Peter and Donna Thomas have worked collaboratively since 1977 as book artists, making handmade paper, limited edition fine press books, miniature books, and one-of-a-kind artists’ books. Their initial interest was to find books about hand papermaking that had been written and printed by a hand papermaker on their own handmade paper. There were so few of those books that they broadened their focus to include books about hand papermaking printed on handmade paper that were not written or printed by the papermaker, and books papermakers had printed on their own paper that were not about papermaking. Their collection later grew to contain general books about hand papermaking; examples of historical and contemporary handmade paper - both as individual sheets and bound blank books; collections of handmade paper samples from paper exchanges and conference keepsake packets; and printed ephemera related to hand papermaking.

The materials for this collection are described in both ArchivesSpace and donated books can be found in Special Collections catalog which can be accessed: here. A collection finding aid guide to the Peter and Donna Thomas Hand Papermaking Collection at the University of Iowa can be accessed: here

In this collection, artists will find beautiful books printed on handmade paper, and inspiring examples of handmade paper. Historians will find books and other materials that document the revival of the craft of hand papermaking in the 60-70s, after production hand papermills that had existed for centuries had become no longer viable and most mills had ceased operations.Papermakers will find the collection includes books with technical information on how to make paper by hand, books that document various other papermaker’s niche interests in the craft, samples of paper made for keepsake and swatch exchanges, and one-of-a-kind items like quire of unprinted handmade paper from the 19th century, a collection of watermarked sheets, and the beater log and record books (1900-1970) from the Tuckenhay Mill in Devon, England.