Cleaning out old historic papers from the lab closet inspired me to investigate finding a reference material that I enjoyed using at other institutions: the Print Council of America Paper Sample Book. A Practical Guide to the Description of Paper, by Roy Perkinson and Elizabeth Lunning, Boston 1996.
While there are many fine art applications, this book is used in the field of paper conservation when describing papers in an examination report. The reason for this is to establish a visual standard since descriptors can be quite subjective. Cream, beige and light brown to one person could be perceived as opposites to another. However, using this booklet, a large range of colors, textures and thicknesses are definitive and straightforward to select when comparing the samples to the object in person.
I first gained experience using the reference in graduate school and thought it could be a valuable resource for the Preservation Lab, especially for staff and students learning to examine objects for the first time. However, I was under the impression it was out of print because the booklet was created by the Print Council of America a few decades ago and contains a limited number of hand cut paper samples. With the lab’s newly found historic paper samples in mind, I emailed the Print Council Of America to seek permission to create a facsimile. Lo and behold, I was thrilled to learn the books were still for sale and no boot-legging necessary!
Ours arrived just this week and I’m excited to share the tri-fold booklet below! Paper colors are defined on the left, thicknesses outlined in the center, and textures displayed on the right.
How to use:
When describing a paper object (or text block) in the description section of the treatment report, I will now reference this booklet to describe the color, texture and thickness using this terminology. Colors include: Light blue, blued white (which looks gray to me!), bright white, white, cream (1), cream (2), cream (3), beige (2), and brown. There are seven types of thickness and nine types of textures to select for comparison ranging from very smooth to rough (3). The accompanying pamphlet has great information to further define the terms, including a measurement chart for the paper thickness (should you prefer using a micrometer), and provenance of all the sample papers.
Let’s use the booklet to describe a handwritten note by Abraham Lincoln from 1864, owned by the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library:
Before having my hands on the booklet, I would have described the object as follows: The manuscript is handwritten with brown iron gall ink on a light beige handmade laid paper. Comparing the object to the Print Council of America sample book, the manuscript could be better described as:
…a manuscript handwritten in brown iron gall ink on a cream (1)…
…a manuscript handwritten in brown iron gall ink on a cream (1), medium (2) thick…
… a manuscript handwritten in brown iron gall ink on a cream (1), medium (2) thick, smooth, handmade laid paper.
Much improved from my initial description that indicated the color was light beige!
When using this booklet as a reference for reports or surveys, at the bottom of the report, I’ll begin adding a footnote that says, “[1] All paper descriptions by comparison with Print Council of America’s Paper Sample Book (Roy Perkinson and Elizabeth Lunning, 1996). This will allow other conservators and practitioners familiar with the book to have a point of reference when reading my report, even on the other side of the country! In the future, this can also help in identifying shifts in paper tone caused by aging paper.
Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer – Lab Co-Manager, Rare Book and Paper Conservator
