Dard Hunter (1883–1966)

A classic. Slightly dated at this point, and the photographs haven't reproduced well in the reprint edition I read, but Hunter's text remains the must-read for papermaking history. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, and the 120-page chronology at the back is a great addition to the text.

Dard Hunter’s Papermaking is the landmark text on the practice and history of turning wood pulp into a woven, writable surface. He traces the history of paper from its invention by the Chinese eunuch Ts’ai Lun in 105 CE to the current industry of worldwide production and consumption. Hunter is probably the only person to make a career out of hunting every available source on the history of paper and this book represents the culmination of all that research. He covers the science of show more choosing the right plant material, the history of printing presses and their use of paper materials, and the progression of industrial machines used in the making of paper products. Also included is the history of paper watermarking and its role in company identification, forgeries, and counterfeiting. While the text can be a little dry and tedious, there are plenty of illustrations to move the reader through the history. If you ever had a question about the world history of papermaking, this book will answer them without fail. show less

Dard Hunter was probably the world's foremost authority on paper and papermaking. This is the classic text, lavishly illustrated, by an ardent proponent of the craft of papermaking. The history, the methods, the beauty of papermaking.

This is copy #69 of a limited edition of 200. Dard Hunter's dream was to go to a tropical island and create a book using only native materials to fashion the paper, ink, type, etc. Gift of Esther Beamer in 1989. (Book listed for $6.50 and $12.50 in 1977, $55 in 1983) [tkk/76]