My father introduced me to Japanese art of Ukiyo-e when I was a kid. He fought in the Second World War, and when the war ended he came home. Money was tight and he signed up to Z Reserve for which he got eight shillings a week for being the first to go if there…

Paper and ink in 19th Century Britain were made from different materials compared to today. Paper was made from materials that would be impossible to use today due to supply limitations. In 19th century Britain paper was made by hand. Today, gigantic paper machines roll out paper at eighty feet per minute. A watery slurry…

The word ‘quill’ is from the Early Middle Ages Low German word ‘quiele’. It was an all-purpose word that meant a writing instrument, a reed, and the hollow, rigid part of a bird’s feather.