Paper Trade Journal: Convention issue, 1907

Paper Trade Journal: Convention issue, 1907 

Established in 1872, the Paper Trade Journal was a weekly publication devoted to the changes and activity in the paper industry. The journal was published into the 1980s. This issue is the Convention Issue of 1907. The early issues were large in size- more like a tabloid newspaper than the magazines we read today. Issues were filled with articles about changes in positions at mills, discussion of legal issues and trade agreements between the United States and other countries (particularly the Canadian pulp industry), and large advertisements of the latest papermaking equipment—sure to make a mill faster and more fiscally efficient! The Paper Trade Journal also featured photographs of the owners and high level positions of the mills. A glance at the men of the 1907 shows it is an excellent document of the facial hairstyles of the era as well.  

This volume includes numerous advertisements for paper companies as well as papermaking machines and accessories. Stories about new mills, with accompanying photographs of the facilities, are interspersed with brief updates from correspondents about board meetings, trade events, and economic situations.   

A trade journal is written by and for a specific industry. It promotes education and skills related to that industry. Articles are not peer reviewed, as they are in a scholarly journal; nor are they meant to be strictly informative, like those in popular magazines. The Paper Trade Journal was one of many publications about the paper industry, several of which still exist today. These include Paper, Pulp and Paper International, Paper Technology, Paper Technology and Industry, The American Paper Industry, and The American Papermaker. 

We hope that you enjoyed this peek at our collection! We'll be back next month with another artifact. Have a great June!