Papermaking apprentice's notebook

This notebook belonged to an English papermaking apprentice in the 1890s and contains instructions and recipes for making paper as well as poetry.

This notebook is a small, leather-bound volume with autograph instructions and recipes for making paper. There is a seal on the front endpaper that with the words "From Wilson and Witworth, Printers, Bookbinders, & Stationers; High St., Grays."

The front of the volume contains tables of paper sizes with weights converted from pounds to imperial measurements. The tables are followed by mathematical problems used to calculate paper production. The majority of the volume contains general notes on the papermaking process as well as recipes for making particular types and colors of papers. Some sections include "The Wire," "Marking edges on Paper," "Press Rolls," "Boiling Esparto," "Preparation of Lime + Soda Ash," "Bleach Test," "Preparation of the Gelatine," "Blotting Paper," and "A Rule to Figure Production."

The back of the volume contains several poems of a humorous or inspirational nature. It is not clear if they are original or copied. There are also two addresses in England and a page headed "Hearts of Oak proposed members."