Papermaking Workshop (Visit B)
at Historic RittenhouseTown
208 Lincoln Drive, Philadelphia 19144
Tuesday, June 11 - 10 am to noon
TTN members: $25 & TTN non-member guests: $32
Set in Fairmount Park in the Germantown/Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia, Historic RittenhouseTown is the site of the first paper mill (1690) in British North America. Since 1687, it was also the home of the early Germantown Mennonite community. By the mid 19th century, it expanded to over 40 buildings.
Today, several of the historic buildings are still standing along a tributary of the Wissahickon Creek, next to Lincoln Drive. Visitors can see a place where old and new Germantown merge.
Paper revolutionized society by enabling the spread of knowledge, culture, and communication, facilitating the recording and dissemination of information on a massive scale. Think of how information was distributed thanks to paper and the printings of Benjamin Franklin in the following decades during the founding of the United States of America.
We will delve in to the fascinating world of historic papermaking, highlighted by hands-on activities such as embedding (incorporating elements of nature into paper) and blowouts (using shapes to create paper). You’ll learn the art of papermaking from scratch using a mold and deckle. Shape the pulp into the mold, transfer it to a wet piece of felt, and use an old-style hand paper press to remove excess water, resulting in a one-of-a-kind keepsake you can take home with you.
Please note that we are offering a duplicate/repeat visit on Thursday, June 6. And this event will happen, rain or shine.
Please also note that cancellations with refunds are accepted through Tuesday, 6/4/24. Should you need to cancel within this timeframe your will be issued a credit to your TTN account for future use.