Payhembury is a world leader in fine hand marbled papers, and the fine selection of both historic and modern patterns make them a fantastic choice for your project!

BBWS first met Kate Brett at the 1994 New Horizons In Bookbinding Conference that was held at Christ Church/Oxford University, and have employed her papers in conservation and restoration projects ever since.

In addition to the dozens of standard patterns available, BBWS can work with you to create new patterns of any type, as well as making replica's of historic patterns not currently in the collection. Please inquire for details.

Sheets can be designed to a customer’s specifications or papers copied for restoration work. Each sheet is unique; therefore if closely matching sheets are required it is best to order them at the same time.

Paper

All pattern designs are available on the following papers: (A 90gsm "White" is also available, but not currently stocked)

120 gsm, Wove, Cream.

65 gsm, Wove, Bone White, 100% Cotton Rag - BBWS Forudriner-made.

The 65 gsm, 100% Cotton Rag (Fourdriner-made) paper is a FIRST for the craft in over 100 years! NO ONE ELSE has an historic marbled paper like this! It has the same look & feel as the marbled papers of the 17th & 18th centuries

All papers are Acid-Free!

PRICES, Reflecting the BBWS commitment!

120 gsm Cream: $ 11.50 Per Sheet

65 gsm 100% Cotton Rag/Fourdriner-made: $ 12.50 Per Sheet

Copyright

All sheets are copyrighted, though BBWS works with Payhembury to secure licensing agreements to print from design patterns of your choice. Please inquire for details.

Finishing

Traditional marbled papers were bees-waxed or lacquered, to make them shiny and more durable. In this modern day, there have become many different ways to achieve this, but beeswax remains a popular method of choice.

A brief History of Marbling

There is evidence for the use of marbled endpapers in books in 1655 and marbled paper was in common use in England twenty years later. It is thought that the manufacture of marbled papers was almost exclusively a French and German preserve until the middle decades of the eighteenth century. These two countries remained predominant in Western Europe until the mid-nineteenth century. Dutch merchants imported a wide range of goods from Germany for re-export, including marbled papers, the patterns of which are still known as Dutch. These Dutch papers were exported to Britain and heavily used for more than one hundred years until the end of the eighteenth century.

Another popular early pattern introduced around 1660 was the French curl or snail pattern. This was used in Britain until the end of the nineteenth century. Marbling began to develop slowly in Britain in the second half of the eighteenth century. In contrast with the varieties of the Dutch pattern which had been very popular previously, the new marbles were uncombed or lightly combed and the colours in some, like antique spot, were brighter and more pleasing. Other popular patterns at this time included French Shell, Stormont and Gloster. These patterns lost popularity about 1840 and were followed by non-pareil and Spanish. Non-pareil patterns remained popular throughout the Victorian period. Variations of this pattern which were also popular at the time included Bouquet and Peacock. Other marbled papers used mostly during the second half of the nineteenth century were Italian, Westend and Turkish or Stone.

Since 1982 Payhembury Marbled Papers has specialised in trying to reproduce some of these old patterns in the traditional manner, floating water-based paints on a size made from carragheen moss. Traditional papers were often highly polished with beeswax and an application of 50% beeswax/50% white spirit on the papers before use is recommended. This enhances the colour as well making them more durable.