Cathleen A. Baker. From the Hand to the Machine—Nineteenth-Century American Paper and Mediums: Technologies, Materials, and Conservation. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Legacy Press, 2010. xiv, 389p. ISBN 9780979797422. $65.00.

Abstract

Baker’s book revolves around the innovations occurring in the paper and printing industry in nineteenth-century America, but the scope of the work is actually broader. Because her chosen time frame is one that involved much change and development, and because her knowledge is so deep and broad, Baker looks backward in time and discusses the tried and true techniques that were still being used in early nineteenth-century America and then moves smoothly into the developing technologies. It is a hefty task, and she pulls it off in a seemingly effortless way, imparting a surprisingly comprehensive history of papermaking and printing.