Dard Hunter was a craftsman and papermaking expert and historian.  Born and raised in Steubenville, Ohio (1883-1966). Hunter wrote, designed the type and layout, made the paper, and printed and bound his book Old Papermaking (1923). Hunter was active in the Arts and Crafts Movement, encouraged people to experiment with a variety of crafts, and even started a school, The Dard Hunter School of Handicrafts, and founded the Dard Hunter Paper Museum.

Hunter traveled the world researching paper production methods, eventually writing a total of twenty books about the craft. Unlike Morris, who focused on a Euro-centric craft history, Hunter was truly global in his pursuit of knowledge and inspiration. Hunter also had an awareness of the importance of profitability and making an affordable product, factors for which Morris had little regard.

  • Black and white photograph of a Chinese man holding a paper making mold
    Hunter traveled the world extensively researching paper making methods
  • A two page spread with illustrations showing paper making
    Two diagrams of papermaking processes
  • Watermark molds showing Hunter's profile
    Hunter on watermarks
  • A title page with a printers mark with the initials DH and a drawing of an animal
    The title page from Hunter’s autobiography, including his printers mark
  • A page of text and images showing the rough edges on handmade paper
    A page from Hunter’s ‘Early Papermaking in Europe and America’