One of those “down-the-road” classes I’d like to teach is how to make paper. This is simple enough to do, but the several days it takes to dry the newly made sheet of paper precludes using a borrowed facility (like the local library meeting room)! Once Medieval Living has its own facility (whether temporary or permanent doesn’t matter), we can begin running some classes on paper making. It’s a fun project and it has true “cross-curricular” applications.
So how did paper begin? From what I’ve read, we have the Chinese to thank for that! A website from the Saint Louis Community College has a very nice history of paper making. Dr. Neathery Batsell Fuller has posted a “Brief History of Paper”. (I gather from her biographical sketch on her webpage that she is also a member of the SCA!) Her tidy essay includes numberous links and references for anyone wanting to research the history of paper and its various components.
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