Monday, February 27, 2017

Measuring paper and parchment in 1810

Arithmetical Tables, 1810.
Title page.
Just a brief post today, as I am recovering from a cold and still not feeling fully recovered. But I was amused, in looking over this little children's chapbook, Arithmetical Tables for the Use of Schools, to see that in 1810, students needed to know their addition and multiplication tables, they needed to know how to count British money and American, and they needed to know a whole range of weights, sizes, and lengths.

But apparently, kids in those days also needed to know the terms for quantities of paper and parchment. And even though I've spent a good part of my adult life thinking about parchment and vellum, I'd never heard of a "roll" of parchment before. 
Page 23. 

You learn something every day, I guess.

Now, if I can just find an occasion to slip this one into casual conversation.

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