How Animal Hides Are Made Into Parchment At The Last Workshop In The US | Still Standing
Business Insider・6 minutes read
An ancient craft involving the meticulous process of making parchment, dating back to 2500 BC, is kept alive by Jesse Meyer in New York, who incorporates this practice into his family tannery's operations, producing unique, handcrafted parchment pieces for conservation and high-end furniture. The creation of parchment involves a detailed process of soaking animal skins, de-hairing, dyeing, stretching, scraping, and sanding, taking at least two weeks to complete, with only a few individuals possessing the knowledge of its creation worldwide.
Insights
- Jesse Meyer from Montgomery, New York, is instrumental in reviving the ancient craft of parchment-making, which involves a labor-intensive process of soaking animal skins, de-hairing, dyeing, stretching, scraping, and sanding to create a final product that has historical significance and modern applications.
- Parchment, despite its decline due to the emergence of paper, has found a niche in preserving historical manuscripts and creating high-end furniture and decor, with only a few experts globally possessing the knowledge to produce it, highlighting its rarity and the specialized skill required in its creation.
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Recent questions
What is parchment made from?
Parchment is made from animal skin.
How long does it take to make parchment?
Making parchment takes at least two weeks.
Who keeps the craft of parchment-making alive?
Jesse Meyer in Montgomery, New York.
What are the uses of parchment?
Parchment is used for historical manuscripts and high-end decor.
How many individuals worldwide know how to make parchment?
Only a few individuals worldwide possess the knowledge of parchment-making.
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Summary
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Reviving ancient parchment craft in modern times.
- Parchment, an ancient form of paper made from animal skin, undergoes a meticulous process involving the removal of hair, taking at least two weeks to produce, with only a few individuals worldwide possessing the knowledge of its creation.
- The craft of parchment-making, dating back to 2500 BC, is kept alive by Jesse Meyer in Montgomery, New York, who salvaged his family tannery by incorporating this centuries-old practice into their operations.
- The process of making parchment involves soaking animal skins in a water and calcium hydroxide mixture, de-hairing, rinsing, dyeing with plant-based pigments, stretching, scraping, shaving, and sanding to create the final product.
- Parchment, historically used for documents like the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Magna Carta, saw a decline with the advent of paper but has found a niche in conserving historical manuscripts and in high-end furniture and decor, with Jesse Meyer's business, now named Pergamina, specializing in unique, handcrafted parchment pieces.
