Paper - Worldwide Projects
Handcrafted Paper
Harold and Marjorie
Alexander have long been interested in the human environment, natural
and man-made. Both have taught art and design at all levels and have
been artists, designers and authors, working together and with others
for over 40 years. As the their interests and influences have changed,
they have gradually shifted emphases, but have always remained vitally
aware of the sustainable environment. They have been constantly aware of
the affect of "consumerism", i.e., acquire, use, toss.
For nearly 20 years, they
have been increasingly focused upon handcrafted paper, particularly,
fine and utilitarian papers and paper-based products made from non-wood
fibers in small settings using minimal and inexpensive equipment for the
purpose of augmenting individual, family, and community income. Their
research, experience, and travels have provided them with extensive
practical and realistic information. They have also found that to assist
others, they must establish lasting relationships and respect between
themselves and those whom they are visiting.
Fifteen years ago they had
the opportunity to visit Jamaica thus began their "paper journeys."
Paper has prompted travel to England, Scotland, Sweden, Denmark,
Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain,
Portugal, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Greece, Austria, Turkey, Morocco, Egypt,
Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Uzbekistan, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and
Mexico as well as throughout the United States and Canada. While
visiting these countries they have met with hand papermakers, examined
antique and contemporary equipment, gathered and tested indigenous plant
fibers, and, in turn, served as technical consultants as hand
papermaking centers were established in Kingston and Spanish Town,
Jamaica; Castries, St. Lucia; and Cairo, Egypt. Reports of their
research have been published in professional journals (list on request)
and they have been invited to present lectures and demonstrations
nationally and internationally.
In
1986 Harold was invited to come to Jamaica to assist with the
development of inexpensive crafts at a "school leaver's school" in
Spanish Town, the original capital of Jamaica. Marjorie accompanied him.
Arriving at the school they found no equipment, supplies or funds to
work with. Marjorie, always the papermaker, glanced out a window and saw
a banana tree, and cognizant that banana fibers would make paper,
suggested that they try to make paper. With minimal and primitive
equipment, e.g., a vegetable bin from an old refrigerator to cook the
fibers over a coconut husk fire, beating the fibers in an antique
mortar, a cardboard box lined with used plastic served as the vat, a
small window screen as the mould, some blanket fragments for felts, and
six people jumping on a board for a press, some quite coarse paper was
made. BUT, it was paper!
Showing
the resulting paper to administrators in Jamaica and at the University
of Minnesota, they returned to gather more fibers to test. Harold began
to write proposals for grants. Eventually in 1990, a project was funded
by the Organization of American States. Working through the Jamaican
Human Education and Resource Training (H.E.A.R.T.) Trust, a fully
equipped papermaking center was established in Kingston, the present
capital of Jamaica. Marjorie was in Jamaica for three months. Harold
visited several times as his University schedule permitted. The first
class of papermakers consisted of 25 young, unemployed individuals, many
single mothers. Assisted by the crafts teacher at the school in Spanish
Town, the young women and men soon were producing marketable paper and
paper-based products. The fibers used to make the paper were banana
leaves, bagasse (the residue from the sugar cane), bamboo, sisal,
hibiscus bast, breadfruit bast, common reed, and sansevieria. Marjorie
returned for another three-month assignment while a second class of
papermakers was instructed to make paper.
The project was not
self-sustaining. The trained papermakers had few opportunities to employ
their skills beyond the training center and the product marketing
efforts collapsed after the technical guidance finished. The reason? The
papermakers were not confident in their ability to sell their products,
nor did they have access to easy transportation to resort areas. In
addition, promised local government support was not sustained.
HOWEVER, despite the
collapse of the training center after three years, the production of
handmade paper from the native Jamaican plant fibers did not die! In
1998 the original school in Spanish Town received a grant based upon a
ten-year-old proposal by Harold, and now has a new structure,
approximately 20' x 20', attached to the back of their school that is a
fully equipped papermaking studio. The young crafts teacher who
originally taught there and then was trained in Kingston to make paper,
returned and is now assisting students to recycle their paper and use
natural plant fibers to make paper for school use and for sale.
The
crafts teacher also is assisting with a second papermaking center in
Spanish Town. A short distance from the first school is a school for the
handicapped housed in an older residence. Behind the school, across a
narrow street is a large area that once was the site of a large 18th
century mansion. (Spanish Town has many 18th century English structures
still standing that are similar to those found in Williamsburg,
Virginia). On this archeologically protected site the school has placed
a ship's container (similar to a large semi-trailer). The ship's
container is on concrete blocks, a hose runs across the narrow street
for a water supply, and wires are stretched above from tree to tree for
the electricity. The freshly painted container is fully equipped to make
paper. A large ramp extends from the back for wheel chairs. The paper,
again, is used in the school and for products to augment the income of
the school.
Further, it has been
reported that at least five trained papermakers are making paper from
native plants around the island. Small operations, yes, with very
primitive equipment, yes. HOWEVER, they are making and selling paper for
announcements, certificates, greeting cards, and jewelry.
St. Lucia
In
1994 a box of fiber was given to Maralex Studios by a former Peace Corp
Volunteer. Thirty years before, as a young man he had helped plant blue
mahoe trees to prevent erosion in a previously cleared rain forest area.
He had seen a small display about papermaking in Jamaica that the
Alexanders had exhibited at the Student Union on the St. Paul Campus of
the University of Minnesota two years before. Now a member of the United
States Forestry Service, he had kept in touch with his St. Lucian
colleagues and knew that the trees that he had planted were now being
harvested for lumber for housing and furniture and the bark was being
discarded. He also knew that the inner bark of the blue mahoe tree (hibiscus
elatus), native to the Caribbean islands, had been used by the
Caribs and Arawaks (the original inhabitants of the islands) to make
fish nets, ropes and coarse cloth. During a recent visit to St. Lucia he
collected some of the discarded bark and brought it back home, bringing
it over to Maralex Studios. Marjorie, tested these long, strong fibers,
and made some beautiful, crisp, light ivory paper without bleaching or
additives. The blue mahoe fiber paper proved to be an excellent printing
surface in laser and jet ink printers.
Extremely
pleased with the resulting paper, the forester sent letters on the
handsome papers to different agencies, organizations and former Peace
Corps Volunteers. A local NGO organization indicated interest and in
April 1995 the Alexanders were sent to St. Lucia to explore the
possibility of establishing a hand papermaking center that would utilize
the blue mahoe fibers, and fibers from banana and other plants native to
the island. With up to ten cruise ships a week docking at the sheltered
harbor at Castries, the capital of St. Lucia, the potential of income
generation through the production and marketing of handcrafted paper
seemed feasible. The initial seven-day visit to St. Lucia also indicated
considerable local interest in the production of paper.
The Alexanders returned for
four weeks in March 1997 to plan a papermaking center in a building
donated by a local government agency. The equipment and supplies were
funded by a Minnesota philanthropic grant through the St. Paul NGO
group. The unused building that was offered for the papermaking center
required minimal adaptation. In November 1997 the Alexanders returned to
a fully equipped papermaking center and a waiting class of 32 young men
and women. The novice papermakers were slightly older and somewhat
better educated than those in the first classes in Jamaica. Their
dedication cannot be minimized, e.g., three women traveled more than two
hours, each way, each day to attend the classes. An intense training
period followed, And, they did make paper from blue mahoe, khus khus
grass, banana, and screw pine fibers. Although the training period was
curtailed (one month) rudimentary instruction on product design was
given. For example, on the last day, for about 30 minutes, the process
of making paper beads and necklaces was demonstrated.
Eleven
months later (October 1998), the Alexanders returned to provide
additional training. When they arrived at the center they discovered
that only six of the original papermakers were still working at the
center. Local support had faltered and many of the trainees had to seek
other employment. HOWEVER, these six dedicated individuals, two men and
four women, plus three new novice papermakers whom they had trained were
producing high quality paper and paper products-in quantity. In addition
to attractive and well-made stationery and envelopes, gift bags, and
gift boxes were over 100 beautiful necklaces, earrings, and bracelets,
each different and made from a variety of native plant fibers. The paper
jewelry has become one of their most important products.
Presently, funds have been
granted to provide at least one additional beater for a satellite paper
center in St. Lucia. Discussions and plans for other paper centers are
being formulated.
Egypt
In May 1992, the Alexanders
were requested to give a short account of their work in Jamaica at an
international crafts seminar on the University of Minnesota campus.
Later in late October, Harold received a phone call from a young man who
had heard the presentation in May. He had just returned from visiting
his mother in Cairo, Egypt, and while there learned that she needed
information regarding hand papermaking. Recalling the work in Jamaica,
he contacted them. In January 1993, Marjorie and Harold visited Cairo
for three weeks. The trip was sponsored by the Association for the
Protection of the Environment (APE), a NGO group consisting of well
educated, affluent, and dedicated individuals. APE had been formed
several years before to assist a group of people called the Zabbaleens.
Background Information:
The Zabbaleens are former landless farmers from Upper Egypt (southern
Egypt) who emigrated to Cairo after World War II eventually settling on
the southeastern parameter of Cairo in the Moqattam Hills. The area is
the site of ancient quarries from which stone is still being taken.
Stone from these hills helped build the great pyramids across the Nile
River, five kilometers to the west.
The Zabbaleens are
considered to be the lowest economic group in Egypt. Being Coptic
Christian, they raise pigs (Islamic Egyptians do not eat pork) and to
feed their pigs, they collect garbage and are primarily THE garbage
collectors for the 17 million inhabitants of modern Cairo. Also,
interestingly, being Coptic Christians, they have not intermarried with
Arab peoples, consequently, they are considered to be of almost pure
ancient Egyptian heritage.
The tons upon tons of raw
garbage collected daily are hand searched through for recyclable
materials, e.g., plastics, metal, cloth, glass, and the edible remains
are given to the many pigs in the courtyards of their homes.
Twenty years ago the APE
volunteers assisted the Zabbaleens to obtain funding to establish a
scientific pig waste composting operation in one of the ancient quarries
to help handle the threatening inundation of pig waste being produced.
The resulting nutrient rich compost is sold to cover the desert for
increased farm land as the traditional crop producing areas bordering
the Nile River are being now covered with compact housing development.
The income from the compost
sales helps fund other socio-economic projects guided by the APE group,
including the production of rag rugs, a nursery for infants, a private
school for small children, a small flower-filled "green oasis" for the
children (who live in an area without growing vegetation) and classes in
health, family affairs, and computer and accounting procedures.
The long term influence
wrought by the members of APE cannot be minimized. These dedicated
individuals guide and assist the Zabbaleens engendering mutual respect
that is rare and fine.
The Project:
The
three-week trip to Cairo culminated with a request to look at a building
under construction near the composting operation and determine if the
ground floor might be suitable for a papermaking center. When an
affirmative response was given, simple plans were presented with the
request for more complete plans for a papermaking center, a list of
supplies and equipment, and the cost of establishing the center. All to
be accomplished within a day and a half as the trip was ending. The
information was assembled and presented back to the APE Board. Ten
months later the Alexanders were invited to return for two months to
train a "small group" of Zabbaleens to make paper.
Upon their return the
beginning of February 1994, the Alexanders found a beautiful white
building, essentially finished, with all the major equipment in place.
They also found 36 young, eager Zabbaleen women and girls waiting for
them. Fortunately an APE volunteer served as an interpreter daily and
training began. Marjorie trained, and Harold went with a young man who
spoke a little English to find small equipment items in Cairo. A most
wonderful and exciting experience!
While
in Cairo the Alexanders were contacted by the Center for Environment and
Development Arab Regions and Europe (CEDARE) with the request to write a
papermaking manual "that would inform an individual how to make paper
with simple equipment, produce marketable products and then market them
successfully." The book was published in the Arabic language by CEDARE
in 1996. The English language edition was published by Maralex Studios
in 1997.
The Alexanders returned to
Cairo in September 1996 for a month of evaluation and additional
training. Many new additions to the basic original equipment had been
added and healthy sales of paper and paper-based products were reported.
Two new Egyptian-made beaters based upon the original David Reina beater
that had been imported from New York were in place. All three beaters
were working every day to keep up with the demand for paper. All paper
was made from recycled office paper waste coming from foreign embassies,
and not through the garbage channel.
While
in Egypt, at the request of members of the International Association of
Paper Makers and Paper Artists (IAPMA), an international organization to
which the Alexanders belong, arrangements for a guided tour of Egypt for
papermakers were investigated. The plans developed in the ensuing months
and in mid-September 1997, 30 hand papermakers from England, The
Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Jamaica, and the United States
visited the Moqattam paper center along with the ancient and modern
sites of Egypt on the two-week "Pyramids, Papyrus and Paper Tour". The
papermaking skills and products exhibited by the Zabbaleen papermakers
were very impressive.
Currently, up to 50
papermakers are working six days a week to fill orders for their
handcrafted recycled paper and paper-based products. The entire
papermaking center operates at a profit, the papermakers are each being
paid for their work and they are expanding to export markets.
Contents
