Angela C.

De Guzman
10-Lavoisier

History of Paper Mache

Papier-mâché literally means "chewed paper", "pulped paper", or "mashed paper") is a composite
material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound with an adhesive,
such as glue, starch, or wallpaper paste.

Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, coffins and death masks were often made from cartonnage—layers of papyrus or linen
covered with plaster.

Middle and Far East

In Persia, papier-mâché has been used to manufacture small painted boxes, trays, étagères and cases.
Japan and China also produced laminated paper articles using papier-mâché. In Japan and India, papier-
mâché was used to add decorative elements to armor and shields.

Kashmir
In Kashmir as in Persia, papier-mâché has been used to manufacture small painted boxes, bowls lined
with metals, trays, étagères and cases. It remains highly marketed in India and is a part of the luxury
ornamental handicraft market.

Europe
Detail of gilt papier-mâché as applied to an English picture frame
Starting around 1725 in Europe, gilded papier-mâché began to appear as a low-cost alternative to
similarly treated plaster or carved wood in architecture. Henry Clay of Birmingham, England, patented a
process for treating laminated sheets of paper with linseed oil to produce waterproof panels in 1772.
These sheets were used for building coach door panels as well as other structural uses. Theodore
Jennens patented a process in 1847 for steaming and pressing these laminated sheets into various
shapes, which were then used to manufacture trays, chair backs, and structural panels, usually laid over
a wood or metal armature for strength. The papier-mâché was smoothed and lacquered, or finished
with a pearl shell finish. The industry lasted through the 19th century. Russia had a thriving industry in
ornamental papier-mâché. A large assortment of painted Russian papier-mâché items appears in a
Tiffany & Co. catalog from 1893. Martin Travers the English ecclesiastical designer made much use of
papier-mâché for his church furnishings in the 1930s.

Papier-mâché has been used for doll heads starting as early as 1540, molded in two parts from a mixture
of paper pulp, clay, and plaster, and then glued together, with the head then smoothed, painted and
varnished.

Mexico
Cartonería or papier-mâché sculptures are a traditional handcraft in Mexico. The papier-mâché works
are also called "carton piedra" (rock cardboard) for the rigidness of the final product. These sculptures
today are generally made for certain yearly celebrations, especially for the Burning of Judas during Holy
Week and various decorative items for Day of the Dead. However, they also include piñatas, mojigangas,
masks, dolls and more made for various other occasions. There is also a significant market for collectors
as well. Papier-mâché was introduced into Mexico during the colonial period, originally to make items
for church. Since then, the craft has developed, especially in central Mexico. In the 20th century, the
creation of works by Mexico City artisans Pedro Linares and Carmen Caballo Sevilla were recognized as
works of art with patrons such as Diego Rivera. The craft has become less popular with more recent
generations, but various government and cultural institutions work to preserve it.

Paper boats
One common item made in the 19th century in America was the paper canoe, most famously made by
Waters & Sons of Troy, New York. The invention of the continuous sheet paper machine allows paper
sheets to be made of any length, and this made an ideal material for building a seamless boat hull. The
paper of the time was significantly stretchier than modern paper, especially when damp, and this was
used to good effect in the manufacture of paper boats. A layer of thick, dampened paper was placed
over a hull mold and tacked down at the edges. A layer of glue was added, allowed to dry, and sanded
down. Additional layers of paper and glue could be added to achieve the desired thickness, and cloth
could be added as well to provide additional strength and stiffness. The final product was trimmed,
reinforced with wooden strips at the keel and gunwales to provide stiffness, and waterproofed. Paper
racing shells were highly competitive during the late 19th century. Few examples of paper boats
survived. One of the best-known paper boats was the canoe, the "Maria Theresa", used by Nathaniel
Holmes Bishop to travel from New York to Florida in 1874–75. An account of his travels was published in
the book Voyage of the Paper Canoe.

Paper masks
Creating papier-mâché masks is common among elementary school children and craft lovers. Either
one's own face or a balloon can be used as a mold. This is common during Halloween time as a facial
mask complements the costume.

Paper observatory domes

Papier-mâché panels were used in the late 19th century and early 20th century to produce lightweight
domes, used primarily for observatories. The domes were constructed over a wooden or iron
framework, and the first ones were made by the same manufacturer that made the early paper boats,
Waters & Sons. The domes used in observatories had to be light in weight so that they could easily be
rotated to position the telescope opening in any direction, and large enough so that it could cover the
large refractor telescopes in use at the time.

Paper sabots
The Schenkl projectile, used in the American Civil War, used a papier-mâché sabot
Papier-mâché was used in a number of firearms as a material to form sabots. Despite the extremely high
pressures and temperatures in the bore of a firearm, papier-mâché proved strong enough to contain the
pressure, and push a sub-caliber projectile out of the barrel with a high degree of accuracy. Papier-
mâché sabots were used in everything from small arms, such as the Dreyse needle gun, up to artillery,
such as the Schenkl projectile.