Robert C. Williams Paper Museum
Encyclopedia
The Robert C. Williams Paper Museum is a research institution and public museum dedicated to the preservation of the history of paper and paper technology. Located inside the Institute of Paper Science and Technology at the Georgia Institute of Technology
in Atlanta, Georgia
, the museum features the largest collection of paper and paper-related artifacts in the world, including watermarks, papers, tools, machines, and manuscripts. Changing exhibits focus on paper
art, and a permanent exhibit details the science and technology used in papermaking
.
and located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. Hunter filled the museum with various artifacts representing the art of papermaking. Few people visited the museum while it was at MIT and eventually it was moved to a smaller building on campus.
In 1954 the then Institute of Paper Chemistry of Appleton, Wisconsin
offered the museum a prominent place on its campus. Hunter became the museum's curator, a job he held until his death in 1966.
In 1989 the Institute of Paper Chemistry was relocated to Atlanta, Georgia
and renamed the Institute of Paper Science and Technology. The Dard Hunter Collection was packed and moved as well.
During the spring of 1993 the museum was re-opened inside of IPST and renamed the American Museum of Papermaking. During this time the museum continued to grow, and a traveling exhibition program was instituted.
In 1996 the museum received a substantial donation from the James River Corporation. As a result the museum's name was again changed, this time to the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum, in recognition of Robert C. Williams, the co-founder of the James River Corporation.
In 2005, through a donation from the Mead-Witter Foundation, an additional exhibition space was added to the museum. This new space was named the George W. Mead Education Center.
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, the museum features the largest collection of paper and paper-related artifacts in the world, including watermarks, papers, tools, machines, and manuscripts. Changing exhibits focus on paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
art, and a permanent exhibit details the science and technology used in papermaking
Papermaking
Papermaking is the process of making paper, a substance which is used universally today for writing and packaging.In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibres in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibres is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibres by...
.
History
Originally called the Dard Hunter Paper Museum, the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum began in 1939. The original museum was created by Dard HunterDard Hunter
William Joseph "Dard" Hunter was an American authority on printing, paper, and papermaking—especially by hand, using the tools and craft of four centuries prior...
and located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. Hunter filled the museum with various artifacts representing the art of papermaking. Few people visited the museum while it was at MIT and eventually it was moved to a smaller building on campus.
In 1954 the then Institute of Paper Chemistry of Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
offered the museum a prominent place on its campus. Hunter became the museum's curator, a job he held until his death in 1966.
In 1989 the Institute of Paper Chemistry was relocated to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and renamed the Institute of Paper Science and Technology. The Dard Hunter Collection was packed and moved as well.
During the spring of 1993 the museum was re-opened inside of IPST and renamed the American Museum of Papermaking. During this time the museum continued to grow, and a traveling exhibition program was instituted.
In 1996 the museum received a substantial donation from the James River Corporation. As a result the museum's name was again changed, this time to the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum, in recognition of Robert C. Williams, the co-founder of the James River Corporation.
In 2005, through a donation from the Mead-Witter Foundation, an additional exhibition space was added to the museum. This new space was named the George W. Mead Education Center.