boxes using handmade
paper.
Dieu Donné Papermill, 433 Broome Street,
New York, NY 10013-2622, (212) 226-0573,
<www.dieudonne.org>. Beginning and
advanced papermaking classes for adults
and children.
Basic Papermaking, October 19 or November
15 or December 7, with staff instructor.
Gain a general overview of the papermaking
process.
Open Studio, October 23 or November 13 or
December 11, with staff instructor. Experiment
on your own.
Feather River Art Camp, 484 Lake Park
Ave., PMB Box 186, Oakland, CA 94610,
(510) 601-1619. Art camp for adults in the
Sierra foothills near Quincy, California.
Frogman’s Press & Gallery, 105 North
Third Street, Beresford, SD 57004, (605)
763-5082, <info@frogmans.net>, <www.
frogmans.net>.
Paper is Just the Beginning, July 9-14, 2007
(register by April 15), with Lynn Sures. Create
artist-made paper which varies in shape,
pattern, color, thickness, surface texture,
scale, and edge, from abaca and kozo pulps.
The Hall of Awa Japanese Handmade Paper,
141 Kawahigashi, Yamakawa-cho, Yoshinogawashi,
Tokushima 779-3401, Japan, fax
81-883-42-6085, <www.awagami.com>.
Harvesting Mitsumata for Papermaking,
March 4-5. After harvesting, steaming, peeling
the outer bark, and processing the white
bark, spend a day making paper from this
fiber rich in tradition.
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, PO
Box 518, Deer Isle, ME 04627, (207) 348-
2306, <www.haystack-mtn.org>. Workshops
in various disciplines, including papermaking
and book arts.
Historic RittenhouseTown, 206 Lincoln
Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19144, (215) 843-
2228, <www.rittenhousetown.org>. Summer
workshop series on hand papermaking
and other paper arts topics at the site of
America’s first paper mill.
La Font du Ciel, La Chambary, Charrus,
F-07230 Saint André Lachamp, France,
<pfpfrerick@aol.com>, <www.frerick.de>.
Papermaking workshops at the east foothills
of the Cevennes taught by Helmut Frerick.
Magnolia Editions, 2527 Magnolia St.,
Oakland, CA 94607, (510) 839-5268, <www.
magnoliapaper.com>. Workshops in papermaking,
printmaking, and book arts.
Minnesota Center for Book Arts, 1011
Washington Avenue South, Suite 100, Minneapolis,
MN 55415, (612) 215-2520, <www.
mnbookarts.org>. Classes at the Open Book
center for book and literary arts.
Paste Paper, October 18, with Steve Pittelkow.
Learn this simple but sophisticated
method of decorating paper.
Fine Papermaking at Home, November 4, Jeff
Rathermel. Spend an information-packed
day getting all your questions answered
about making paper at home without heavy
equipment.
Paper Circle, PO Box 117, Nelsonville,
OH 45764, (740) 753-3374,
<papercircle@frognet.net>. Call or e-mail
for upcoming classes.
The Papertrail, 135 Lexington Court, Unit 4,
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2J 4R1, (800)
421-6826, <www.papertrail.ca>. Classes in
papermaking, marbling, and related arts.
PapierWespe (PaperWasp), Aegidigasse
3/Hof, 1060 Wien, Austria, (0676) 77-
33-153, <office@papierwespe.at>, <www.
papierwespe.at>. Workshops in English
and German taught by paper specialists in
downtown Vienna.
12 Sheets of Paper = One Calendar, October
20-22, with Babsi Daum.
Penland School, Penland, NC 28765,
(828) 765-2359, <www.penland.org>. A
full program of craft workshops, including
papermaking and book arts.
Peters Valley Craft Center, 19 Kuhn Road,
Layton, NJ 07851, (973) 948-5200, <www.
pvcrafts.org>. Workshops in a variety of
craft, including papermaking.
Pyramid Atlantic, 8230 Georgia Avenue,
Silver Spring, MD 20912, (301) 608-9101,
<www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org>. Workshops
in papermaking, printmaking, and
book arts.
Japanese Papermaking and Origami, October
7-8, with Yukie Kobayashi. Learn traditional
Japanese papermaking and use the paper
for origami.
Watermarks: Revealing and De-coding,
October 14-15, with Michelle Samour. Use
several techniques, materials (thread, foam,
vinyl) and fibers (cotton, abaca, kozo) to create
a variety of watermarked sheets.
Introduction to Papermaking, November
2, with Gretchen Schermerhorn. Gain
an overview of papermaking history and
techniques.
Suminagashi, November 4, with Jake Benson.
Study both traditional and contemporary
forms of suminagashi marbling.
Paper Twofold, November 11-12, with
Gretchen Schermerhorn. Create folded 3-D
structures with your own handmade kozo,
abaca, and gampi papers.
Handmade Paper in Three Dimensions,
November 18-19, with Eve Ingalls. Learn
paper construction techniques including
building with wire and cloth armatures,
using high and low shrinkage pulps, and
casting with paper.
Pulp Painting, December 9-10, with Ellen
Hill. Pull base sheets of paper (up to 18 by
18), then explore materials and techniques
for creating pulp painted images that become
part of the paper.
Robert C. Williams Paper Museum, 500
10th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, (404)
894-5726, <www.ipst.edu/amp>.
Basic Decorative Papermaking, October 10
- November 14, Tuesday evenings, with Katy
DeMent. Experiment with traditional and
modern papermaking techniques.
From Plants to Paper, October 21, with Mona
Waterhouse. Make your own unique papers
using a variety of plants and grasses.
Advanced Japanese Papermaking, January
13, with Berwyn Hung. Learn advanced
techniques in making beautiful kozo
Japanese paper.
San Francisco Center for the Book, 300 De
Haro, San Francisco, CA 94103, (415) 565-
0545, <www.sfcb.org>. Book arts classes and
events year-round.
Antiqued and Weathered Papers, December 2,
with Dayle Doroshow. Create a selection of
papers that imitate the wear of time.
Image Transfers on Paper, Fabric and More,
December 9, with Richard Elliott. Discover
more than 30 processes for transferring
photocopied images, laser and inkjet prints,
and magazine photos onto paper, fabric,
wood, and other surfaces.
Snow Farm, The New England Craft
Program, 5 Clary Road, Williamsburg, MA
01096, (413) 268-3101, <www.snowfarm.
org>. Study in a pastoral setting near the
five-college communities of Amherst and
Northampton.
Southwest School of Art & Craft, 300
Augusta, San Antonio, TX 78205, (210) 224-
1848, fax (210) 224-9337, <www.swschool.
org>. Classes and workshops including
papermaking, book arts, and printmaking.
Nightlights with Paper Shades, October 14,
with Linda Draper. Exploring the translucent
quality of paper, learn how to apply wet
paper to night-light forms.
Botanical Paper, November 4-5, with Jo Etta
Jupe. Beginning with a variety of plants
grown regionally, learn how to make paper
using simple pieces of equipment, as well
as studio equipment such as the hollander
beater.
Stone and Paper Art Center, L.L.C., 2020
Woodrow Street, Mandeville, LA 70448,
(504) 674-9232, fax (504) 674-9227.
Nagashasuki with Mary-Elaine C. Bernard,
selected Saturdays. Learn this Eastern
method of making paper and incorporate
local plant fibers.
Valley Ridge Art Studio, 1825 Witek Road,
Muscoda, Wisconsin, (608) 250-5028, <kath
ym@valleyridgeartstudio.com>, <www.
valleyridgeartstudio.com>. Workshops in
papermaking, bookmaking, photography,
writing, etc.
Silk Paper Making, October 1, with Karen
Wallace. Use silk fibers to create versatile,
colorful papers that can be used in a variety
of projects.
Wisconsin Center for Paper Arts, 811 Williamson,
Madison, WI 53703, (608) 284-
8394, <wcpaperarts@hotmail.com>.
Women’s Studio Workshop, PO Box 489,
Rosendale, NY 12472, (845) 658-9133,
<info@wsworkshop.org>. Summer Arts
Institute includes workshops in papermaking,
printmaking, book arts, photography,
and other media.
EVENTS
Hand Papermaking invites you to its festive
20th-anniversary events on October 28. See
page 20 or visit <www.handpapermaking.
org/anniversary>.
The Guild of Bookworkers celebrates 100
years with a conference in New York City
October 12-14. Among the many noted
speakers, Cathleen A. Baker will discuss
“Hand Papermaking in the 20th Century.”
From 1907 when the last mill in America
making handmade paper ceased production,
to Dard Hunter’s achievements revitalizing
the craft, to the efforts of Twinrocker Handmade
Paper, and beyond, Cathy chronicles
handmade paper’s slow but steady revival.
Further information about the GBW Centennial
Celebration can be found at <http://
gbw100nyc.tripod.com>.
The 28th Congress of the International
Association of Paper Historians takes place
October 5-8 in Capellades and Barcelona,
Spain. This year’s theme is Hispano-Arabic
Paper & Paper Museums and their Influence.
In addition to the working sessions,
participants will tour the Capellades Paper
Mill and Museum, Munné Family Papermill,
Miró Foundation Restoration Dept,
Archives of the Crown of Aragón, and the
Montserrat Library and Archives. For info
e-mail <congress@mmp-capellades.net>.
The Friends of Dard Hunter will meet
in Chillicothe, Ohio, October 19-21. The
Friends meet annually to enjoy speakers,
presentations, tours of local paper and
book arts facilities, a trade show, auction,
and banquet. This meeting celebrates the
group’s 25th anniversary. Some scholarships
will be available to those with financial
need. For more information write to the
Friends of Dard Hunter, PO Box 773, Lake
Oswego, OR 97034, or call (503) 699-8653
or visit <www.friendsofdardhunter.org>.
IAPMA, the International Association of
Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists, will
hold its 19th Congress at Wadham College
in Oxford, England, from July 30 - August
3, 2007. For more information contact
<hilarysussum@googlemail.com>. To find
out more about the organization and the
Congress, visit: <www.iapma.info>.
Dieu Donné Papermill’s 7th Annual Benefit
Auction takes place October 4th at The Gallery
at Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th
Street, New York, NY. Individual tickets are
$125. Contact Peter Russo at (212) 226-0573.
Carol Tyroler will teach Amate papermaking,
October 20-26 in San Pablito and
Pozos, Mexico. See <www.colectivadepozos.
com/programsworkshops.html> or contact
Carol at <ctyroler@cybermesa.com>,
(505) 466-4465, (505) 770-1238.
EXHIBITS
Hand Papermaking, The Drachen Foundation,
Hiromi Paper Int’l, and Maryland
Institute College of Art are pleased to
present Paper in Flight, an exhibition in
Baltimore exploring the use of washi,
handmade Japanese paper, as a medium
for the art form of kite making, September
25 through December 4 in MICA’s all-glass
Brown Center. Towering over the space is
a stunning 10-foot art kite by Lesley Dill,
commissioned for Hand Papermaking’s
20th anniversary. In addition, the exhibit
also includes contemporary and traditional
kites recently completed in Kochi, Japan,
by nine international kite artists. Call (800)
821-6604 or visit <www.handpapermaking.
org> for more information.
The College Park Aviation Museum
presents Hot-Air Balloons of Handmade
Paper, November 3 through December 31,
featuring two-foot artist-made balloons
overlooking the famous airstrip. Historical
information and artifacts accompany
the exhibit. Call (800) 821-6604 or visit
<www.handpapermaking.org> for more
information.
The Robert C. Williams Paper Museum
presents, from October 12 through December
22, Jacob Christian Schaffer: The
Book, the Man and the Fibres, chronicling
the paper experimentation of this Renaissance
man of the 1700s. His writings being
translated for this exhibit include recipes for
paper using cabbage stalks, wasp nests, and
even asbestos. For further details contact
Robert C. Williams Paper Museum, 500
10th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, (404)
894-7840, <www.ipst.edu/amp>.
Upcoming Paper Circle exhibitions in
Nelsonville, Ohio, include Books by Eileen
Wallace of Chillicothe, Ohio, with selections
from the Dard Hunter Mansion Collection,
through October 24. Call or email (740)
753-3374 or <papercircle@frognet.net> or
see <www.papercircle.org>.
The Japan Foundation, Toronto, is proud
to present Found in Translation: Interpreting
Elements of Japanese Design, curated
by Arlene Gehring. The exhibit focuses on
Japanese design aesthetics and techniques
as practiced by four fibre and paper artists
living in Canada. Through their work,
Nieves Carrasco, Marta Dal Farro, Judith
Fielder and Lorraine Pritchard speak of
Japanese tradition in an artistic language of
their own. The exhibit is on view from October
13, 2006 - January 19, 2007 at the Japan
Foundation, 131 Bloor Street West, 2nd
Floor of the Colonnade, Toronto, Ontario.
For further details call (416) 966-1600 or
e-mail <tmiki@jftor.org>.
The Stairway Gallery presents the First
Paperworks Exhibition and Workshops
featuring the works of Loreto Apilado,
Penny Reyes-Velasco, Bencab, Pandy
Aviado, Rishab Tibon, Tess Pasola, Tony
Gonzales, and other paper artists. January
through February, 2007. The artists will
use shredded, demonetized Philippine
money as the main material, turning it
into pulp or collage art mixed with other
media, or as paper canvasses. For further
details contact Stairway Gallery, Imacron
Media Center Bldg., 115 Kamuning Road,
Quezon City, Philippines, (632) 920-1375,
<penny@stairwaygallery.com>, or see
<www.stairwaygallery.com>.
The Finnish Paper Art Gallery presents the
work of Sirkka Könönen through August;
Anna-Liisa Troberg, September through
November; and Jany Vyborna-Turunen,
December through January 2007. For further
details contact The Finnish Paper Art
Gallery, FIN-45700 Kuusankoski, Finland.
The Gallery is part of the Kymen Paviljonki
complex on Highway 6 at Kuusankoski. It is
open daily from 9 am to 8 pm and admission
is free.
Transplant, by Ellen Hill and Carien Quiroga,
is a collaborative installation consisting
of a field of 24 human female torsos created
from handmade paper, December 2-31.
There is a reception on December 2 from
6:30-9:00 pm at Pyramid Atlantic, 8230
Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20912,
<www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org>.
Carrion: A Cartography of Roadkill is an
installation by Elysa Voshell, on view until
October 2 at Airspace, 4013 Chestnut St.,
Philadelphia, PA 19104. The physicality of
hanging sculptures, which are constructed
from cast handmade paper and dyed
bookbinding thread, forms a contrast to
the distanced, static nature of satellite-image
screenprints that form a cityscape on
the wall. Gallery hours by appointment.
Contact: Edward M. Epstein, Coordinator,
at (215) 694-8719 or Elysa Voshell at (267)
254-4229.
New Work by Yukie Kobayashi is on exhibit
until October 29 in the auditorium of The
Madeira School, 8328 Georgetown Pike,
McLean, VA 22102, (703) 556-8200.
CALLS FOR ENTRIES
PapierWespe Studio in Vienna, Austria,
is planning a paper jewelry exhibition
in December, 2007. To participate mail
five to ten digital images of your works
to <office@papierwespe.at> no later than
April, 2007. The entries will be juried.
Selected artists will be notified by e-mail
before June 15.
The eighth portfolio in Hand Papermaking’s
ongoing series will feature calligraphy on
handmade paper. We envision a collection
that features single characters, or small
groups of characters, including non-roman
alphabets. Hand lettering is encouraged
but we also will allow printing and imaging
processes which include relief, intaglio,
litho, silkscreen, and digital as well as
editioning techniques in hand papermaking
such as watermarks, stenciled pulp, and
other wet-stage techniques. Whatever
the method, the jury will look for entries
that demonstrate the equal importance of
calligraphic image and well-made paper. We
welcome entries from individual artists as
well as collaborations between papermakers
and calligraphers. Jurors and invited artists
are Timothy Barrett, Thomas Ingmire,
Nancy Ruth Leavitt, and Katie MacGregor.
The commissioned essay will be written by
Rose Folsom, editor of Letter Arts Review.
Each selected participant will be asked to
produce 150 finished pieces, 10”x8”, plus
two proofs for the archive and exhibitions.
Entries are due to Hand Papermaking no
later than October 10, 2006. Selected artists
must send in their full edition of 150+2 by
May 1, 2007. View the complete call for
entries at <www.handpapermaking.org> or
call (800) 821-6604 to have a copy mailed.
Fuller Craft Museum invites artists to
submit materials for the exhibition Pulp
Function curated by Lloyd Herman, founding
Director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick
Gallery. The exhibition opens May 19, 2007,
at Fuller Craft Museum, and will travel
through 2010. Art made from paper pulp;
recycled paper; cardboard; papier mache;
and cut, folded, or otherwise manipulated
paper will be considered. The submission
deadline is October 1, 2006. For more information
and complete submission requirements,
please go to: <www.fullercraft.org>.
Erica Rasmussen is presenting a lecture/
demo at the May 2007 Surface Design
Association conference entitled “From
Bubblewrap to Bottlecaps: Embellishing
Handmade Paper with Everyday Media.”
During the slide section she will be showing
examples of low-tech methods for surfacing
paper with inexpensive and commonplace
materials like red wine, beet juice, rusty
washers, tomato paste, and instant cocoa.
Your contributions of non-traditional or
non-conventional sheets would be most
appreciated. Verbal credit will be given to
artists/craftspeople. Please send slides and
contact information to Prof. Erica Rasmussen,
Metropolitan State University, 1380
Energy Lane #205, St. Paul, MN 55108 or
TRAVEL
The Rittenhouse European Tour takes
place April 25- May 9, 2007. Tour the
homeland of William Rittenhouse the
founder of RittenhouseTown and the first
papermaker in North America. The tour
will travel to many locations throughout
Germany and Netherlands. The tour will be
led by John Ruth, a minister, author, and
filmmaker from Harlyesville, Pennsylvania.
He teaches history through storytelling.
He knows points of interest on both
Rittenhouse and Mennonite history. Mary
Rittenhouse Schwartzentruber organized
this tour and will act as the administrator.
For the complete tour itinerary or for more
information, please call (215) 438-5711 or
email <info@rittenhousetown.org>.
OPPORTUNITIES
The internship program at Dieu Donné
Papermill provides first-hand experience
for students and those looking to further
their interest in papermaking and arts
administration. Prior studio-setting experience
is strongly suggested. An application
and more details are available at <www.
dieudonne.org>.
The Creative Residency program in Visual
Arts at The Banff Centre, Alberta, Canada,
provides studio facilities and support for
artists working in a broad range of media,
including painting, drawing, performance,
ceramics, book arts, textile art, papermaking,
sculpture, installation, photography,
and more. Applications are now being
accepted for November/December residencies.
Visit <www.banffcentre.ca/va/
residencies/> or contact Wendy Tokaryk at
<wendy_tokaryk@banffcentre.ca> or (403)
762-6402.
Fellowship Grants at Women’s Studio
Workshop are designed to provide concentrated
work time in the printmaking,
silkscreen, hand papermaking, photography,
letterpress, and clay studios. Fellowships are
awarded through a jury process. Recipients
pay $200 per week, approximately one-fifth
the actual cost. To apply, send an application
form, resume, 6-10 slides, a letter of interest,
and SASE to WSW, Box 489, Rosendale,
NY 12472. The deadline for Spring fellowships
(March - June) is November 1.
Artists experienced in papermaking are
invited to apply for the opportunity to spend
up to three months working in the Paper
Studio at the Southwest School of Art &
Craft. Artists are expected to provide their
own transportation and materials. Housing
may be available, but is not guaranteed. Collaborations
will be considered. For further
information contact SSAC, 300 Augusta,
San Antonio, TX 78205, (210) 224-1848,
<www.swschool.org>.
PUBLICATIONS
Marjorie Alexander has announced that her
video The Idin Papermill is now available
both in tape and DVD format. This video
was filmed in Lampang, Thailand in 2003.
After a brief description of Thailand, the
journey leads through a bamboo thicket
to the papermill of Supan and Praewpan
Promsen in what was once a rice field.
Marjorie and Supan narrate a thirty-minute
pictorial of the entire mill and the specific
process used for making the unique papers
created at The Idin Papermill. The price is
$25.00 for either the VHS tape in NTSC or
the DVD. Information and ordering can be
obtained from <maralex@maralex.com>.
Paper Textiles by Christina Leitner (ISBN
071367444X) was recently published by
A & C Black of London. The first part of
the 190-page hardcover deals with history
– 1000 years in the Orient, 100 years in
the West; the second part with techniques
and projects, covering weaving, knitting,
plaiting, crocheting, etc.; and the third part
is a 40-page gallery of the work of 12 leading
international artists.
Jane Ingram Allen has published Made in
Taiwan: An American Papermaking Artist’s
Journey around Taiwan, featuring art with
handmade paper from 135 different plants
from 14 places in Taiwan. This 256-page
book in English and Chinese is the result of
the author’s 18 months in Taiwan as a Fulbright
Scholar and artist in residence. The
artist used local plants to make handmade
paper for 55 artworks reflecting her experience
of each time and place. The book provides
information about the unique culture
of each place and tells how to make paper
from the 135 different plants used. For additional
information and ordering instructions
visit <www.janeingramallen.com>.
The Story of Paper-Making, an account of
papermaking from its earliest known record
down to the present time, published in 1901
by J.W. Butler Paper Company, is among
the books that one can read online at <www.
lostcrafts.com>. This advertising-supported
site also features several early bookbinding
titles.
Papermaking With Garden Plants & Common
Weeds: An Eco-Friendly Approach by
Helen Hiebert was re-released in a 112-page
trade paperback earlier this year by Storey
Publishing (ISBN 1-58017-622-4). The fullcolor
book with photographs throughout
presents basic papermaking techniques in
illustrated step-by-step instructions that
make it easy to create a variety of organic
papers. Hiebert describes how to collect,
harvest, and process the plant fibers and
then create sheets using both Western and
Japanese techniques. The book also features
profiles of papermakers from around the
world, highlighting their individual tips and
techniques.
A special publication entitled Paper takes
flight (ISBN 90-73803-07-1) accompanied
the 2006 Holland Paper Biennial. The
compiler of the book was again the wellknown
paper artist Peter Gentenaar. The
inspiration for the theme of the book is
the article by the anthropologist and paper
restoration specialist René Teijgeler, who
remained in Iraq with the Netherlands
Army in 2003/2004 to assist in ensuring
that as much of the Iraqi cultural heritage as
possible was preserved. Other articles about
paper and adversity have been gathered
together by the editorial team to complement
Teijgeler’s story. Purchase price is
€59.95. For more information visit <www.
hollandpapierbiennale.nl>, or <www.
museumryswyk.nl> or write to: Museum
Rijswijk, Holland Paper Biennial 2006,
Herenstraat 67, NL-2282 BR, Rijswijk, The
Netherlands.
Hand Papermaking continues to offer
Selected Paper Artists, 2004, featuring
62 images of contemporary artwork by
19 paper artists juried from the Hand
Papermaking Artist Registry. Two versions
of this collection are on sale now: purchase
a set of slides for $200 plus $10 postage, or
purchase a CD-ROM for $35 postpaid. Both
include a 48-page booklet including image
descriptions and artist statements, plus
an introduction and history of the project.
Juried from over 500 current slides, this
generous sampling of stunning imagery
demonstrates a wide variety of techniques.
These inspiring images make an excellent
classroom presentation. They are the perfect
solution for educators, publicists, scholars,
and curators looking for unique talent. They
present a helpful overview for newcomers.
They are an inspiration to anyone interested
in handmade paper art. To place an order
send $210 for the set of slides or $35 for the
CD-ROM to Hand Papermaking, PO Box
1070, Beltsville, MD 20704. Or call (800)
821-6604 or (301) 220-2393. Additional
information about Hand Papermaking’s
Artist Registry can be found at
MISCELLANEOUS
The Society of Marbling is an international
organization dedicated to the promotion
and preservation of the art of marbling. For
information, contact Marie Palowoda, 2605
W. 19th Street Road, Greeley, CO 80634,
<marie-p@despammed.com>. Also available
is the International Directory of Marblers
and Resource Guide featuring 313 listings.
Hand Papermaking publishes a biennial
series of limited-edition portfolios, each on
a different theme, showcasing distinctive
handmade papers. Each paper is protected
in an imprinted folder and described in a
handbound booklet; each set resides in a
custom-made clamshell box. The editions
are limited to 150, and four of seven portfolios
remain available for sale. They are:
Handmade Paper in Nepal: Tradition &
Change, priced at $195
Watermarks in Handmade Paper: Modern
and Historic, priced at $265
Innovative Printmaking on Handmade Paper,
priced at $495.
The Art of Pulp Painting, priced at $495.
Postage for each is $15 in the US or $30
elsewhere.
Ask about our standing order program.
Call (800) 821-6604 or (301) 220-2394
to order, or view images and complete
prospectus at <www.handpapermaking.
org>. The eighth portfolio in the series will
feature calligraphy (see page 11).
CORRECTION
On page 10 of the Summer 2006 “Paper in
Flight” issue of Hand Papermaking magazine
(Vol. 21, No. 1) the photograph of the
balloon is incorrectly identified as another
image of the handmade paper balloon
found in Alturas, California shown on page
8. The image on page 10 is of a rubberized
silk balloon developed by the Imperial
Japanese Navy but later rejected, in favor of
the handmade paper balloon, because of its
excessive weight.
CLASSIFIEDS
Classifieds in the Hand Papermaking
Newsletter cost 75 cents per word, with no
minimum. Payment is due in advance of
publication.
Fine Art Paper Business Opportunity:
Have you always had a hankering to be in
the paper business? Do you have the desire
to ensure beautiful paper gets into the
hands of those that need it? If your answer
is “YES” to either these questions, please
send resume and contact info to:
<paperbizopportunity@gmail.com>.
SPECIAL THANKS
Hand Papermaking would like to thank
the following people who have made direct
contributions to our organization. As a nonprofit
organization, we rely on the support of
our subscribers and contributors to continue
operating. All donations are greatly appreciated
and are tax deductible. Call or write for more
information on giving levels and premiums.
Patrons: David Marshall & Alan Wiesenthal,
Charles E. Morgan. Underwriters: Bobbie
Lippman. Sponsors: Jane Farmer, Helen
Frederick, Peter Newland & Robyn Johnson,
Pamela S. Wood. Donors: Grimanesa
Amoros, Cathleen A. Baker, Simon &
Kimberly Blattner, Gail Deery, Michael
Durgin, Lori B. Goodman, Susan Gosin,
Helen Hiebert, Lois James, Elaine Koretsky,
Mary Lou Manor, Dianne L. Reeves,
John L. Risseeuw, Michelle Samour,
Kimberly Schenck, Agnes Schlenke, R.
H. Starr, Jr., Marilyn Sward, Claire Van
Vliet, Becky Whitehead, Ellie Winberg.
Supporters: Marjorie & Harold Alexander,
Shirah Miriam (Mimi) Aumann, Valerie
T. Bechtol, Bonnie Bernell, Joanne R.
Davis, Amanda Degener, Linda Draper,
Martha Duran, Frank Gallo, Patricia Grass,
Peter Hopkins, Courtney Hudson, Kristin
Kavanagh, Ann S. Miller, Nancy Norton
Tomasko, Ralph Ocker, Lise Poulsen, Mary
C. Schlosser, Maxine Seelenbinder-Apke,
Lynn Sures, Marcia Widenor, Kathy Wosika.
In-Kind: Adobe Systems, Campbell-Logan
Bindery, Arnold Grummer’s, Hiromi
Paper International, Val Lucas, Maryland
Institute College of Art, Paper Connection
International.
This year’s anniversary activities are made
possible with the generosity of: Carole
A. Alameddine, Shirah Miriam (Mimi)
Aumann, Cathleen A. Baker, Bonnie
Bernell, Inge Bruggeman, Amanda
Degener, Gail Deery, Linda Draper, Kathy
Fitzgerald, Shirley Freriks, Helen Hiebert,
Elaine Koretsky, Mary C. Leto, Val Lucas,
David Marshall & Alan Wiesenthal,
Margaret Prentice, Dianne L. Reeves, Jann
Selleck, Marilyn Sward, Gibby Waitzkin,
Becky Whitehead, Marcia Widenor,
Pamela S. Wood.
And Hand Papermaking is especially
grateful to the following organizations and
individuals for their generous support of
our 20th-anniversary magazine:
The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
The Drachen Foundation
The Fifth Floor Foundation
Cathleen A. Baker, Inge Bruggeman,
Mindell Dubansky, Lou Hicks, Helen
Hiebert, Allen K. Mears, Elaine Koretsky,
Russell Maret, David Marshall, Margaret
Prentice, Marilyn Sward, Becky Whitehead.