The Publisher

A Watermark Mystery

Watermarks are the fingerprints of handmade paper. With them, people can trace when and where the paper was made. For many books, this information is already given on the frontispiece or colophon, leaving such investigative work moot. For this particular edition of 1601, the information that would normally be given in the frontispiece and colophon was useless. Sticking to it’s design, the book jauntily declares that is was printed “by Ye Puritan Press At Ye Sign of Ye Jolly Virgin,” fully dedicated to its chosen Gothic Revivalist aesthetic. However, such a thing isn’t uncommon phenomena with this book. Many printings lack the place or date of printing, the name of the printer, and the name of the publisher. 

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The watermark is the best source of information for this edition. I was able to trace it back to ARCHES paper mill, which was founded in 1492.[1] The MBM watermark was not the first watermark the company used. Rather, it was introduced in 1869 with the help of painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.[2] Ingres was extremely sensitive to materials and sought to try many different painting techniques on different kinds of paper. With his help, ARCHES began to produce a high-quality paper better suited for artists at the time, naming the laid paper ‘Ingres d’ARCHES MBM’.[3] The ‘MBM’ watermark stands for the initials of the mill’s owners: Morel, his nephew Bercioux, and a man named Masure.[4] ARCHES continued to make prestigious, specialized paper, including paper for luxury publishing, intaglio engraving, and geographical maps.[5] By 1895, ninety percent of luxury, limited edition publications were produced with ARCHES paper, including this edition of 1601.[6]

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References: 

[1]"History." ARCHES®. Accessed December 03, 2018. https://www.arches-papers.com/the-brand/history/.

[2]Ibid.

[3]Ibid.

[4]Ibid.

[5]Ibid.

[6]Ibid.