Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking facts for kids
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| Established | 1939 |
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| Location | 500 10th Street NW Atlanta, United States |
| Type | Paper museum |
| Public transit access | Midtown station |
The Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking is a cool place that teaches you all about paper! It's a museum and a research center. Its main goal is to save and share the history of paper and how it's made.
It's found at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. This museum has the biggest collection of paper stuff anywhere! You can see watermarks, old papers, tools, machines, and even old handwritten books. They have special exhibits that change, showing off amazing paper art. There's also a permanent exhibit that explains the science and technology behind how paper is made.
Contents
The Story of the Museum
The Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking started a long time ago in 1939. It was first called the Dard Hunter Paper Museum. A person named Dard Hunter created this first museum. It was located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Early Days at MIT
Dard Hunter filled his museum with many different items. These items showed the art of making paper by hand. Not many people visited the museum when it was at MIT. Because of this, it was later moved to a smaller building on the campus.
Moving to Wisconsin
In 1954, a group called the Institute of Paper Chemistry offered the museum a new home. This group was located in Appleton, Wisconsin. The museum moved there and got a special place on their campus. Dard Hunter became the museum's curator, which means he was in charge of the collections. He kept this job until he passed away in 1966.
A New Home in Atlanta
In 1989, the Institute of Paper Chemistry moved again. This time, it went to Atlanta, Georgia. Its name also changed to the Institute of Paper Science and Technology. The Dard Hunter Collection, which was the museum's main collection, was carefully packed up and moved too.
A group called the Friends of Dard Hunter helped support this collection. This group is now known as the North American Hand Papermakers. They work to promote making paper by hand and other arts that Dard Hunter loved.
Becoming the American Museum of Papermaking
In the spring of 1993, the museum opened its doors again. It was inside the Institute of Paper Science and Technology. At this time, its name changed to the American Museum of Papermaking. The museum continued to grow and get more items. They even started a program where exhibits could travel to other places.
Renamed for Robert C. Williams
In 1996, the museum received a very big gift from the James River Corporation. Because of this generous gift, the museum's name changed once more. It became the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. This new name honored Robert C. Williams. He was one of the people who started the James River Corporation. He had also studied at the Institute of Paper Chemistry and was a leader on its board.
Adding More Space
In 2005, the museum got another donation. This one was from the Mead-Witter Foundation. This gift helped the museum add more space for exhibits. This new area was named the George W. Mead Education Center. It provides even more room for visitors to learn about paper.
