Papermaking: A Global Cultural Revolution
Made of papyrus, then made of rags, and finally made with wood, paper has evolved with human needs and development.
BRIT Collections
Botanical Research Institute of Texas | Fort Worth Botanic Garden
Plant specimen (2008-12-11) by 健ちゃんBRIT Collections
Ask nearly any schoolchild where paper comes from, and you will receive a resounding answer of “Trees!” But making paper from trees is a fairly new concept and wasn’t common until the mid 19th Century.
The first paper-like product was made of papyrus in Egypt, circa 4th Century B.C., made of the sedge plant Cyperus papyrus. Papyrus plants grow around 12 feet tall and has thick stalks surrounding a pith.
The pith was cut into long, thin strips, and laid in two perpendicular layers. These pieces were pressed together and then dried in the hot sun, after which it was ready to be written upon with ink.
Cyperus papyrus
The papyrus plant no longer grows in the Egyptian Nile Valley, but historians believe it was commonly found there during ancient times.
Chinese papermaking
The first record of paper that can truly be compared to modern paper was made in China in 105 A.D. This paper was made out of finely ground material - likely mulberry tree bark, hemp, and rags - mashed into a pulp, mixed with water, shaped flat, and dried in the sun.
Paper-making became a bustling industry in Europe starting in the 15th Century, due in part to the invention of the Gutenberg printing press. The initial Gutenberg bibles were printed on parchment, which was made of sheep or goat skin. With this new technology books could be printed at a much faster rate, and a more sustainable material was needed. Thus Europeans began making paper from finely chopped linen or cotton rags, mixed with water and pressed into a mesh mold for shape.
Making paper by hand in Europe
As had happened with the animal parchment, paper made with rags led to a shortage of available material in the 18th Century. Countries in Europe even passed laws forbidding rags be taken out of the country, causing a lucrative smuggling business!
Plant specimenBRIT Collections
Throughout Europe & US, organizations held contests to search for new material from which to make paper. Papers made of various materials all failed until groundwood pulp was introduced. Paper made from trees proved to be the most affordable, easiest to produce, & most reliable.
New technology led to the development of groundwood pulp mills and papermaking factories, quickly revolutionizing the paper business.
Paper became inexpensive and widely available, having a large impact on society. Reading and owning books was once a prestigious and expensive hobby, but it became attainable to the middle class. The influx of paper also meant people could easily keep their own diaries and write letters. Most of all, newspaper was widely available. Society could be more informed and more connected than ever!
Plant specimen woodBRIT Collections
Wood was more sustainable and less expensive than cotton or linen rags, however trees are not an unlimited resource. Today much paper is made from recycled material. Fibers from recycled paper can be used 5 to 7 times for making new paper or cardboard products.
Recycled paper is loaded into a pulper, where it is ground into small pieces. These pieces are formed into new sheets of paper or mixed with fresh wood pulp to make new paper.
Papermaking sparked a global cultural revolution by making it easier for people to share and access information. This simple invention helped spread ideas, boost education, and connect different cultures in ways that changed societies forever.
Papermaking: A Global Cultural Revolution
Story created by Alyssa Kosyaem, Philecology Herbarium, Botanical Research Institute of Texas and Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
References:
American Forest & Paper Association. The History of Paper. 2021. https://www.afandpa.org/news/2021/history-paper
American Forest & Paper Association. Recycling. https://www.afandpa.org/priorities/recycling
Capua, R. Papyrus-Making in Egypt. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2015. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pyma/hd_pyma.htm#:~:text=Excavators%20of%20a%20tomb%20at,around%20the%20eighth%20century%20A.D.
Gaskell, P. A New Introduction to Bibliography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1995.
Kinsella, S. The History of Paper. Conservatree. 1990. http://www.conservatree.org/learn/Papermaking/History.shtml
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