History

A Brief History of Paper Making

     The history of paper making is slightly elusive and the some details regarding materials, dates, and its travel around the world are unknown. However, it is know that the first paper-like writing substance was made in ancient Egypt out of Papyrus. Very thin strips were cut from the core of the plant and then pressed together. (The History of Paper & How It Is Made - Strathmore Artist Papers). Many people think of papyrus as paper, yet it is not true paper. 

     The actual paper making process originated in China in 105 AD by Ts'ai Lun. This paper was originally made in a porous mold with vegetable fiber and then evolved to combinations of cloth, tree bark, hemp, china grass, etc. In 686 AD paper was mainly used for religious pictures (History of Paper).

     It took many years for paper to travel around the world. In fact, it took nearly 1000 years to find its way to Europe. The Arab world had a big role in this transfer of ideas. Many cultures developed their own variations of the Chinese paper by making use of new materials and developing new techniques.

     It's speculated that the first paper mill was created in Baghdad, and both Spain and Italy claim to be the first Europeans to manufacture paper (History of Paper). It is known, however, that the first paper making machine was conceptualized in 1789 by Nicolas Louis Robert of France and developed in 1803 (The History of Paper & How It Is Made - Strathmore Artist Papers). Below you will find an image to help illustrate the travel of paper around the world. 

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References

History of Paper. http://users.stlcc.edu/nfuller/paper/. Accessed 26 Apr. 2020.

The History of Paper & How It Is Made - Strathmore Artist Papers. https://www.strathmoreartist.com/blog-reader/the-history-of-paper-how-paper-is-made.html. Accessed 26 Apr. 2020.