Arnold Grummer: A Pillar in the Papermaking World

“Based on sound science, Arnold developed simple methods that any person, young or old, can still use today to successfully make their own sheet of paper. Products he designed serve art and science education, art centers, community centers, and [more].” – The Grummer family  

August 19 would have been Arnold Grummer’s 100th birthday. Arnie, as his friends and family called him, may be best known for the eponymous company he founded that provides papermaking supplies and equipment to papermakers from novice to expert. In addition to papermaking supplies, he wrote five books on papermaking, and freely shared how to make paper in any medium he could. His passion for paper began when he joined the Institute of Paper Chemistry as the editor of publications in 1961. Arnold’s role there involved framing high-level scientific content in terms understandable to the general public. As he spent more time at the Institute, he began working with the Paper Museum’s collection. He eventually became the Curator of the museum. In 1976, Arnold and his wife Mabel started Arnold Grummer’s, LLC, to produce hand papermaking supplies.  

In the pre-internet era, Arnie “barnstormed” across the United States and Canada in an orange-red van painted with stars and stripes, and containing “The Great American Paper Machine”- a transparent version of the tool used in paper experimentation labs- to show the magic of papermaking to audiences from the Bicentennial celebrations to museums to state fairs and more. Today, you can see Arnie on the Arnold Grummer YouTube channel and website, as recordings of his demonstrations have been digitized and shared.    

Hundreds of thousands of children have learned about papermaking through classroom experiences using tools and instructions from Grummer. His books are still available and provide an excellent avenue to enter the world of papermaking.   

Grummer received a lifetime achievement award from the Friends of Dard Hunter for his work in 1999. In 2012 Grummer was inducted into the International Paper Industry Hall of Fame. He was included in the inaugural class of the North American Hand Papermakers “Hall of Papermaking Champions” in 2020.  

How to Make Paper: Basic Steps in Papermaking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySFfdsgNyaI