Cornstalk paper samples, 1903
date: label: date made
content: 1903
notes: label: Description
content: These are six paper samples made from corn stalk mounted to a stiff board. These samples were donated by George H. Marshall, the son of James F. Marshall and the nephew of George E. Marshall, both prominent early papermakers in the 19th century. According to George H.’s writing on the back of the card, these samples were made in 1903 using American cornstalks. On the envelope in which he sent the paper samples, he discussed how cornstalks had been long hypothesized to be a papermaking material. George H.’s uncle, George E., made a high-grade paper from cornstalks in Indiana in about 1870, and two whole editions of the “Cincinnati Enquirer” were said to be printed from said paper. However, the cornstalk-paper idea was abandoned on account of the impracticability of the raw material, according to George H. These samples provide an early example of environmentally-sustainable papermaking.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Forestry
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: George H. Marshall, Benton Harbor, MI
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AG.34FP01.10
label: catalog number
content: 34FP01.10
label: accession number
content: 116793
label: catalog number
content: W007246
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Paper Samples
label: Object Name
content: cornstalk paper samples
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (sleeve material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 3/4 in x 5 1/2 in; 17.145 cm x 13.97 cm