There's a paper mill in Springfield Massachusetts that still makes cotton lint paper. Much of their product is used for legal documents. The water mark is changed regular for forgery security. Only their people can identify and testify that the paper is of the proper time frame for the content. They have been in business since the colonial times and still use parts of the mill machines from then with modern upgrades to them. I used to deliver lint pulp bails to them. The dock I used regular I've seen pictures of mule teams and wagon unloading at. Amazing place. All the water canals used to drive the equipment are still in place. If you can imagine putting a tractor and trailer in a space built for mule and wagon. Had to back an 8th mile down to it. My skills were sharpened in a way nothing else could have done. Enjoy your work here thank you
@@torkildenstadhausken4531 guess I need to retract. It's actually West Springfield. Was talking to a fellow I knew from the lint shipper down here that told me they were still shipping to them. It's the mill on front st. I sits between the Westfield river and the Westfield river channel. It's now a lazer printing company I guess. Sory for the mislead. Still glad one of our historic mills wasn't totally abandoned and left to rot.
Crane & Co. In Dalton (now relocated?) crafts the substrate for our currency. I used to print their specialty letterpress orders, things like wedding invite packages and such for people with far too much $.
For the next step you could talk about how people kept their papers safe and dry when they transported their papers. Talk about carrying cases official and non-official and a little about how people would have also done so on sailing ships maybe.
Funny you should mention this. It turns out iron gall ink and linen (or cotton) paper is quite resistant to moisture. Not bulletproof, but close enough. In my own hometown of Nashville, there's a story that the papers of one of the founders of the city - John Donelson - were dropped into the Cumberland River and lost for over a week in 1785. They were only in a simple leather saddlebag, but when they were fished out of the water they were still legible and salvageable. There were more waterproof containers (using beeswax, tarring, and other methods), but the paper and ink themselves proved highly resistant to water. Sailors most likely would have had oilcloth containers, or possibly leather impregnated with a substance to make them more water resistant. Excellent question. Thank you!
@@BrianA-dq7gv I wonder if anyone made cases made from linen that were doped like airplane canvas. I used to have a carrying case that was made out of suede tanned leather that had a mink oil on it that made it waterproof.
@@myperspective5091 I've not seen doped linen, but I have seen linen impregnated with wax, and oiled leather. Both were relatively common. That carrying case does seem to be very similar to some period cases I've seen.
@@myperspective5091 FWIW,the original doped airplane canvas was a rather expensive formulation of multiple ingredients including banana oil(from the smell). And since the main ingredient was guncotton( nitrocellulose) it was relatively late in the 19th Century, and exceptionally flammable. It was only some time after WWI that(DuPont I think) came up with the acetate instead of the nitrate that what we call automotive lacquer came to be. And film stock,etc. And when aviation dope dries it stiffens the fabric so a hinge or flap would have to be a separate item of manufacture.
Jon's reaction when Brian said "today we have an iPhone" made me laugh. I too carry a small notebook on me, but I have traded the quill for a modern fountain pen.
the "Lumpen Markt" was quite important, there were state sin europe, who stoped transit of these waste for paper productions to outside markets to secure their paper production (paper was mainly needed for trade accounting and money accounting, the dutch and swiss were the big paper producer in europe for a reason)
Not surprised. The paper back then followed the Asian practices: including old rags with the pulp. Paper based on wood wasn't that prevalent until industrializationnof the process happened in the 1830's...
@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 to be even more exact, there is the process of Beizen, comming from mesopotania (irak), using the actual cloth allready as a form of "paper" to write on it by preparing it with the same method to creat paper. this was obivious less compareable to today paper, but the process is nearly the same compared to the process to make paper out of cloths and older than chinese paper creations. the chinese invented paper from the beizen, because they didnt had pergament or papyrus or cloths from that material and used the bad writing material bambus or confinient stuff like stones or metals or wood. the western world adopted paper, because they had to many trade and logistic interested people in the late medival periode of time, who dont want to just write something down (always more common, even in roman times around 50% of the roman soldiers were able to write, proven by letters found some years ago in a scotish outpost) the actual need to archivate your data from trade or for logistics for years in a big empire made the development of paper a need for these empires and thereby it was adopted from other regions and actual financial supported by rich european cities.
@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 Until a method was devised to recover and reuse the caustic chemicals utilized in the paper making process, it was not cost effective to make paper from trees. The process uses some extremely caustic chemicals. The recovery process, including the recovery boiler, was not invented until the 1900's, where the chemicals are recovered for reuse, and was what made paper from wood pulp economical. The first Kraft paper mill, using the Kraft Sulfate process, was built in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, and is still in operation today as part of WestRock Corporation.
I worked in a Stationary store, I learned a lot about rag content, watermarks , vellum, types of print, styles. And some of the most beautiful writing pens and wax stamps. This series is really well put together. Thanks.
It may sound strange, but I use this channel's lessons/features to better inform my worldbuilding in D&D, since our campaign is similar to these time periods. Thank you for these wonderful videos!
Yep, I have incorporated numerous things into my games that I was introduced to through these videos. The latest was the laundry lady. This series will likely come into the game too!
It's also a great source for non-player characters. Instead of just bumping into a "commoner," I can now have them meet the laundress, the ragman, the group of housewives waiting around the baker's shop as their beans cook, etc. It (I hope) makes the setting feel much more immersive and vital.
That's the great thing about stuff like this; it really has so many uses. World building in games (as you've done), world building in books, movies or television shows, a beginner's guide of sorts for those interested in making or using historical paperworks, roleplayers and reenactors, people who enjoy obscure aspects of history, just flat out entertainment! So much.
I use Chinese xuan paper, which is the laid paper type. Very interesting process. I use it for Sumi and Chinese brush painting. I'm no expert on it, but the two main types are made from rice straw or mulberry bark. There are different finishing processes for them. Brian mentioned using charcoal art paper because it is laid paper. I wonder if some of the heavier mulberry paper would work with a quill pen. Works great with Chinese/Japanese/Korean brushes for calligraphy and calligraphic arts like Sumi and CBP. This has been a fascinating series and Brian has been a superb guest.
My master's thesis was required to be printed on 100% cotton rag paper. I had to provide three copies for binding to the graduate college. It was expensive but the quality was definitely present. 😃
@@healinggrounds19 This was 1994 at Arizona State University, required by the Graduate College. The thesis was about 120 pages and I remember it was very expensive for the paper and the binding itself, but totally worth it! What year did you get your Master's? Are you also a Rocky Horror fan? 😁
I love when your videos stray away from cooking. Don't get me wrong, i come for the cooking, but i stay for the whole snapshot of a time period. Very good video and very informative.
The trees used to make modern paper are hybrid poplar that are planted for the purpose. They grow amazingly quickly and are good for l for the soil too. Paper makers want uniform pulp that can only come from crop trees, not wild.
but the whole asian market used papers from southeastern asia, including australia, but today mainly from indonesia, incuding tree-pirates, who come to one of these thousand small islands in indonesia, cut down every tree on the island and bring the trees for good money to illegal companies in india, vietnam, siam, china etc. most of the paper is shipped to japan. they use way to much paper in their society.
Australian made paper is a mix of plantation pine and eucalyptus and have been for half a century. Only the imported stuff is made from anything else (and our bank notes are PET plastic).
@@allangibson8494 well some decades ago, like 1-2 you were the biggest exporter of wood as an industrial country. made a lot of enviroment problems of today, your white australia policy :D
I found this to be incredibly interesting. For years I carried a 2x3 notebook, I have been using my iPhone for the last couple of years. I decided to carry, in addition, a small field notebook of waterproof paper. Excellent video Jon and Brian. Best
My father makes linen paper in his home in Portland Oregon. He used to run the Thompson Conservation laboratory and was in the business of restoring ancient things. (He even developed the case that the Magna Carta toured the US in 1986) He specialized in 15th century bookbinding and even used to teach a class on 15th century book binding in Northern Idaho each summer.
I am actually blown away from the thoughtfulness and ingenuity of the Commonplace book, like the ancestor of the modern day planner book, just so incredible that they were that resourceful and inventive with their bookkeeping and journaling!
Absolutely loving the historical writing series. I use fountain pens exclusively and I’ve been using a dip pen more at home. After going to Mount Vernon and Montpelier this week with my daughter I bought a quill pen and I’ve been trying to find out more about the ink and paper. So when I accidentally found these I was thrilled!! And I checked a document I have from 1707 and sure enough..laid paper. I had no idea.
One of my favorite videos of the channel already even as a newer fan, just because this guy both looks and sounds like he's gonna authorize my letter of marque to go after Captain Flint.
John this is absolutely fascinating. History is so very important to us all. Thanks to everyone involved in the making of Townsend. I truly enjoy every episode. Thanks to everyone who leaves comments too. Wonderful nuggets of information there as well.
fabulous trinity of shows. today, you can get rag content in photo papers...this show brings me back to my days as a printer and calligrapher. laid, wove, and vellum finish were coins of the realm. note, the animal skin surfaces were not impervious to problems including rot and bleed through, which kept monasteries, scriveners, and copyists busy for centuries. this was a fascinating series - thanks for this.
I love material history, and especially anything to do with writing. Please do more material history! Your channel's earliest videos were about stuff, and I'm glad to see you're going back to it.
I love how his videos aren't just plugging the products they sell; but actually informative and educational. 13 minutes of video, only one sentence about sales.
As a paper-loving, older Graphic Designer... I loved learning about all this...now I understand why some paper stock is called linen and how water marks originated. Thankyou for this invaluable knowledge.
I know the topic is writing but... Any thoughts on butcher paper and other papers used in retail commerce to package everything from pork chops to medicinal powders purchased from a shop's bulk barrels, baskets, buckets, and bins? I assume envelopes and paper sacks came relatively late, replacing many a paper packet tied up with string. Paperboard pill boxes and the like even later.
They might have used waste paper for that at the time. Waste paper was certainly used that way later. In 19th century England street food was sold wrapped in old newspapers, and I recall a story about a music enthusiast finding a "lost" Beethoven concerto wrapped around his cheese.
Many great English plays were lost because Queen Elizabeth's minister of revelry at the time, Lord Warburton, had stacks of plays (unread) near the kitchen. Supposedly his cook helped himself to the free paper to line pie pans and cooking trays. That's what my theatre history professor at Oxford told us anyway.
Arvid Frykman - Its not that long ago that British fish and chip shops wrapped portions in unsold newspapers too, until it became illegal in 1990 due to safety concerns. I can still remember the distinctive smell of the malt vinegar soaking into the newspaper, and it makes me hungry just imagining it
Tried to make paper as a child. Failed miserably. I think I tried using cattails, because I lived in a swampy area and there was no papyrus on my continent.
Cat tail paper is definitely possible you just need more bleaching and a stronger binder. Possibly sun bleach/dry it first for a few weeks after cooking so it can be turned in finer fibres for the paper
Another wonderful series from Townsend's! I never knew the history of paper and writing could be so interesting, but then again you and the people you interview could read a phone book and make it interesting!
A fascinating exploration of an oft-overlooked aspect of history! Remarkable that some historic documents may have their own hidden histories of the used clothing they could have been manufactured from, history on history. The different paper sizes and uses are a fantastic demonstration, and both hosts a pleasure to listen too. Brilliant topic!
On average these vids are better than the many field trips I went to in school yrs ago, always educational. My mother's family came in the Mayflower, we've been here a long time. George Washington is a distant relative. Keep up the good work, always enjoy these vids. For your demographics, I'm 57, from northern NJ originally but in central Fl now.
This 3-part series is perfect for introducing people to 18th Century writing! Thank you so much for taking the time to put this together, it's really fantastic. It's also great that you have many of the paper items for sale on your sight. I can't wait to get a "commonplace book."
Man I love this channel. There are seriously few resources in my life that truly make me grateful for the things in my day to day life. It's like going to the river and catching your fish, it makes it all the more nice the next time you are being lazy and order in food at home. It makes you grateful for the things that are easy in modern life, which I believe is crucial to enjoying every moment. I'm an engineer and use paper like a fiend, so it's awesome seeing something like this series where I've come to think that printers are one of, if not the most, important invention of mankind. Apart from computers themselves of course, printing itself is super taken for granted, but not even 100 years ago most of what was in print came from what we would consider today a painstaking process. Even though the world is moving towards paperless, we always need to stop and appreciate the extent that papermaking has brought us. Paper has brought us coordination between generations which is something that will always be true, even if a solar flare hits us and our electronics die.
There are some great step-by-step instructions online for folding sheets of paper into their won envelopes. If your interested. I would imagine that most of them are derived from, based off of, or inspired by ways that it would be done then. I, too, would love to see a fourth video covering postage, envelopes, seals and stamps (I'm endlessly in love with wax seals, myself), waterproofing during transit (both mass and just a person carrying his documents), etc. That would be great.
This has been such an great series and so educational. I shall have to check my ephemera collection to see what papers are in it?! I learned something new today as I thought the small paper booklets were called, "waist", paper because they were sized to fit in a waistcoat pocket. Seems I had the wrong waste/waist. ...ha ha ha... I have as part of my collection, my hubbies 3rd grt grandpa, Col. James Madison Gregg's diary, which dates a little later in the 1830's, and it is sized to fit in a waistcoat pocket. He carried it with him and kept daily notes, so it is well worn but very interesting. He was a Quaker and went often to meeting, helped with barn and house raising's, worked hauling logs and at a saw mill, and recorded local deaths. He became a country clerk, lawyer, and a United States Senator, from Danville, Hendricks co., Indiana, the later until right before the Civil War. He was a Colonel in the Home Guards during the Civil War, and a well respected citizen of Danville. I have never thought to check my papers to see what kind they are, so this should prove to be yet another interesting aspect of my collection. Thanks again for such a wonderful series. Brian seems very well versed and is exceedingly pleasing in his presentation. You look very sharp too! Have a great day!
I attended a camp at Traveler’s Rest for a few years when I was a child. Brian is one of the most gifted historians and Nashville is lucky to have him. One of his most impressive skills is getting kids, whom otherwise would not care about history, engaged and interested. I still love history and I credit that almost exclusively to Brian. If you have his contact information, please let me know so I can thank him.
@1:05 *hands someone a piece of paper* "Here, you can you look at that" Normal people: "Why would I want to look at that? It's just a piece of paper, don't be so boring." We historians: "Ooo!" *Literally stares intently at it and turns it over multiple times*
I am really enjoying this latest series of "real life" videos. Excellent work as always, and this answers so many questions for us. Thanks so much for all you do!
Ive worked in printing for 4 years now. So far ive only seen customers order animal skin once, plastic once, and gold leaf once. Outta all 3 of those the gold leaf one was the most expensive. The head of the company himself would actually want the waste after it was cut so theres no chance for anyone to take any.
Funny how You can buy paper of any kind. From GENUINE PARCHMENT/vellum, Papyrus, Cotton to Polyester, if you are willing to pay. Some things just never die.
I'm so old I can remember stationary stores that sold vellum, parchment, and sealing wax! It was a wonderful time when love letters were perfumed and not a text message!
We are coming to visit Jas Townsend in Son this coming Friday. We both love the these videos. My husband asked me if I am learning new things from these videos. Frankly, not much. I grew up reenacting. This is cool and it feels like my childhood. It's normalize for me. Then I was stunned this is based out of Indiana where I grew up and it all made sense to me. I even laughed at the candle making video because I never used anything but wax, string, heat, stick, and time. These are 100% amazing.
I love this channel but this is, by far, the most interesting episode today. thank you for all the research and time taken to follow these dying topics.
Thanks, guys, for a great series! I'll join those who commented before me, in saying that this has been one of my favourite sets. I know it's a much more involved shoot, but I'd love to see some videos on the "how" of paper-making - reed paper, parchment, linen, etc. I've heard it said (anecdotally) that settlers here in southern Ontario, Canada even used the abundant cottonwood seeds as a substitute, since it was already fluffy and inexpensive. It was easy to make the downy seeds into a paper slurry. However, each seed also had a little seed-pod attached, and these made "pips" that would catch the nib and make a mess - thus ruining the popularity of the product.
I do watercolor paintings, and the paper I use is a brand called Arches. Its 100% cotton, and yes, it is crazy expensive. About $25 for 12 sheets if you buy it at the art store, but it's a little cheaper if you order online. Worth every penny though because its a dream to paint on.
This series has been so cool! Will you pretty please continue it? Would love to see more in cheap books & a historical handwriting lesson would be awesome!
There are some smaller papermakers producing HEMP papers in the US. I love the texture and smell of the vintage books I've owned. One printed in 1790 (or so) is a history of Greece with a map insert! It's in storage... Lovely laid paper with a tactile as well as visual texture, you can feel the imprint of the text on the lined surface... I once handled a small treatise on Natural Physics written in Latin - printers date was in the mid 1600s (1646 is the number I remember). I found that one in a file folder of a some estate papers I was sorting and archiving... It ALMOST got thrown away because there was so much trash with the valuable papers. I gave it the the heirs and stressed the value of the item after they just left it on the dining table for a week - and he stashed it in his underwear drawer. The paper it was printed on was laid - very fine - but the pages used in the binding process had been cannibalized from liturgical texts that were not printed, but hand inked in two colors and most likely parchment.
You can find 100% cotton content papers even in office supply stores here in Canada - look for "resume paper". The fancier ones make quite a show of just how much cotton content they have. Linen rag content is more difficult, but you can find flaxseed paper which is skipping the rag part, out of for eg St Armand in quebec.
I would love to see you continue this series on Historical Writing. I'd be interested in seeing you do videos on printing presses, 18th Century newspapers, and book-binding.
Any information on writing slopes? I’m guessing they were the equivalent to today’s laptops. I have one that I use with our re-enactment group. I sign up children at events that we participate at. The contracts we do up are on a parchment-like paper and are exact copies from the North West Company, out of Montreal. I use a quill pen with some success; to sign them up. This writing slope that I use has ink bottles, quills, pouce,, fine sand, paper and contracts. It also has a hidden compartment!
You gentlemen honestly are so cute!! I especially liked the notebook at the end where you can index your own notes and quotes. Good tip about the charcoal paper!
I remember making paper as a project back in grade school, I use the term "making" loosely as we got our pulp by shredding construction paper and soaking it, but we did lay it across a screen and let it dry. So while we cheated a bit some of the process was apparently pretty accurate.
I use a tiny A6 cheap book! It's tremendously useful for writing down stuff you know you'll forget, and was so cheaply made you can just rip the pages out with no effort, so you can leave notes to other people or write out addresses and give them. Historical tidbit on the A paper series used now in most of the world: it was fairly recent (a few papermakers invented in in the 18th century, but it's only in the 20th century it got widespread), and the idea was to go as close as possible to the golden number in the proportions, while keeping the same proportions when you cut it in two. Previous papers tended to be more vertical as it was closer to that golden rule.
These have been extremely interesting. Loved the quill pen making one. My college diploma is on vellum parchment. Cutting down trees for paper is not a sad thing. Soft wood is grown in plantations. When you buy wood to build a house or buy paper you're also paying for those plantations to be replenished.
Last I saw there were a few tree farms out here in Oregon that specifically raise fast growing species of trees for paper production. I have no idea how profitable it is but it seems like they wouldn't be too difficult of a crop to manage.
Well I think his point was when they first started using trees for paper they would just chop down with no regard for replenishing and such it was all use no putback which made it sad to see entire forests disappear for paper along with various other things.
There really isn't any part of a tree that isn't useful, waste material during production processes like cutoffs and even sawdust or bark gets made into something. Fiberboard, landscaping mulch, furnace pellets... the Kingsford charcoal company was founded as a means of using the leftover wood from the Ford car factory.
@@C-Henry There are some pulp farms in the NW. A lot of paper comes from pine swamp plantations in the SE. LP owns all of the ones I have seen in both places. You can smell the pulp Mill East of Vancouver WA as well.
@@Cinomod6066 -- I live in Michigan, which was the big supplier of wood for the continent until a series of forest fires took down the virgin timber. The main use was for shipbuilding, followed by construction and finally furniture. The port city I live in had many mills (my great-grandfather and his brother both got jobs at one mill when they arrived here from Germany in 1880). It was very hard work, and wore a man down quickly, so most only lasted a year on average. No part of the wood was wasted -- there was a use for every bit, even the sawdust. Even without the forest fires, they eventually would have torn through the virgin forest at the rate they were going, but if all they were making was paper, there's no way they would have deforested the land.
What a wonderful video in a wonderful series. I used to work with professional printers, who use the folding and sizes to create standard size printing papers. For instance, in magazine printing, they would often use a 22X34 inch sheet (or nominally larger for trimming), which would then be folded in half twice, so that the resultant page was 8 1/2 X 11 inches or standard magazine size. The nice thing was that this was all proportional, so that I could fold a standard 8.5X11 sheet down and number the pages for a mockup to plan the publication. In Europe, they use a similar standardized system measured in millimeters. I learned about, and became entranced with, Commonplace books from reading about Thomas Jefferson. He was an inveterate collector of quotes and wisdom, which he kept in his commonplace books. At one point, he cut up a Bible and pasted the teachings of Jesus into a similar book, because he considered the words of Jesus to be of the highest wisdom, uncorrupted by the clergy, whom he did not trust. This all makes me wonder about the origins of the "chapbook, which was a small, bound blank book, made of inexpensive paper, or leftovers, as you mention. I wonder if the name is a corruption of "cheap book' perhaps? I've loved your videos since I discovered them, and this series contains some of your best. Keep up the good work.
There's a paper mill in Springfield Massachusetts that still makes cotton lint paper. Much of their product is used for legal documents. The water mark is changed regular for forgery security. Only their people can identify and testify that the paper is of the proper time frame for the content. They have been in business since the colonial times and still use parts of the mill machines from then with modern upgrades to them. I used to deliver lint pulp bails to them. The dock I used regular I've seen pictures of mule teams and wagon unloading at. Amazing place. All the water canals used to drive the equipment are still in place. If you can imagine putting a tractor and trailer in a space built for mule and wagon. Had to back an 8th mile down to it. My skills were sharpened in a way nothing else could have done.
Enjoy your work here thank you
Charles Vickers the one down the street from the fire . station. at the bottom of the hill . and river .. near the hardwear store
@@threwthelookingglass7194 sou.ds correct. From what I remember. Sits between the river and the canal.
What are they called?
@@torkildenstadhausken4531 guess I need to retract. It's actually West Springfield. Was talking to a fellow I knew from the lint shipper down here that told me they were still shipping to them. It's the mill on front st. I sits between the Westfield river and the Westfield river channel. It's now a lazer printing company I guess. Sory for the mislead. Still glad one of our historic mills wasn't totally abandoned and left to rot.
Crane & Co. In Dalton (now relocated?) crafts the substrate for our currency. I used to print their specialty letterpress orders, things like wedding invite packages and such for people with far too much $.
This historical writing series has been great!
For the next step you could talk about how people kept their papers safe and dry when they transported their papers. Talk about carrying cases official and non-official and a little about how people would have also done so on sailing ships maybe.
Funny you should mention this. It turns out iron gall ink and linen (or cotton) paper is quite resistant to moisture. Not bulletproof, but close enough. In my own hometown of Nashville, there's a story that the papers of one of the founders of the city - John Donelson - were dropped into the Cumberland River and lost for over a week in 1785. They were only in a simple leather saddlebag, but when they were fished out of the water they were still legible and salvageable. There were more waterproof containers (using beeswax, tarring, and other methods), but the paper and ink themselves proved highly resistant to water.
Sailors most likely would have had oilcloth containers, or possibly leather impregnated with a substance to make them more water resistant.
Excellent question. Thank you!
@@BrianA-dq7gv
I wonder if anyone made cases made from linen that were doped like airplane canvas.
I used to have a carrying case that was made out of suede tanned leather that had a mink oil on it that made it waterproof.
@@myperspective5091 I've not seen doped linen, but I have seen linen impregnated with wax, and oiled leather. Both were relatively common. That carrying case does seem to be very similar to some period cases I've seen.
@@BrianA-dq7gv That's funny because my modern-day $3000 printer can't seem to handle paper that has been exposed to high humidity.
@@myperspective5091 FWIW,the original doped airplane canvas was a rather expensive formulation of multiple ingredients including banana oil(from the smell). And since the main ingredient was guncotton( nitrocellulose) it was relatively late in the 19th Century, and exceptionally flammable. It was only some time after WWI that(DuPont I think) came up with the acetate instead of the nitrate that what we call automotive lacquer came to be. And film stock,etc.
And when aviation dope dries it stiffens the fabric so a hinge or flap would have to be a separate item of manufacture.
Jon is a very polite and courteous interviewer. He listens and does not interrupt.
This has been such a good series! One of my favorite series on this channel that didn't have to do with food.
Jon's reaction when Brian said "today we have an iPhone" made me laugh.
I too carry a small notebook on me, but I have traded the quill for a modern fountain pen.
So, to obtain paper in the olden days, it would take the shirt off of your back.
the "Lumpen Markt" was quite important, there were state sin europe, who stoped transit of these waste for paper productions to outside markets to secure their paper production (paper was mainly needed for trade accounting and money accounting, the dutch and swiss were the big paper producer in europe for a reason)
Not surprised. The paper back then followed the Asian practices: including old rags with the pulp. Paper based on wood wasn't that prevalent until industrializationnof the process happened in the 1830's...
@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 to be even more exact, there is the process of Beizen, comming from mesopotania (irak), using the actual cloth allready as a form of "paper" to write on it by preparing it with the same method to creat paper. this was obivious less compareable to today paper, but the process is nearly the same compared to the process to make paper out of cloths and older than chinese paper creations. the chinese invented paper from the beizen, because they didnt had pergament or papyrus or cloths from that material and used the bad writing material bambus or confinient stuff like stones or metals or wood.
the western world adopted paper, because they had to many trade and logistic interested people in the late medival periode of time, who dont want to just write something down (always more common, even in roman times around 50% of the roman soldiers were able to write, proven by letters found some years ago in a scotish outpost) the actual need to archivate your data from trade or for logistics for years in a big empire made the development of paper a need for these empires and thereby it was adopted from other regions and actual financial supported by rich european cities.
@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 Until a method was devised to recover and reuse the caustic chemicals utilized in the paper making process, it was not cost effective to make paper from trees. The process uses some extremely caustic chemicals. The recovery process, including the recovery boiler, was not invented until the 1900's, where the chemicals are recovered for reuse, and was what made paper from wood pulp economical. The first Kraft paper mill, using the Kraft Sulfate process, was built in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, and is still in operation today as part of WestRock Corporation.
I worked in a Stationary store, I learned a lot about rag content, watermarks , vellum, types of print, styles. And some of the most beautiful writing pens and wax stamps. This series is really well put together. Thanks.
What do you think about the "A" format?
Brian's a great guest! Bring him back!
It may sound strange, but I use this channel's lessons/features to better inform my worldbuilding in D&D, since our campaign is similar to these time periods. Thank you for these wonderful videos!
I do the same thing
Yep, I have incorporated numerous things into my games that I was introduced to through these videos. The latest was the laundry lady. This series will likely come into the game too!
I do LARP and it's especially relevant for costuming and props
It's also a great source for non-player characters. Instead of just bumping into a "commoner," I can now have them meet the laundress, the ragman, the group of housewives waiting around the baker's shop as their beans cook, etc. It (I hope) makes the setting feel much more immersive and vital.
That's the great thing about stuff like this; it really has so many uses. World building in games (as you've done), world building in books, movies or television shows, a beginner's guide of sorts for those interested in making or using historical paperworks, roleplayers and reenactors, people who enjoy obscure aspects of history, just flat out entertainment! So much.
I use Chinese xuan paper, which is the laid paper type. Very interesting process. I use it for Sumi and Chinese brush painting. I'm no expert on it, but the two main types are made from rice straw or mulberry bark. There are different finishing processes for them. Brian mentioned using charcoal art paper because it is laid paper. I wonder if some of the heavier mulberry paper would work with a quill pen. Works great with Chinese/Japanese/Korean brushes for calligraphy and calligraphic arts like Sumi and CBP. This has been a fascinating series and Brian has been a superb guest.
@Joa Lingo Sorry, I know nothing about it but it sounds interesting.
That guy is definitely a 500 year old Vampire..
Lauren Middleton
Well duh! lol
Looks like Detlaff from The Witcher
@@Nick-hw4gd he kind of resembles Ted Cruz
He certainly has the look of a 1950's leading man. Very handsome. Could easily see him in a old black & white vampire movie.
lmao :)
Our money is still printed on rag bond, with a combination of cotton and linen fibers.
Is the green green?
My master's thesis was required to be printed on 100% cotton rag paper. I had to provide three copies for binding to the graduate college. It was expensive but the quality was definitely present. 😃
Really? Wow! What year was this? I had to present three copies, bound as well. But no mention of 100% cotton rag. Whew.
@@healinggrounds19 This was 1994 at Arizona State University, required by the Graduate College. The thesis was about 120 pages and I remember it was very expensive for the paper and the binding itself, but totally worth it! What year did you get your Master's? Are you also a Rocky Horror fan? 😁
Great episode. Mr. Allison is an excellent guest I really enjoyed this and will watch the other parts of the series
This whole writing series gets an A+ from me. Well done.
What a great interview! No idea why but something about this gentleman's voice just draws me in. I could hear him talk about paper for hours.
I love when your videos stray away from cooking. Don't get me wrong, i come for the cooking, but i stay for the whole snapshot of a time period. Very good video and very informative.
The trees used to make modern paper are hybrid poplar that are planted for the purpose. They grow amazingly quickly and are good for l for the soil too. Paper makers want uniform pulp that can only come from crop trees, not wild.
but the whole asian market used papers from southeastern asia, including australia, but today mainly from indonesia, incuding tree-pirates, who come to one of these thousand small islands in indonesia, cut down every tree on the island and bring the trees for good money to illegal companies in india, vietnam, siam, china etc.
most of the paper is shipped to japan. they use way to much paper in their society.
Exactly. They are not clear cutting virgin forests nor the rain forests to make typing paper, as many people would have us believe.
@@kathyyoung1774 half of all traded luber is going to china. they like tropical wood.
www.stevekemper.net/tree_thieves_71491.htm
Australian made paper is a mix of plantation pine and eucalyptus and have been for half a century. Only the imported stuff is made from anything else (and our bank notes are PET plastic).
@@allangibson8494 well some decades ago, like 1-2 you were the biggest exporter of wood as an industrial country. made a lot of enviroment problems of today, your white australia policy :D
I found this to be incredibly interesting. For years I carried a 2x3 notebook, I have been using my iPhone for the last couple of years. I decided to carry, in addition, a small field notebook of waterproof paper. Excellent video Jon and Brian. Best
I have to say Mr. Townsend that coat you're wearing is smashing.
*SMASHING*
*S L A M M I N'*
It is smashing. He looks great!
My father makes linen paper in his home in Portland Oregon. He used to run the Thompson Conservation laboratory and was in the business of restoring ancient things. (He even developed the case that the Magna Carta toured the US in 1986)
He specialized in 15th century bookbinding and even used to teach a class on 15th century book binding in Northern Idaho each summer.
What an enjoyable little sub-series. (Your whole channel is extremely enjoyable, BTW.) Thank you so much. 😊
I am actually blown away from the thoughtfulness and ingenuity of the Commonplace book, like the ancestor of the modern day planner book, just so incredible that they were that resourceful and inventive with their bookkeeping and journaling!
This series on historical writing is wonderful. I do so love your interview series. Thank you so much.
Absolutely loving the historical writing series. I use fountain pens exclusively and I’ve been using a dip pen more at home. After going to Mount Vernon and Montpelier this week with my daughter I bought a quill pen and I’ve been trying to find out more about the ink and paper. So when I accidentally found these I was thrilled!! And I checked a document I have from 1707 and sure enough..laid paper. I had no idea.
I never knew paper had ever been made from rags. That is fascinating! Thank you so much for this wonderful intro to paper!
One of my favorite videos of the channel already even as a newer fan, just because this guy both looks and sounds like he's gonna authorize my letter of marque to go after Captain Flint.
John this is absolutely fascinating. History is so very important to us all. Thanks to everyone involved in the making of Townsend. I truly enjoy every episode. Thanks to everyone who leaves comments too. Wonderful nuggets of information there as well.
Dryer lint makes a nice paper if you make your own
Wouldn't have thought about that, but it makes sense. It is essentially the rag-stock that would be turned into paper.
Show me
I tried this with my cub scout troop years ago. We made all kinds of different paper. The dryer lint paper was lumpy was pretty.
@@matthewpalmer9820 Agreed. I want to know how to make dryer-lint paper. :-)
fabulous trinity of shows. today, you can get rag content in photo papers...this show brings me back to my days as a printer and calligrapher. laid, wove, and vellum finish were coins of the realm. note, the animal skin surfaces were not impervious to problems including rot and bleed through, which kept monasteries, scriveners, and copyists busy for centuries. this was a fascinating series - thanks for this.
This series of videos was one of the best on your channel, and that's no easy feat!
So very humbled for you to freely share this on our UA-cam platform. May you be blessed
I love material history, and especially anything to do with writing. Please do more material history! Your channel's earliest videos were about stuff, and I'm glad to see you're going back to it.
I love how his videos aren't just plugging the products they sell; but actually informative and educational. 13 minutes of video, only one sentence about sales.
This channel is like a jewel. I always learn something when watching.
Brian's da man!!! Vast knowledge of a subject most folks pay little attention to. Wow. Thanks to John for bringing us this great information.
I’ve got a discharge order from the revolutionary war that’s about the size of a dollar bill, now I know why.
Brian is so knowledgeable. I love how he explains things.
I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Who knew papier was so fascinating.
As a paper-loving, older Graphic Designer... I loved learning about all this...now I understand why some paper stock is called linen and how water marks originated. Thankyou for this invaluable knowledge.
how interesting! I hope a video the papermaking process is in the works! Would love to see how parchment was made from skins
I know the topic is writing but... Any thoughts on butcher paper and other papers used in retail commerce to package everything from pork chops to medicinal powders purchased from a shop's bulk barrels, baskets, buckets, and bins? I assume envelopes and paper sacks came relatively late, replacing many a paper packet tied up with string. Paperboard pill boxes and the like even later.
Parchment and butcher's paper makes great waterproof maps and recipes since they don't run or fade that much.
They might have used waste paper for that at the time. Waste paper was certainly used that way later. In 19th century England street food was sold wrapped in old newspapers, and I recall a story about a music enthusiast finding a "lost" Beethoven concerto wrapped around his cheese.
Many great English plays were lost because Queen Elizabeth's minister of revelry at the time, Lord Warburton, had stacks of plays (unread) near the kitchen. Supposedly his cook helped himself to the free paper to line pie pans and cooking trays. That's what my theatre history professor at Oxford told us anyway.
@@healinggrounds19 we may have the cook to thank for saving us from some not so great plays also.
Arvid Frykman - Its not that long ago that British fish and chip shops wrapped portions in unsold newspapers too, until it became illegal in 1990 due to safety concerns. I can still remember the distinctive smell of the malt vinegar soaking into the newspaper, and it makes me hungry just imagining it
Tried to make paper as a child.
Failed miserably. I think I tried using cattails, because I lived in a swampy area and there was no papyrus on my continent.
i tried with saw dust when i was a kid. worst particle board ever made.
Cat tail paper is definitely possible you just need more bleaching and a stronger binder. Possibly sun bleach/dry it first for a few weeks after cooking so it can be turned in finer fibres for the paper
@@Lastburn definitely a good project for a kettle outdoors with a cam fire.
I made some laid paper using window screen but I cheated by mashing some regular paper.
@Patrick Ancona I think the biggest problem I had is I couldn't get the tails off the cats without my arms getting clawed to hell.
Another wonderful series from Townsend's! I never knew the history of paper and writing could be so interesting, but then again you and the people you interview could read a phone book and make it interesting!
Such a great guest and eloquent both videos I've watched letting the host close with a simple smile and nod. Extremely impressed!
A fascinating exploration of an oft-overlooked aspect of history! Remarkable that some historic documents may have their own hidden histories of the used clothing they could have been manufactured from, history on history. The different paper sizes and uses are a fantastic demonstration, and both hosts a pleasure to listen too. Brilliant topic!
The passion for our history on display in this channel is food for the soul. Thank you for another wonderful video Townsends
On average these vids are better than the many field trips I went to in school yrs ago, always educational. My mother's family came in the Mayflower, we've been here a long time. George Washington is a distant relative. Keep up the good work, always enjoy these vids. For your demographics, I'm 57, from northern NJ originally but in central Fl now.
Thanks for sharing. We need to invest in saving such rich heritage and traditions. Thank you again.
This 3-part series is perfect for introducing people to 18th Century writing! Thank you so much for taking the time to put this together, it's really fantastic. It's also great that you have many of the paper items for sale on your sight. I can't wait to get a "commonplace book."
Awesome! Thank you for sharing all of this and keeping this alive
Outstanding! Mr Allison grasp of the details impressed me. I appreciate his devotion to keeping this knowledge and practice alive.
Man I love this channel. There are seriously few resources in my life that truly make me grateful for the things in my day to day life. It's like going to the river and catching your fish, it makes it all the more nice the next time you are being lazy and order in food at home. It makes you grateful for the things that are easy in modern life, which I believe is crucial to enjoying every moment. I'm an engineer and use paper like a fiend, so it's awesome seeing something like this series where I've come to think that printers are one of, if not the most, important invention of mankind. Apart from computers themselves of course, printing itself is super taken for granted, but not even 100 years ago most of what was in print came from what we would consider today a painstaking process. Even though the world is moving towards paperless, we always need to stop and appreciate the extent that papermaking has brought us. Paper has brought us coordination between generations which is something that will always be true, even if a solar flare hits us and our electronics die.
I really like this mini-series. Very fun to watch!
Thank you for the information. I love the ambience, your clothes, decoration, everything.
This was so fascinating! Would love to see how they folded their correspondence paper into an "envelope" for mailing
There are some great step-by-step instructions online for folding sheets of paper into their won envelopes. If your interested. I would imagine that most of them are derived from, based off of, or inspired by ways that it would be done then.
I, too, would love to see a fourth video covering postage, envelopes, seals and stamps (I'm endlessly in love with wax seals, myself), waterproofing during transit (both mass and just a person carrying his documents), etc. That would be great.
@@scaper8 Thanks! I too love wax seals, use them any chance I get :)
More fascinating that anticipated. Well done again Townsends and guest
This has been such an great series and so educational. I shall have to check my ephemera collection to see what papers are in it?! I learned something new today as I thought the small paper booklets were called, "waist", paper because they were sized to fit in a waistcoat pocket. Seems I had the wrong waste/waist. ...ha ha ha... I have as part of my collection, my hubbies 3rd grt grandpa, Col. James Madison Gregg's diary, which dates a little later in the 1830's, and it is sized to fit in a waistcoat pocket. He carried it with him and kept daily notes, so it is well worn but very interesting. He was a Quaker and went often to meeting, helped with barn and house raising's, worked hauling logs and at a saw mill, and recorded local deaths. He became a country clerk, lawyer, and a United States Senator, from Danville, Hendricks co., Indiana, the later until right before the Civil War. He was a Colonel in the Home Guards during the Civil War, and a well respected citizen of Danville. I have never thought to check my papers to see what kind they are, so this should prove to be yet another interesting aspect of my collection. Thanks again for such a wonderful series. Brian seems very well versed and is exceedingly pleasing in his presentation. You look very sharp too! Have a great day!
I attended a camp at Traveler’s Rest for a few years when I was a child. Brian is one of the most gifted historians and Nashville is lucky to have him. One of his most impressive skills is getting kids, whom otherwise would not care about history, engaged and interested.
I still love history and I credit that almost exclusively to Brian. If you have his contact information, please let me know so I can thank him.
@1:05 *hands someone a piece of paper* "Here, you can you look at that"
Normal people: "Why would I want to look at that? It's just a piece of paper, don't be so boring."
We historians: "Ooo!" *Literally stares intently at it and turns it over multiple times*
I love the attire. Both of you gentlemen look very dapper. Green is a really good color for Townsend's. 👍
Great mini-series! Thank you all.
I am really enjoying this latest series of "real life" videos. Excellent work as always, and this answers so many questions for us. Thanks so much for all you do!
Ive worked in printing for 4 years now. So far ive only seen customers order animal skin once, plastic once, and gold leaf once. Outta all 3 of those the gold leaf one was the most expensive. The head of the company himself would actually want the waste after it was cut so theres no chance for anyone to take any.
Funny how You can buy paper of any kind. From GENUINE PARCHMENT/vellum, Papyrus, Cotton to Polyester, if you are willing to pay. Some things just never die.
I'm so old I can remember stationary stores that sold vellum, parchment, and sealing wax! It was a wonderful time when love letters were perfumed and not a text message!
Those stores still exist but are harder to find.
We are coming to visit Jas Townsend in Son this coming Friday.
We both love the these videos.
My husband asked me if I am learning new things from these videos. Frankly, not much. I grew up reenacting. This is cool and it feels like my childhood. It's normalize for me. Then I was stunned this is based out of Indiana where I grew up and it all made sense to me. I even laughed at the candle making video because I never used anything but wax, string, heat, stick, and time. These are 100% amazing.
I love this channel but this is, by far, the most interesting episode today. thank you for all the research and time taken to follow these dying topics.
Thanks, guys, for a great series! I'll join those who commented before me, in saying that this has been one of my favourite sets.
I know it's a much more involved shoot, but I'd love to see some videos on the "how" of paper-making - reed paper, parchment, linen, etc.
I've heard it said (anecdotally) that settlers here in southern Ontario, Canada even used the abundant cottonwood seeds as a substitute, since it was already fluffy and inexpensive. It was easy to make the downy seeds into a paper slurry. However, each seed also had a little seed-pod attached, and these made "pips" that would catch the nib and make a mess - thus ruining the popularity of the product.
He is probably my favortie guest!
As a writing nerd, I've enjoyed these videos tremendously!
This was my favorite set of videos. Outstanding history, and very interesting. Thank you both.
Once the world returns to normal, can we please have Brian back?! He’s wonderful! A fountain of knowledge!
We forget how difficult life was just a couple of hundred years ago. Thanks for sharing. Keep history alive👍
That was so interesting. Brian Allison sure knows historical writing and everything you needed to do it.
I do watercolor paintings, and the paper I use is a brand called Arches. Its 100% cotton, and yes, it is crazy expensive. About $25 for 12 sheets if you buy it at the art store, but it's a little cheaper if you order online. Worth every penny though because its a dream to paint on.
Dwight Schrute approves of this video! Great series!!!
This series has been so cool! Will you pretty please continue it? Would love to see more in cheap books & a historical handwriting lesson would be awesome!
As usual, you present something that I had no idea would be so interesting!
Wonderful content. I've watched all 3 parts and found them to be extraordinary. Well done. I found these by my interest in making quill pens.
This is all quite fascinating! Thank you both!
There are some smaller papermakers producing HEMP papers in the US.
I love the texture and smell of the vintage books I've owned.
One printed in 1790 (or so) is a history of Greece with a map insert! It's in storage...
Lovely laid paper with a tactile as well as visual texture, you can feel the imprint of the text on the lined surface...
I once handled a small treatise on Natural Physics written in Latin - printers date was in the mid 1600s (1646 is the number I remember). I found that one in a file folder of a some estate papers I was sorting and archiving... It ALMOST got thrown away because there was so much trash with the valuable papers. I gave it the the heirs and stressed the value of the item after they just left it on the dining table for a week - and he stashed it in his underwear drawer. The paper it was printed on was laid - very fine - but the pages used in the binding process had been cannibalized from liturgical texts that were not printed, but hand inked in two colors and most likely parchment.
You can find 100% cotton content papers even in office supply stores here in Canada - look for "resume paper". The fancier ones make quite a show of just how much cotton content they have.
Linen rag content is more difficult, but you can find flaxseed paper which is skipping the rag part, out of for eg St Armand in quebec.
I would love to see you continue this series on Historical Writing. I'd be interested in seeing you do videos on printing presses, 18th Century newspapers, and book-binding.
Brilliant work! Brilliant series! Important. So Interesting. Thanks Jon. THANKS BRIAN.
Fantastic series! Thanks so much for putting this together.
Any information on writing slopes? I’m guessing they were the equivalent to today’s laptops. I have one that I use with our re-enactment group. I sign up children at events that we participate at. The contracts we do up are on a parchment-like paper and are exact copies from the North West Company, out of Montreal. I use a quill pen with some success; to sign them up. This writing slope that I use has ink bottles, quills, pouce,, fine sand, paper and contracts. It also has a hidden compartment!
I was surprised that they handled the old papers without protecting them a little bit...thank you so much for the very interesting video! Best wishes!
Maybe he uses the paper so children,adults can experience what the different types of paper felt like?
This developing series is OUTSTANDING ...easy to understand and DEMONSTRATED so
us visual learners will understand it to..8)
You gentlemen honestly are so cute!! I especially liked the notebook at the end where you can index your own notes and quotes. Good tip about the charcoal paper!
I remember making paper as a project back in grade school, I use the term "making" loosely as we got our pulp by shredding construction paper and soaking it, but we did lay it across a screen and let it dry. So while we cheated a bit some of the process was apparently pretty accurate.
I use a tiny A6 cheap book! It's tremendously useful for writing down stuff you know you'll forget, and was so cheaply made you can just rip the pages out with no effort, so you can leave notes to other people or write out addresses and give them.
Historical tidbit on the A paper series used now in most of the world: it was fairly recent (a few papermakers invented in in the 18th century, but it's only in the 20th century it got widespread), and the idea was to go as close as possible to the golden number in the proportions, while keeping the same proportions when you cut it in two. Previous papers tended to be more vertical as it was closer to that golden rule.
These have been extremely interesting. Loved the quill pen making one. My college diploma is on vellum parchment.
Cutting down trees for paper is not a sad thing. Soft wood is grown in plantations. When you buy wood to build a house or buy paper you're also paying for those plantations to be replenished.
Last I saw there were a few tree farms out here in Oregon that specifically raise fast growing species of trees for paper production. I have no idea how profitable it is but it seems like they wouldn't be too difficult of a crop to manage.
Well I think his point was when they first started using trees for paper they would just chop down with no regard for replenishing and such it was all use no putback which made it sad to see entire forests disappear for paper along with various other things.
There really isn't any part of a tree that isn't useful, waste material during production processes like cutoffs and even sawdust or bark gets made into something. Fiberboard, landscaping mulch, furnace pellets... the Kingsford charcoal company was founded as a means of using the leftover wood from the Ford car factory.
@@C-Henry There are some pulp farms in the NW. A lot of paper comes from pine swamp plantations in the SE. LP owns all of the ones I have seen in both places. You can smell the pulp Mill East of Vancouver WA as well.
@@Cinomod6066 -- I live in Michigan, which was the big supplier of wood for the continent until a series of forest fires took down the virgin timber. The main use was for shipbuilding, followed by construction and finally furniture. The port city I live in had many mills (my great-grandfather and his brother both got jobs at one mill when they arrived here from Germany in 1880). It was very hard work, and wore a man down quickly, so most only lasted a year on average. No part of the wood was wasted -- there was a use for every bit, even the sawdust. Even without the forest fires, they eventually would have torn through the virgin forest at the rate they were going, but if all they were making was paper, there's no way they would have deforested the land.
What a wonderful video in a wonderful series. I used to work with professional printers, who use the folding and sizes to create standard size printing papers. For instance, in magazine printing, they would often use a 22X34 inch sheet (or nominally larger for trimming), which would then be folded in half twice, so that the resultant page was 8 1/2 X 11 inches or standard magazine size. The nice thing was that this was all proportional, so that I could fold a standard 8.5X11 sheet down and number the pages for a mockup to plan the publication. In Europe, they use a similar standardized system measured in millimeters.
I learned about, and became entranced with, Commonplace books from reading about Thomas Jefferson. He was an inveterate collector of quotes and wisdom, which he kept in his commonplace books. At one point, he cut up a Bible and pasted the teachings of Jesus into a similar book, because he considered the words of Jesus to be of the highest wisdom, uncorrupted by the clergy, whom he did not trust.
This all makes me wonder about the origins of the "chapbook, which was a small, bound blank book, made of inexpensive paper, or leftovers, as you mention. I wonder if the name is a corruption of "cheap book' perhaps?
I've loved your videos since I discovered them, and this series contains some of your best. Keep up the good work.
we became a lot smarter by viewing these wonderful programs , we are glad we fell upon them .
Amazing video! Thanks for putting these together
Love these videos. I love learning about how things were done throughout history, and this UA-cam channels makes it entertaining for sure. :)
I can’t believe how fascinating this is. Great video, thank you 😊
This was fascinating. I tried hand making some paper and marbling some. So much craftsmanship involved.