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The Watermark
Who Was Whatman?
Whatman Paper
Turkey Mill
Actually, a countermark
Meaning script - as opposed to a watermark which normally consists
of a design. The countermark appears on all untrimmed double elephant
etchings. It appears in block letters about 1 inch in height and stretches for about
ten inches, and can appear anywhere on the paper. It will say "J Whatman"
or "J Whatman/Turkey Mill" and is followed by a date, generally between 1827 to
1838, although some have been seen with the date 1825. The date is not a publication
date, but the date the paper was made.
Who was Whatman?
James Whatman married Ann Harris in 1740. She was the
widow of Richard Harris, who willed her the Turkey Mill. Within thirteen years, the
Whatman paper, turned out at the Turkey Mill, had the reputation of being the finest in England.
Whatman paper
This was the only paper Audubon used for his double elephant
etchings. James Whatman developed a new type of paper, wove.
James died in 1759, leaving the operations to his son James. James sold the business
in 1792 to Thomas Hollingworth, and the Hollingworth family continued making paper until
1976. It was also his choice for his watercolors. Napoleon wrote his will on
Whatman paper as he sat on the island of St. Helena. George Washington signed state
documents on Whatman paper. Queen Victoria chose Whatman paper for her personal
correspondence.
What does "Turkey Mill" represent?
The Whatman factory, the Turkey
Mill, stood on the site of a former corn mill that had been
in operation since the 15th century. The mill was named "Turkey Mill" due
to the fact that it was grinding corn from India known as Turkey Wheat. The Turkey Mill as it appears today.
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