Ream wrapper printed for Athol, Massachusetts, paper manufacturer Eliphalet Thorpe (1778-1856).
Ream wrappers are paper sheets that were used to package bundles of paper, keeping them clean and neatly labeled for resale. The pictorial art on the labels depict views of both the interior and the exterior of extinct mills, employees at work, equipment, and the basic layout of the mill and its surrounding lands. Symbols such as the phoenix and the eagle are also common on ream wrappers.
This collection ranges in date from 1820 to 1860 and contains over sixty items from mills in Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Access
The collection has been fully digitized. Images are available through the Society's digital image archive.