Volume 2, Number 3
Aug 1989

News

British Association Of Paper Historians

The inaugural meeting of the BAPH was held at Wiggins Teape Research and Development Ltd., on February 4, 1989. Thirty-five people attended. The chair was taken by Dr. Richard Hills, who addressed the audience on the idea of founding a UK Group of the International Association of Paper Historians (IPH) as had been proposed at the 19th Congress of the IPH, held last September in Durham and Hartford. Several people spoke from the floor and the response was overwhelmingly favorable.

Dr. Hills spoke on the various types of active research going an throughout Europe in the way of reconstruction projects.

Further information from Jenny Hudson, Secretary, British Association of Paper Historians, c/o Wiggins Teape Research and Development Ltd, Butler's Court, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, HP9 1RT, UK. [From Paper Conservation News, June 1989.1

Pfizer Is Busy, But Not That Busy

Pfizer, Inc., is the world's largest builder of precipitated calcium carbonate plants, a business that is booming right now because mills that are converting to alkaline papermaking prefer to make their own carbonate in an onsite plant, usually. This makes the number of Pfizer contracts into an index of future conversions, of sorts. There are nine operational plants, and five in the works, for a total of 14--not 30, as rumor has had it.

Mystery Of Life

Jan Merrill-Oldham sent in a clipping from the "Metropolitan Diary" column of the New York Times a month or two ago, with an asterisk by the following anecdote:

A friend writes:

Before my 6-year-old girl was to enter public school, I attempted to enlighten her about the birds and bees. "I want to tell you something," I started. "It's not the stork that brings the babies."

"Ha," she said. "I've known that a long than." "Is there anything more that you want to know?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "How do you make paper?"

The Western Rim Of The Pacific

Information about the availability of alkaline papers in the Far East (now known as the Western Rim) is very scarce in this country, but here is one publisher's experience. Tish O'Connor, of Perpetua Press (4237 Newdale Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90027), has her books printed in Japan, and bas been wondering what kind of paper was available to the printer there. She wanted alkaline, but was fairly sure the printer would not know which of the available papers were alkaline, so she sent him a pH pen. Last month he sent her the results, and she reports, "Our samples on New Age, U-lite, and Top Kote all passed the 'pen' test. Six books we produced in Hong Kong in the last three years likewise passed, so acid-free papers are available there. Not one Korean sample passed my test. Since so many art books are produced in Asia, this information will be of interest to many publishers."

The American office, DNP (America), Inc., inquired in Tokyo and was told that the following papers are acid-free:

1. OK Coat - Standard glossy coated
2. OK Royal Coat - Dull coated
3. New Age - Matte coated
4. Mitsubishi Art - High glossy coated
5. White Pearl Kote - High glossy coated
6. U-Lite - Matte coated