Vellum paper - a revolution in paper production

Vellum paper meant a breakthrough in papermaking technology. Today, we instinctively associate ribbed paper with something more noble than the commonly available smooth paper. Meanwhile, for centuries, paper without "ribs" - which were merely the imprint of the sieve - remained an unattainable ideal for papermakers. The aim was to create a material resembling parchment: delicate, uniform and free from traces of the production process.

The breakthrough came with James Whatman, who had been running the Turkey Mill near Maidstone since 1740. Within three years, he had developed a thriving enterprise producing high-quality laid paper, competing with the dominant imports from France and Holland on the British market. In 1756, Whatman presented his invention – smooth vellum paper. The new type quickly gained recognition, especially after John Baskerville , the eminent British printer and typographer, used it in his edition of Virgil's poetry (1757). The elegance of his books resulted both from the fonts used, which have gone down in history under his name, and from the exceptional quality of the paper.

The French are following in the footsteps of the English

Whatman remained unrivaled for many years. It was not until the late 1780s that French papermakers from the Annonay factories succeeded in creating their own vellum paper.

The company founded by Whatman operated in Maidstone until the early 2000s. Although it had long since ceased producing book paper, concentrating instead on medical paper, small quantities of handmade bibliophile paper were still being produced until 2002. Following the takeover of Whatman by GE Healthcare in 2008, this tradition was abandoned and the Maidstone plant closed in 2014.

Today Whatman papers are mainly found in second-hand bookshops. The exception is Bockingford watercolour paper, bought from Whatman in 1975 by St Cuthberts Mill , which remains in production.