Twinrocker Christmas Card

This month’s Artifact of the Month is a Christmas card from Twinrocker to the Paper Museum in 1974. The single folded sheet of handmade paper contains the printed words “Christmas 1974” and the Twinrocker logo as well as a handwritten note in blue ink: “Warm wishes in 1975 Kathryn and Howard and everyone at Twinrocker.” The central figure of the paper is a blue five-pointed star made of paper pulp.  

Twinrocker is a well-known paper mill and supplier in the American hand-papermaking and art scenes. Kathryn and Howard Clark established the mill in 1971 while living in San Francisco. Realizing American artists would import handmade, high-quality paper from Europe or Japan, the Clarks decided to fill the need for a local producer. Howard designed a Hollander beater, and Kathryn tested how well the paper worked in lithography printing. Upon moving to Howard’s family farm in 1972, they built a full mill and went into production. The Clarks had numerous interns for extended periods, who learned papermaking and then taught others. Travis Becker, one of their protégés and a master papermaker in his own right, is the owner of the mill now and continues their legacy. 

Since the early 1970s, Twinrocker and the Paper Museum have had many connections, from sharing expertise and sending holiday greetings, to an exhibit in 2010.