No 30, June 1999

No 30, June 1999

The Quarterly, No 30 - June 1999

British Watermarks: De La Rue's Paper and Watermarks - Harry Dagnall

The discussion of an album containing examples of watermark bits used by the stationery printer, De La Rue c1880-90. His experiments with letter-press printing resulted in the award, in 1853, of a contract to print stamps for the Board of Inland Revenue, this developed into the security printing side of the business. Details are given of the suppliers of paper and machinery and the strict quality control.

7 pages, illustrated

A Paper House for Growing Melons

References to the use of paper in the garden 1751-57, taken from Garden Kalender 1751-1773 by Gilbert White, Scholar Press edition.

1 page

Paper Conservation in India - Anna Wise

An account of the authors research trip to India funded by a travelling scholarship from the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Papermakers. Details of current conservation techniques are given, and of the problems in obtaining suitable quality materials at an affordable price. A visit was also made to the Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute, where experiments with different plant fibres are undertaken to determine their suitability for papermaking, including repair tissues.

4 pages, illustrated

A Trip to Capellades: Capellades Paper Mill and Museum, near Barcelona, Spain - Gillian Johnson-Flint

A description of the visit to this museum, which charts the history of papermaking in this Catalan region, (a short account is given in the article), and to the reconstructed eighteenth century papermill in the cellars of the museum, where working demonstrations are given.

3 pages, illustrated

Manufacture of Artificial Parchment

Messrs. Herold & Gawalowski, of Bruun, make as follows, a strong, artificial parchment, impermeable in water, and capable of serving for the diaphragm in osmotic operations on solutions of impure sugar, &c. The woollen or cotton tissues are freed, by washing, from the foreign substances, such as gum, starch, &c., which may cover them. They are then placed in a bath slightly charged with paper-pulp; and to make this pulp penetrate more deeply, they are passed between two rollers, which slightly compress them. The principal operation consists of steeping the product for a few seconds in a bath of concentrated sulphuric acid, after which it undergoes a series of washings in water and ammoniacal liquor, until it has lost all trace of acid or base. It is then compressed between two steel rollers, dried between two others, covered with felt, and finally calendered, when they are fit for use.
Taken from the Journal of the Society of Arts, May 26, 1882.

British Paper Mills: Snodland Mill, Kent, part 3 - Michael Fuller

The final part of the comprehensive history of this mill from its first mention in the Domesday book to present day activities. Details are given in this section on the papermaking equipment and of the introduction of papermaking machines.

6 pages, illustrated

Book Reviews

Turner's Later Papers, A Study of the Manufacture, Selection and Use of his Drawing Papers, 1820-1851. Peter Bower.
Taxation of the Printed Word: The Introduction of Stamp Duty on Almanacs & Newspapers 1711 & 1712. H. Dagnall.

Some Old Newspapers - Richard Hills

The examination of seven newspapers dating from around the end of the eighteenth century. Details of mould constructions and paper sizes are given as well as an extract from The Sun, No. 2526, Saturday 25 October 1800 giving the account of a fire at the paper mill of Mr. Edward Pim, near the Head Weir in Exeter.