For centuries, this printed record of events, opinions, wit and wisdom has served as the first draft of history with words and pictures that form the backdrop to our lives. If you read a great newspaper, you will see a nation talking to, arguing with and laughing at itself in a form that is conceived, printed, circulated and replaced each day. Until the early nineteenth century, most newspapers were printed on cotton paper, which can survive intact for centuries. Around 1850, however, publishers turned to cheaper wood-pulp paper, which holds up well for a few years. But, over time, light and airborne pollutants discolor the surface of the paper.
Moisture causes the lignins in the wood pulp to produce acids that weaken the paper's structure.
The ink bleeds through the paper, making both sides unreadable. Eventually, the paper itself turns to dust. Librarians soon recognized the problem with newsprint and responded with a new technology, microfilm. In 1853 the London Evening News became the first newspaper to be recorded on microfilm. Soon all major papers would be archived in this way, which gave birth to an industry that prospers to this day.