What Kind Of Paper Was Used In 18Th Century For Everyday Letter Writing?

[eharriett]

Trying to find this answer and google keeps saying Parchment, but I know that isnt right. Im doing a lot of study on American history right now and Im trying to figure it out. What kind of paper did people use to send letters to others? I know it was usually fairly thin, to make it cheaper and easier to mail, but I know nothing else. Can someone help? Thanks.

[Studio97]

From what I read paper in the 1700s was mostly made of recycled cotton rags and linen. How they recycled it and what they mixed in it I don't know.

 

They made "slick" papers for print making in books and for art media, and different paper for printing books and then a,different paper for writing letters. There were probably as many papers made as ideas and materials were available at any given place and time.

 

 

And I suspect that the deteriorated Catechism I have from the 1600s was probably made from cloth. What really gets me is how did they ever create the print type to print unbelievably tiny letters? You can see examples in the photos in the thread about Notes in Books here in fpn..

Edited August 7, 2018 by Studio97

[JakobS]

Everyday letter writing in the 18th century was really the realm of the well to do as postage to mail letters no matter the weight was quite costly. Only until the mid 19th century, in the U.S. at least, did the price become more reasonable for a wider variety of people to use the postal system to communicate as had become familiar to society by the mid 20th century. A high rate of Illiteracy was also an issue amongst the wider population, not only for those who wished to send a letter being unable to write one, but for the receiver to be able to read what was sent to them..

 

So I would also assume a quality paper from cotton or linen would be a popular choice, parchment or vellum could of certainly been used for more important documents sent through the mail, or hand delivered by courier.....

Edited August 7, 2018 by JakobS

[bitterwonder]

Probably rag laid paper, thin and tough.

Or a wove.

[Karmachanic]

https://georgianera.wordpress.com/2017/04/18/18th-century-paper-and-snuff-box-making/

http://paper.lib.uiowa.edu/european.php

[ParramattaPaul]

On the trivia side of this, I remember reading in an article on document preservation some decades ago that the way paper was made changed circa 1850 with newer papers being more acidic. The more acidic paper deteriorates more rapidly.

 

This article offers some information: http://conservatree.org/learn/Papermaking/History.shtml

[77kath]

Actually, 18th century paper for letters is pretty thick and sturdy. Weight was a factor in paper for bibles.

[eharriett]

I was continuing my search through the internets and someone (blog, so take with grain of salt) suggested the Old Crown Mill pure cotton paper was as close to original Colonial common paper as we are going to get today. Goulet and Vanness both offer it but it is out of stock on both. Any ideas as to validity?

[JakobS]

Old Crown Mill makes a cotton paper, a laid paper, and a smooth paper that you don't see too much of in the US at least. I would imagine since the company was founded in 1870 that some 19th century technology and know how was put into their paper manufacture, but it is a quality of paper that wouldn't be out of place in the 18th century, G. Lalo produces a similar laid paper, perhaps a bit thicker as I tend to have a little more bleed/see through with the Original Crown Mill variety than the G. Lalo. The Orginal Crown Mill cotton paper is quite nice overall...

 

The company does tend to sell the laid paper as a replica of a 15th century paper made for the Belgium royalty of the time....

 

You can also get it at Jetpens....

Edited August 14, 2018 by JakobS

[ParramattaPaul]

Alternalely, you could make your own paper. The link below is to a You-Tube video that explains, and demonstrates how to do it. One note: He uses a plastic sheet that leave a noticable texture to one, the back, side of the product, however, I've seen silk used which gives a smoother texture, but will take longer to dry.

 

Link: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+make+paper+from+cotton&qpvt=how+to+make+paper+from+cotton&view=detail&mid=4D59794D3D7C3F2CB5DC4D59794D3D7C3F2CB5DC&&FORM=VRDGAR

 

Have fun!

[eharriett]

Oh good lord! Making paper is waaaay beyond what I wanna do

 

Thanks JakobS, I completely forgot about Jetpens. I found it there instantly. The only guys that seem to have it in stock right now. So now I just have to decide if I want the cotton or the laid.

[JakobS]

Oh good lord! Making paper is waaaay beyond what I wanna do

 

Thanks JakobS, I completely forgot about Jetpens. I found it there instantly. The only guys that seem to have it in stock right now. So now I just have to decide if I want the cotton or the laid.

 

 

I got both.....

 

I am seriously thinking about making my own paper too....

 

This rabbit hole is awfully long......

[Karmachanic]

Oh good lord! Making paper is waaaay beyond what I wanna do

 

Thanks JakobS, I completely forgot about Jetpens. I found it there instantly. The only guys that seem to have it in stock right now. So now I just have to decide if I want the cotton or the laid.

 

Laid would fit the time period of your interest.

[eharriett]

 

Laid would fit the time period of your interest.

I'd not heard of "laid" and it isn't mentioned in the description of what it is. Just says that was the 1600's style paper. That what carried through and was used for everyday writing in Colonial America?

[Karmachanic]

I was refering to Crown Mill, as you were in the quote below.

 

Laid paper was commonly used from the Renaissance up to 19th C. Wove (smooth) paper did not appear until the mid 18th C in England.

 

Oh good lord! Making paper is waaaay beyond what I wanna do

 

Thanks JakobS, I completely forgot about Jetpens. I found it there instantly. The only guys that seem to have it in stock right now. So now I just have to decide if I want the cotton or the laid.

Edited August 14, 2018 by Karmachanic

[ParramattaPaul]

I'd not heard of "laid" and it isn't mentioned in the description of what it is. Just says that was the 1600's style paper. That what carried through and was used for everyday writing in Colonial America?

Undoubtably, what was used in Europe in the 1600 would have also been used in the colonies.

Edited August 15, 2018 by ParramattaPaul

[ParramattaPaul]

'Laid paper', courtesy of Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laid_paper

[inkstainedruth]

A number of years ago my husband and I went to Colonial Williamsburg, and at one point we wandered just outside the historic area because there was was a crafts show going on. We got talking to a woman who did handmade paper and she said that she had taken a paper making demo in the historic area's print shop once. But the person who ran the print shop was not *allowed* to make good quality paper -- *good* paper in the 18th century was made in England and imported into the colonies.

I didn't realize at the time, but something like 300 ships docked at the port of Richmond (roughly 20 miles from Williamsburg) every year in the colonial period. So less hard to get things there than I had imagined. Plus, the Americas had the raw materials, but England had cheap labor.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[JakobS]

Here is a little bit more history on wove vs. laid paper in the US:

 

https://bookbindersmuseum.org/a-brief-history-of-wove-paper/

 

It looks like wove paper was used in the late 18th century in the US by a small group of people, but didn't take off really until the early 19th century.

 

Overall, because of how the postal system was formed in US in the 18th century, a diversity of paper types and weights would not be surprising, as much of the mail was dropped off and picked up at inns or stores, or from ships which would advertise in newspapers/ notices the names of those whose mail was available to be picked up. Also, most mail was not paid through stamps by the sender, but on delivery or pickup by the receiver, who could also reject acceptance if they did not want to pay for it. It's was a bit chaotic of a system until the 19th century when stamps became the standard way to pay for mail and the government had a greater control over delivery.

Edited August 16, 2018 by JakobS

[5thhistorian]

Having handled a lot of letters and other documents from the 1780s-1820s in my research, I can tell you that it was basically a fairly smooth, cotton fiber laid paper. Local newspapers such as the Franklinton Freeman's Chronicle of 1813 constantly advertised to buy old rags, which they needed for the papers as well as for job printing, bookbinding and other businesses they usually did out of the same shop. The G Lalo laid paper is okay, but a bit rough on one side, which gives me trouble for writing with fountain pens or dip nibs, and would certainly have been trouble for that era's goose quill pens. The original stuff definitely had the grid texture left by the wire sieve on one side.