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Pepe's Paperie
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Stories have been passed down from generation to generation since humanity began detailing how people began drawing on cave walls and finding other materials such as papyrus (a tall water reed which was found in abundance in Egypt around 3000BC) to draw onto. The ancient Egyptians soaked, pressed and dried papyrus which then acted as something similar to paper.
In AD 105 a Chinese court official named Ts'ai Lun was the first man recorded for inventing paper. He used materials such as mulberry bark, linen and hemp. He created a mushy consistence which he spread out in a bamboo frame and left in the sun to dry. And thus the first recorded paper was created.
Linenwas initially very important in the manufacturing of paper, but as this was in limited supply it meant that paper was not made in very large quantities. Chinese paper makers developed and sized paper further; they coated and dyed paper so that it was protected against insects. Paper making in those days was quite a recycling business.
Papermaking methods quickly spread throughout the eastern world and eventually landed with the Arabs in AD 751 after it traveled from China through Korea and then onto Japan. The Arabs soon set up paper mills in Baghdad and Damascus. Their main resource were rags due to the lack of fresh fibres. The mush was spread across screens of reeds and then coated on both sides which ensured that it became a quality writing surface with a fine appearance. Paper making eventually made its way to Cairo, Egypt, in the 9th Century where it ultimately replaced papyrus.
The 10th Century saw papermaking spread to Morocco, although it was not until the 12th Century that papermaking finally made its way to Europe. Papermaking was introduced to Spain and Sicily by the Moors, but was initially disfavoured by the Christian world as it was considered a manifestation of the Muslem culture. The Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II even went as far as declaring all official documentation written on paper to be invalid. The European stance on paper was not changed until the arrival of the printing press in the 1400's. The Arabs finally passed on their papermaking knowledge to the Germans in the 1400's after their papermaking techniques had been improved throughout the 1300's by the Italians. The initiation of paper making in Europe was an almost slow and painful process, people such as Gutenberg (German goldsmith who is credited with inventing moveable type) still used parchment (the use of sheet or goats skin which has been prepared for writing). To print even one of his Bibles he had to use 300 sheep, now that's resource demand for you, obviously not very practical.
The15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries saw papermaking start in most other European countries and in the 17th Century papermaking finally made its way to the USA. The paper mills in the States were modeled on the latest used in Europe at that time. They had their mills conveniently placed near towns as the main materials needed for papermaking were rags and water. As the demand for paper increased the supply of rags diminished and the paper manufacturers had to find other materials to replace the diminishing rag supply - hence the development of the paper made from the fibres of wood pulp.
The beginning of the 19th Century saw the introduction of printed books and the first book was successfully printed in 1804. The first efficient paper machines were introduced in 1825. This phenomenal invention meant that schools and universities were established as the educational resources were now more readily available to students. Imagine what a profound difference the arrival of the printing press would have made on the world as it was in the 18th and 19th Century. It meant a complete change of life. Previously book shops did not stock books, if you wanted a copy of a book you would have to order it and come back a few months later when the entire book had been copied down for you. Possessing more than one copy of a book was so unheard of that Gutenberg's financial partner was forced to flee when he offered 20 identical copies of Gutenbergs Bible to a bookseller in Paris.
Paper is now available in numerous styles, weights, sizes and colours. We couldn't imagine a world without paper these days - even in the era of computers, paper is an essential part of everyday life. It is therefore important that we consider the environment and recycle what ever paper we can, as well as sourcing paper from renewable and environmentally friendly sources.
At Pepe's Paperie we consider paper a pleasure - we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
