papermaking in n. ireland with linen rags

J.Korejko © 2011 T: 01526 378222 E: [email protected] W: www.timberlandand.co.uk of 7

Situated in the heart of Lisburn, this award winning museum combines old and new architecture to present a fantastic account of the history of linen and its importance to the town. The education room in the museum became a papermakers’ studio during “Science Week”, and linen recycling

was the key element in the process. The programme was designed by Collette Brownlee, Education Services Officer at The Irish Linen Centre, and Jonathan Korejko, Papermaker and

Printmaker. 250 children and adults were involved in the project over a six day period. Each day, children from various schools as well as families from different community groups joined

Jonathan and enthusiastic museum staff in the education room. Over the week 12 school groups and 2 community groups attended the papermaking sessions, as well as 6 open sessions. There

were 25 booked sessions in total.

Papermaking in Northern Ireland

A Six Day Residency at The Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum, Lisburn

14th –19th March 2011

Jonathan began each papermaking session with a demonstration in which he used offcuts of pure Irish linen

from Fergusons, a linen mill just 17 miles south of Lisburn. This cloth was cut up and put into a liquidiser to expose the

flax fibres which were then turned into paper pulp.


The programme outline was: 1) To learn about the linen process, and how flax could be used to make paper.

2) To discover how flax fibres could be made into paper pulp using offcuts of linen from the linen mill. 3) To make papers of different colour and texture based on the colours and threads in the recycled materials.

4) To emphasize the scientific aspects of papermaking, and to highlight how papermakers and printers created the basis for all modern forms of “Communication”

In order to have enough linen pulp to run the programme, Jonathan brought buckets of prepared material from his studio in Lincolnshire. Offcuts of linen were ground up in his Hollander beater, a special machine which

breaks down cloth and and renders the fibres out of it.

Angela Beggs, Assistant Education Services Officer, teaching a child how to “couch off” his newly formed linen paper.

The children needed the assistance of adult helpers to handle the papermaking equipment, but after a few goes they began to work

more independently. In the case of community groups, parents and carers learned alongside the children, and a great sense of team work

developed.


Dr. Alison Muir and her family had a go at making all of the different recipes in the vats. Jonathan wore a special hat during the workshops, which was made with linen paper using the same

techniques that everyone was learning about during the workshops.

Daffodils growing in the nearby Castle Gardens were picked to dye the flax fibres in the vat. They were added to the pulp by the children . Jonathan also picked clover from the

garden to add to the St Patrick’s day shamrock papers.


Dr. Alison Muir prepared a photo

documentary on the history of

papermaking in the Lisburn area. As it is possible to visit all of the sites which she

highlighted, hopefully a few of the new

papermaker’s were encouraged to learn

more about their

industrial heritage.

Pieces of linen cloth were on display, along with

chopped linen, flax fibres, and flax plants growing in a seed tray ! There were also samples of various papers

made with the recycled fibres hanging on the wall for everyone to examine .

17th Century book written by Jeremy Taylor, Church of Ireland Bishop of Down and Connor and religious writer.

4th edition 1696 (first published 1660). Displayed in a glass case adjacent to the education room. People’s

attention was drawn to this book, as its pages would have been made with linen rags in the same way that we were

making paper from recycled linen.


The flax fibres which came from the linen rags were very water retentive, and hence the newly formed paper took a long time to drain on the mould. In order to make it easier for the beginner

papermakers, the fibres were sponged off from under the mould. Then, the newly formed paper, still on the mould, was pressed down onto a “sponge tower”. As it was released, a lot of liquid

was sucked out from the flax fibres. . This drier sheet of paper was then "couched" onto the

curved "couching table" in the normal fashion.

Linen paper presents special problems in drying, as it shrinks more than other fibres. The children learned how to “exchange dry” their new papers by double pressing them in a bookbinder’s press before taking them home. This process ensured that the papers would dry flat and even with a smooth surface. The bookbinding

press did a splendid job, and the children loved turning its handle.


The Linen Paper

Collection


This report has been written by Jonathan . Korejko, papermaker / printmaker© 2011. Special thanks to Dr Alison Muir for permission to reproduce her historical images, and to the Irish Linen Centre for permission to reproduce the photograph of the Jeremy Taylor book. Photographs by

Jonathan Korejko, Angela Beggs , and staff at The Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum.

Growing linen paper with flax seeds incorporated into the paper.

HAVE PULP…

WILL TRAVEL !

The Mobile Papermaking Road show…

papermaking in n. ireland with linen rags

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