May 17, 2013
May 16, 2013
Paper
So I was culling some old files at work and found some letters (dated between the ’50s and the ’80s) typed on onionskin paper, and that’s some damn classy stationary, right there, especially if you get the cockle-texture (wavy/bumpy) stuff.
Apparently, it’s a product of its time…the thinness and durability made it easy to make multiple carbon copies when typing, and also saved money in the days when the only way to send documents was to mail them. Plus, the thinness of the paper made document storage more space-efficient, which mattered in the days before computerized data storage. The surface, and the cockle texture, made it easier to erase errors, too.
I remember onionskin paper from my dad’s office, but that was back in the ’70s, and I haven’t seen it used since then. I ran one of the old letters through my laser printer, and it worked okay (the printer did suck up more than one page at a time, though).
Now I want a ream of onionskin paper, dammit. Called around to like seven different art/stationery/paper stores in the city, but no one carries it. I’ve found it online—both new and “vintage” unopened reams—but I can’t really justify spending $20 or $30 on a paper-nostalgia whim.
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