Chronology of the Origin and Progress of Paper and Paper-Making

Chronology of the origin and progress of paper and paper-making – is a work which was written by Joel Munsell, a United States author, printer and publisher of 19th century. This is the fifth edition with additions published in 1876. This book, as its title suggests, focuses on paper, the chronology of its origins and production. In the production of all types of paper, whether from tree bark or other fibrous material or from rags, the general process is the same. The fibrous material is cut and ground in water until it separates into thin and short fibers and becomes a kind of pulp. This pulp is coated with a thin and uniform layer of wire cloth or the like, which allows the water to drain, but retains the fibrous substance, the fibers of which, during the reduction to cellulose and subsequent drying and pressing, are so intertwined and fitted together that they cannot be split without tearing and thus form paper. But papermaking, while an interesting process, is difficult to describe coherently. In the paper "Paper," Appleton's American Cyclopedia discusses this whole topic briefly but comprehensively. Much like the art of printing, papermaking has undergone amazing changes over the past half century, requiring tremendous energy from steam and water, as well as bulky machines that consume the basic necessities of the world's population and now require a different material to consume to keep up with the demand for their fabrics. In less than half a century, machines have completely supplanted the tiny hand mills that were scattered across the country, and giant factories have sprung up in their place. Paper mill villages and even banking institutions have grown out of this thriving industrial arts industry.