John Constable and Rambler Press

One of the most appealing and satisfying aspects of printing books on paper from a variety of long-established European paper mills is the sense of almost physically touching the past. The history of paper and its creators is intertwined with the history of art and literature, making each page printed on such a material even more special. Today we have a story from the UK that illustrates this perfectly.

A pencil drawing by the famous painter John Constable (1776–1837) has just appeared at auction. The work most likely depicts the area around Framlingham Castle, about 30 miles from East Bergholt, the artist's hometown. It was created between 1800 and 1815, a period in which Constable was intensively sketching landscapes of the English countryside, shaping his distinctive style, full of light, space and natural harmony.

However, what particularly draws our attention is not only the drawing itself, but also the material on which it was made. The paper comes from the town of Wells, and was produced by Joseph Coles of Lower Wookey Mill. The watermark on it suggests that it was produced between 1805 and 1815. This is extremely important information, because it shows us how important the craft traditions of papermaking were in the era that produced one of the most outstanding painters of Romanticism.

Interestingly, the former Lower Wookey Mill still exists today, although under a different name – St Cuthbert's Mill. It is on paper from this historic paper mill that we print our books at Rambler Press. Knowing that the same paper on which we now capture words and images was once used by artists as great as Constable gives our work a deeper meaning. In this way, we create our place in the relay of generations, continuing a tradition that goes back centuries.

Stories like these remind us that a book is not just about the content, but also the material on which it is printed. Each sheet of paper can hold a story, and we have the privilege of adding chapters to it.