Max Thill and I (Donald Farnsworth, aka Aldo) are investigating flaws and distinctive features in early European handmade papers for an upcoming edition (40 volumes). The book will consist of handmade examples of each flaw, along with an explanation of what the flaw is and how it was made, all bound together.

We think of this project as forensic papermaking: studying old sheets, looking for clues, unlearning some of our good papermaking habits, and trying to recreate what we have seen in the sorting room, the beater room, at the vat, on the mould and felts, in the press, the sizing tub, and in the drying loft.

If you recognize any of these features, have thoughts about how they may have been created, or happen to have a collection of old paper that includes a sheet with a particularly interesting or fantastic feature, we would love to hear from you.

All photographs are with transmitted light unless otherwise noted.

Measurements shown are in centimeters.

Click to enlarge.