What would we do if we did not have paper? Our world would certainly be different. Writing material, in some form, has existed for thousands of years. Humanity's thoughts and emotions have been communicated and stored as a recorded image for posterity's sake for centuries.

Papyrus was the chosen material for some early civilizations, like the early Egyptians. Papyrus is not an actual form of paper, but was created using layers of the plant. The papyrus plant stalk would be cut into long strips and overlapped, then a second layer would be added in a perpendicular direction. Once this process had been completed the two layers would be pounded together creating a sheet for writing upon. Aboriginal civilizations of Mexico created a similar type of writing surface using the inner bark of trees and plants. By overlapping the pieces of material then pounding them flat they created an ideal pre-paper writing surface.

Over many centuries various forms of materials have been utilized for writing surfaces. Ancient Babylonians carved into clay bricks using tools made of bone. Brass, bronze and copper were used in recorded history. Parchment, created from goat and sheepskin, was an additional writing surface. It was used widely in early European times.

Paper is widely credited to a Chinese eunuch Ts'ai Lun. His involvement dates back to approximately 105 AD. Although the technique was considered a very highly regarded secret, the process was known along the silk and trade routes reaching into Japan by 615 AD. The papermaking process had reached Europe by the mid 1100's and the first English paper mill was up and running around 1488. A German immigrant, William Rittenhouse, brought papermaking to the United States in 1690. Nicholas Louis Robert invented a papermaking machine in France around 1798 but the Fourdrinier brothers created a perfected machine in England during the early 1800's. Hand papermaking was no longer considered necessary with the new creation of the Fourdrinier brothers.

A resurgence in popularity of hand papermaking occurred during the 1960's and 1970's when artists would use the paper pulp for sculpting and for painting. Some of these well-known artists included Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, and David Hockney. Ellsworth Kelly was known for his 'shaped canvases'. Frank Stella was known for his paper pulp relief technique, accented by hand colored pulp using dry pigments and dyes.

To this day, hobbyists and entrepreneurs alike enjoy papermaking. Handmade paper has been transformed into specialty stationery, three dimensional art, jewelry and books. The diverse variations available in hand made paper items are credited with the insertion of unique textures, colors and embellishments. With the addition of glitter, grasses, flowers, dyes, threads and pressed shapes the possibilities are endless. Papermaking is a tradition that has not gone out of style for several millennia.

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