Plan
1 Start with the translation of Pliny's Book 13 on the types of paper and paper making. Paper being used as a general term to refer to the material used to write upon.
2 Touch on the techniques for papyrus, parchment then paper from cellulose.
3 Add the material from the oldest paper mill in Europe and the invention of the water mark.
4 Complement with material from the Korean village and the ancient paper making hut - find photos.
5 Dip pens - material from the Pen Room
6 Fountain pens - just the work principle and few classical examples.
7 New ink engine for state of the art fountain pen
"Of the various materials which have been used within the memory of man to receive writing, there are three, viz. papyrus, vellum and paper, and which, from their greater abundance and convenience, have, each in its turn, displaced all others." E.M. Thompson, An Introduction to Greek and Latin Palaeography, Ch.II, p.8., Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1912.
It is well known that in the absence of ordinary writing material, people will ingeniously look for whatever substitute they can procure, even if not always perfect. How many of you know a friend or relative who uses a roll of decorating paper to write their family geanology on the pasting side? This was also true in ancient times and we have both literary and archeological evidence about the use of several other soft materials used to receive writing:
Leaves
Bark
Liber
Stones
Clay and Pottery
Walls
Precious metals
Lead
Bronze
Wood
Waxed tablets
Papyrus
Skins
Paper
Leaves
The practice of using leaves from palm trees, olive trees and bay leaves is well documented. Pliny the Elder in Nat. Hist. XIII, 11 mentions "Antea non fuisse chartarum usum, in palmarum foliis primo scriptitatum, deinde quarundam arborum libris." The translation is left as an exercise! If you've completed Part 1 of the Latin lessons you should not find it difficult to translate this testimony of the use of palm leaves, and as you will see further below, of the tree-bark and the next inner layer which is called to this day "liber" (nom.) or "libro" in the ablative singular. The only help you will need is the verb "fuisse"; this is the perfect infinitive of the verb "sum" and you would translate it as "to have been", e.g.: before there had been the usage of paper..." In modern English you would just translate it as, "before the usage of paper...". or "before paper came to be used..."
Other evidence is found in ancient Greek texts where reference is made to the practice of petalismos in Syracuse, Sicily, during a voting session for ostracism. Petalismos in Greek is written thus, "πεταλισμός" and refers to the use of olive leaves on which to write the name of the person whom the city wanted to ostracize for a period of 10 years. Here is a testimonial quotation:"Soon after Hieron's death in 466BC, Syracuse regained its democratic freedom but had lost her empire. The democracy operated as an assembly (βουλευτήριον- bouleyterion) and the annual generals (στρατεγοι-strategoi) were elected to govern the state. For a short time petalismos was implemented to control the abuse of power. In 412 BC, after Athen's defeat, democracy became again more established until the tyranny of Dionysius I, though he did preserve its assembly and constitution." A similar practice existed in Athens and was called 'Εκφυλλοφορία. [rem: cross check this last term]
Bark