Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.17352

    Method of making marbled paper

    Date
    1662
    Creator
    Unknown, Artist
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Manuscript page number
    p129
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (page): 321mm
    width (page): 200mm
    Subject
    Description
    Figure from John Evelyn's paper (Cl.P/3i/4/002) on how to make marbled paper.

    Fig. 3 shows a comb used to comb the surface from one end of the trough to the other.
    A paper is then carefully placed on the surface of this liquor to absorb the pattern, which should then be lifted up and dried.

    This paper was read at the meeting of the Royal Society on 8 January 1662. Two weeks later, Evelyn's method was actually tried and it 'succeeded'.

    This is a copy of RBO/1/139. There is another copy of the images at RBC/1/143.

    This volume is another copy of entries of the first two volumes of the Register Book. It was given to Sir Joseph Banks by G. S. Heales Esquire of Doctor's Common on 31 May 1814.
    Transcription
    This Instrument represented in Fig III is made with a straits stick, about the bignesse of the little finger, and as farre as amounts to the breadth of the Trough, inserted with small pinns (such as Women use) at the distance of a quarter of an inch; but let the ends of the stick unpinned, extend a little beyond the dimensions of this Troughs breadth, for the better managing whereeof when you are to comb the liquor.
    Transcribed by the Making Visible project
    Object history
    8 January 1662, ‘Mr. Evelyn read an Account of the making of marbled paper; which was ordered to be registered’ (Birch 1:69).

    22 January 1662, ‘The experiment of making marbled paper was made by a man introduced by the amanuensis; which succeeded, according to Mr. Evelyn’s description of that method’ (Birch 1:70).
    Related fellows
    John Evelyn (1620 - 1706, British) , Diarist
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > United Kingdom
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