Parchment is a thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin, often split. Its most common use was as a material for writing on, for documents, notes, or the pages of a book, codex or manuscript. It is distinct from leather in that parchment is limed but not tanned; therefore, it is very reactive to changes in relative humidity and is not waterproof. The finer qualities of parchment are called vellum.

History

According to the Roman Varro, ''Pliny's Natural History'' records (xiii.21) that parchment was invented under the patronage of Eumenes of Pergamum, as a substitute for papyrus, which was temporarily not being exported from Alexandria, its only source.

Herodotus mentions writing on skins as common in his time, the 5th century BC; and in his ''Histories'' (v.58) he states that the Ionians of Asia Minor had been accustomed to give the name of ''skins'' (''diphtherai'') to books; this word was adapted by Hellenized Jews to describe scrolls. Parchment (''pergamenum'' in Latin), however, derives its name from Pergamon, the city where it was perfected (via the French ''parchemin''). In the 2nd century B.C. a great library was set up in Pergamon that rivalled the famous Library of Alexandria. As prices rose for papyrus and the reed used for making it was over-harvested towards local extinction in the two nomes of the Nile delta that produced it, Pergamon adapted by increasing use of parchment.

Writing on prepared animal skins had a long history, however. Some Egyptian Fourth Dynasty texts were written on parchment. Though the Assyrians and the Babylonians impressed their cuneiform on clay tablets, they also wrote on parchment from the 6th century BC onward. Rabbinic culture equated the idea of a book with a parchment scroll. Early Islamic texts are also found on parchment.

One sort of parchment is vellum, a word that is used loosely to mean parchment, and especially to mean fine parchment, but more strictly refers to parchment made from calfskin (although goatskin can be as fine in quality). The words ''vellum'' and ''veal'' come from Latin ''vitulus'', meaning ''calf'', or its diminutive ''vitellus''. In the Middle Ages, calfskin and split sheepskin were the most common materials for making parchment in England and France, while goatskin was more common in Italy. Other skins such as those from large animals such as horse and smaller animals such as squirrel and rabbit were also used. Whether uterine vellum (vellum made from aborted calf fetuses) was ever really used during the medieval period is still a matter of great controversy.

There was a short period during the introduction of printing where parchment and paper were used interchangeably: although most copies of the Gutenberg Bible are on paper, some were printed on parchment. In 1490, Johannes Trithemius preferred the older methods, because "handwriting placed on parchment will be able to endure a thousand years. But how long will printing last, which is dependent on paper? For if ...it lasts for two hundred years that is a long time."

In the later Middle Ages, parchment was largely replaced by paper. New techniques in paper milling allowed it to be much cheaper and more abundant than parchment. With the advent of printing in the later fifteenth century, the demands of printers far exceeded the supply of animal skins for parchment.

The heyday of parchment use was during the medieval period, but there has been a growing revival of its use among contemporary artists since the late 20th century. Although parchment never stopped being used (primarily for governmental documents and diplomas) it had ceased to be a primary choice for artist's supports by the end of 15th century Renaissance. This was partly due to its expense and partly due to its unusual working properties. Parchment consists mostly of collagen. When the water in paint media touches parchment's surface, the collagen melts slightly, forming a raised bed for the paint, a quality highly prized by some artists. Parchment is also extremely affected by its environment and changes in humidity, which can cause buckling. Some contemporary artists also prize this quality, noting that the parchment seems alive and like an active participant in making artwork. To support the needs of the revival of use by artists, a revival in the art of making individual skins is also underway. Handmade skins are usually better prepared for artists and have fewer oily spots which can cause long-term cracking of paint than mass-produced parchment. Mass-produced parchment is usually made for lamp shades, furniture, or other interior design purposes.

The radiocarbon dating techniques that are used on papyrus can be applied to parchment as well. They do not date the age of the writing but the preparation of the parchment itself. However, radiocarbon dating can often be used on the inks that make up the writing, since many of them contain organic compounds such as plant leachings, soot, and wine.

Manufacture

"Parchment is prepared from pelt, i.e., wet, unhaired, and limed skin, simply ''by drying at ordinary temperatures under tension,'' most commonly on a wooden frame known as a stretching frame". After being flayed, the skin is soaked in water for about 1 day. This removes blood and grime from the skin and prepares it for a dehairing liquor. The dehairing liquor was originally made of rotted, or fermented, vegetable matter, like beer or other liquors, but by the Middle Ages an unhairing bath included lime. Today, the lime solution is occasionally sharpened by the use of sodium sulfide. The liquor bath would have been in wooden or stone vats and the hides stirred with a long wooden pole to avoid contact with the alkaline solution. Sometimes the skins would stay in the unhairing bath for 8 or more days depending how concentrated and how warm the solution was kept—unhairing could take up to twice as long in winter. The vat was stirred two or three times a day to ensure the solution's deep and uniform penetration. Replacing the lime water bath also sped the process up. However, if the skins were soaked in the liquor too long, they would be weakened and not able to stand the stretching required for parchment.

After soaking in water to make the skins workable, the skins were placed on a stretching frame. A simple frame with nails would work well in stretching the pelts. The skins could be attached by wrapping small, smooth rocks in the skins with rope or leather strips. Both sides would be left open to the air so they could be scraped with a sharp, semi-lunar knife to remove the last of the hair and get the skin to the right thickness. The skins, which were made almost entirely of collagen, would form a natural glue while drying and once taken off the frame they would keep their form. The stretching allowed the fibers to become aligned running parallel to the grain.

Parchment treatments

To make the parchment more aesthetically pleasing or more suitable for the scribes, special treatments were used. According to Reed there were a variety of these treatments. Rubbing pumice powder into the flesh side of parchment while it was still wet on the frame was used to make it smooth so inks would penetrate deep into the fibres. Powders and pastes of calcium compounds were also used to help remove grease so the ink would not run. To make the parchment smooth and white, thin pastes (starchgrain or staunchgrain) of lime, flour, egg whites and milk were rubbed into the skins.

Meliora di Curci in her paper "The History and Technology of Parchment Making" notes that parchment was not always white. "Cennini, a 15th century craftsman provides recipes to tint parchment a variety of colours including purple, indigo, green, red and peach." The Early medieval Codex Argenteus and Codex Vercellensis, the Stockholm Codex Aureus and the Codex Brixianus give a range of luxuriously produced manuscripts all on purple vellum, in imitation of Byzantine examples, like the Rossano Gospels, Sinope Gospels and the Vienna Genesis, which at least at one time are believed to have been reserved for Imperial commissions.

Many techniques for parchment repair exist, to restore creased, torn, or incomplete parchments.

Reuse

During the seventh through the ninth centuries, many earlier parchment manuscripts were scrubbed and scoured to be ready for rewriting, and often the earlier writing can still be read. These recycled parchments are called palimpsests. Later, more thorough techniques of scouring the surface irretrievably lost the earlier text.

Jewish parchment

The way in which parchment was processed (from hide to parchment) has undergone a tremendous evolution based on time and location. Parchment and vellum are not the sole methods of preparing animal skins for writing. In the Babylonian Talmud (Bava Batra 14B) Moses writes the first Torah Scroll on the unsplit cow-hide called ''gevil''.

Parchment is still the only medium used by traditional religious Jews for Torah scrolls or Tefilin and Mezuzahs, and is produced by large companies in Israel. For those uses, only hides of kosher animals are permitted. Since there are many requirements for it being fit for the religious use, the liming is usually processed under supervision of a qualified Rabbi.

Additional uses of the term

In some universities, the word parchment is still used to refer to the certificate (scroll) presented at graduation ceremonies, even though the modern document is printed on paper or thin card; although doctoral graduands may be given the option of having their scroll written by a calligrapher on vellum. The University of Notre Dame still uses animal parchment for its diplomas. Similarly, University of Glasgow and Heriot-Watt University use goat skin parchment paper for their degrees.

Plant-based parchment

Vegetable (paper) parchment is made by passing a waterleaf made of pulp fibers into sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid hydrolyses and solubilises the main natural organic polymer, cellulose, present in the pulp wood fibers. The paper web is then washed in water, which stops the hydrolysis of the cellulose and causes a kind of cellulose coating to form on the waterleaf. The final paper is dried. This coating is a natural non-porous cement, that gives to the vegetable parchment paper its resistance to grease and its semi-translucency.

Other processes can be used to obtain grease-resistant paper, such as by highly beating the fibers giving an even more translucent paper with the same grease resistance. Silicone and other coatings may also be applied to the parchment. One can obtain grease resistance by waxing the paper or by using fluorine-based chemicals. A silicone-coating treatment produces a cross-linked material with high density, stability and heat resistance and low surface tension which imparts good anti-stick or release properties. Chromium salts can also be used to impart moderate anti-stick properties.

Parchment craft

Historians believe that parchment craft originated as an art form in Europe during the 15th or 16th century. Parchment craft at that time occurred principally in Catholic communities, where crafts persons created lace-like items such as devotional pictures and communion cards. The craft developed over time, with new techniques and refinements being added. Until the 16th century, parchment craft was a European art form. However, missionaries and other settlers relocated to South America, taking parchment craft with them. As before, the craft appeared largely among the Catholic communities. Often, young girls receiving their First Communion received gifts of handmade parchment crafts.

Although the invention of the printing press led to a reduced interest in hand made cards and items, by the 18th century, people were regaining interest in detailed handwork. Parchment cards became larger in size and crafters began adding wavy borders and perforations. In the 19th century, influenced by French romanticism, parchment crafters began adding floral themes and cherubs and hand embossing.

Parchment craft today involves various techniques, including tracing a pattern with white or colored ink, embossing to create a raised effect, stippling, perforating, coloring and cutting. Parchment craft appears in hand made cards, as scrapbook embellishments, as bookmarks, lampshades, decorative small boxes, wall hangings and more.

See also

Manuscript culture

References

Notes

Bibliography

di Curci, Meliora. (2003) The History and Technology of Parchment Making.

Hasewint, Inden W. (2001) Tor Parchment Prepared According to Mediaeval Recipes.

Reed, Ronald. (1975). The Nature and Making of Parchment. Leeds, England: Elmete Press

Murray, Fiona, "Parchment Craft" in Australian Paper Crafts, No 23 2003, Pride Publishing, Rozelle NSW,pp 10–13

Further reading

Dougherty, Raymond P., 1928. "Writing upon parchment and papyrus among the Babylonians and the Assyrians", in ''Journal of the American Oriental Society'' 48, pp 109–135.

Reed, Ronald. 1972. ''Ancient Skins, Parchments, and Leathers.'' Seminar Press. ISBN 0-12-903550-5

Reed, Ronald. The Making and Nature of Parchment. Leeds: Elmete Press, 1975

Hunter, Dard. Papermaking: the History and Technique of an Ancient Craft. New York: Dover Publications, 1978, c1947

Ryder, Michael L., 1964. Parchment: its History, Manufacture and Composition. Journal of the Society of Archivists. URL: http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=journal&issn;=0037-9816 accessed Nov 20, 2008

Outlines of industrial chemistry By Frank Hall Thorp, Warren Kendall Lewis

The Natural History of the Raw Materials of Commerce By John Yeats

External links

Pergamena Parchment

Central European University, Materials and Techniques of Manuscript Production: Parchment: medieval technique

On-line demonstration of the preparation of vellum from the BNF, Paris. Text in French, but mostly visual.

Leaves of gold

Meir Bar-Ilan, "Parchment"

Lacus Curtius Website: Liber: Roman book production

UNESCO: Parchment: production and conservation

Inden written Hasewint Parchment Contemporary application of the Medieval technique.

Pergamon Perchment Web Site (Perchment invented in Pergamon)

Kare Parchment Web Site

Parchment - The Online Encyclopedia

Materials and Techniques of Manuscript Production -Parchment

Traditional Restoration Techniques: Parchment

The History and Technology of Parchment Making - Lochac College of Scribes

Category:Hides Category:Book design Category:Writing media

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name	Blue Cheer
background	group_or_band
origin	San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
genre	Blues rock, heavy metal, acid rock, hard rock, stoner rock, protopunk, psychedelic rock
years active	1966–19721974–19751978–19791983–19941999–2009
label	Philips, Megaforce, Mercury, Akarma, Rainforce, Evangeline
associated acts	The Oxford CircleThe Other HalfSopwith CamelSilver MetreThe Flamin' GrooviesMonstersDokkenRavenPentagramMother Ocean
past members	Dickie PetersonPaul WhaleyLeigh StephensRandy HoldenRalph Burns Kellogg (Ethan James)Norman MayellBruce StephensGary Lee YoderEric AlbrondaJerre PetersonVale Hamanaka (V. Vale)Jerry WhitingRuben de FuentesNick St. NicholasTerry RaeTony RainierMike FleckBrent HarknettBilly CarmassiEric DavisDavid SalceDieter SallerGary HollandDuck MacDonald }}

Blue Cheer was an American psychedelic blues-rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009. Based in San Francisco, Blue Cheer played in a psychedelic blues-rock style, and is also credited as being pioneers of heavy metal (their cover of "Summertime Blues" is sometimes cited as the first in the genre), punk rock, stoner rock, doom metal, experimental rock, and grunge. According to Tim Hills in his book, ''The Many Lives of the Crystal Ballroom'', "Blue Cheer was the epitome of San Francisco psychedelia." Jim Morrison of The Doors called the group, "The single most powerful band I've ever seen."

The band is said to have been named after a street brand of LSD and promoted by renowned LSD chemist and former Grateful Dead patron, Owsley Stanley.

History

Golden years (1966–1969)

Blue Cheer came together in 1966. It was co-founded by Eric Albronda and Jerry Russell, music aficionados who wanted to become involved with the San Francisco music scene of the 1960s. Both moved with Dickie Peterson from Davis, California, to San Francisco. Peterson had previously been with the Davis-based band Andrew Staples & The Oxford Circle, as well as future Blue Cheer members Paul Whaley and Gary Lee Yoder. The original Blue Cheer personnel were singer/bassist Dickie Peterson, guitarist Leigh Stephens and Eric Albronda as drummer. Albronda was later replaced by Paul Whaley, who was joined by Dickie's brother Jerre Peterson (guitar), Vale Hamanaka (keyboards), and Jerry Whiting (vocals, harmonica). Albronda continued his association with Blue Cheer as a member of Blue Cheer management, as well as being the producer or co-producer of five Blue Cheer albums.

The band was managed by an ex-member of the Hells Angels named Gut. Early on, it was decided that the lineup should be trimmed down. It is said that Blue Cheer decided to adopt a power trio configuration after seeing Jimi Hendrix perform at the Monterey Pop Festival. Hamanaka and Whiting were asked to leave. Jerre Peterson didn't want to remain in the group without them, so he departed as well, leaving Dickie, Leigh and Paul as a trio. Their first hit was a cover version of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" from their debut album ''Vincebus Eruptum'' (1968). The single peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, their only such hit, and the album peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The group's sound was hard to categorize, but was definitely blues-based, loud and psychedelic.

The "Summertime Blues" single was backed with Dickie Peterson's original song "Out Of Focus". Peterson also contributed to the album the eight-minute "Doctor Please" and "Second Time Around", which features Paul Whaley's frantic drum solo. Filling out the record, the band cranked out blues covers "Rock Me Baby" and Mose Allison's "Parchman Farm" (titled "Parchment Farm").

The group underwent several personnel changes, the first occurring after the 1968 release of ''Outsideinside'' after Leigh Stephens left the band due to musical differences or, as some report, deafness. He was replaced by Randy Holden, formerly of Los Angeles garage rock band The Other Half. On 1969's ''New! Improved! Blue Cheer'' there were different guitarists on side 1 and side 2 (Randy Holden and Bruce Stephens) due to Holden's unanticipated departure from the band. Another guitarist that was in the band for a short stint was Tom Weisser, who recorded his material with Mitch Mitchell on drums and Dickie Peterson on bass. Later, Ralph Burns Kellogg also joined the band on keyboards. Blue Cheer's style now changed to a more commercial hard rock sound à la Steppenwolf or Iron Butterfly. For the fourth album ''Blue Cheer'', Bruce Stephens left and was succeeded by Gary Lee Yoder who helped complete the album.

According to Dickie Peterson the group's lifestyle during this period caused problems with the music industry and press. Peterson said the group was outraged by the Vietnam War and society in general.

Reconfigurations, inactivity and first extended hiatus (1970s)

The new line-up of Peterson, Ralph Burns Kellogg, Norman Mayell (drums) and Yoder in 1970 saw the release of ''The Original Human Being'', followed by 1971's ''Oh! Pleasant Hope''. When ''Oh! Pleasant Hope'' failed to dent the sales charts, Blue Cheer temporarily split up in 1972.

There was a temporary resumption in 1974 with Dickie Peterson being joined by brother Jerre, Ruben de Fuentes (guitar) and Terry Rae (drums) for some tour dates. This grouping continued on briefly in 1975 with former Steppenwolf bassist Nick St. Nicholas replacing Dickie. The group was then largely inactive for nearly three years, until 1978.

Dickie returned in 1978-79 with a fresh line-up of Tony Rainier on guitar and Mike Fleck on drums. This version of the group never got out of rehearsal studios.

Further reconfigurations, relocation to Germany, second and third extended hiatus (1980s–1998)

Blue Cheer was once again inactive in the early 1980s. There was another attempt to reunite in 1983, but that fell through. In 1984, Peterson had better luck when he returned with Whaley and Rainier as Blue Cheer and a brand new album ''The Beast Is Back'', which was released on the New York label Megaforce Records. Whaley left again in 1985 as drummer Brent Harknett took over, only to be succeeded by Billy Carmassi in 1987. That same year, Dickie led yet another new lineup of the Cheer that had Ruben de Fuentes back on guitar and Eric Davis on drums. In 1988, the line-up changed once again, being now composed of Dickie Peterson (bass), with Andrew "Duck" MacDonald (guitar) and Dave Salce (drums).

From 1989 to 1993, Blue Cheer toured mainly in Europe. During this time, they played with classic rock acts as well as then-up-and-coming bands: Mountain, Outlaws, Thunder, The Groundhogs, Ten Years After, The Yardbirds, Danzig, Mucky Pup and others.

1989 saw the release of Blue Cheer's first official live album, ''Blitzkrieg over Nüremberg''. This album was recorded during Blue Cheer's first European tour in decades.

1990 saw the release of the ''Highlights and Lowlives'' studio album, composed of blues-based heavy metal and one ballad. The album was co-produced by notable grunge producer Jack Endino and German Neonazi and producer Roland Hofmann. The line-up was Peterson, Whaley on drums and MacDonald on guitars. Peterson often appeared on stage wearing t-shirts showing neofascist slogans and symbols during that period. He soon realised who Hoffmann was though and stopped working with him in the future.

Blue Cheer followed up "Highlights" with the much heavier ''Dining with the Sharks''. Duck MacDonald was replaced by German ex-Monsters guitar player Dieter Saller in 1990. Peterson was on bass and vocals and Paul Whaley was again on drums. Also featured is a special guest appearance by Groundhogs guitarist Tony McPhee. The album was co-produced by Roland Hofmann and Blue Cheer. Gary Holland (ex-Dokken) replaced Whaley on drums in 1993.

In the early 1990s, Peterson and Whaley re-located to Germany. In 1992 Peterson recorded his first solo album "child of the darkness" in Cologne with a band named "The Scrap Yard". The album appeared five years later in Japan on Captain Trip Records. After Peterson came back to the U.S. (1994), Blue Cheer was dormant from 1994 to 1999.

The return of Blue Cheer (1999–2009)

In 1999, Peterson & Whaley got together with guitarist MacDonald, to resume touring as Blue Cheer. This band configuration remained largely constant from 1999 until Peterson's death in 2009.

In 2000, Blue Cheer was the subject of a tribute album, ''Blue Explosion - A Tribute to Blue Cheer'', featuring such bands as Pentagram, Internal Void, Hogwash and Thumlock.

Peterson and Leigh Stephens were together once again in Blue Cheer with drummer Prairie Prince at the Chet Helms Memorial Tribal Stomp in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on October 29, 2005, and their lively performance drew old rockers like Paul Kantner and others from backstage to observe. They did some recordings in Virginia in Winter 2005 with Joe Hasselvander of Raven and Pentagram on drums, due to Paul Whaley choosing to remain in Germany. While Hasselvander played on the entire album, his contribution was reduced to drums on five songs, with Paul Whaley re-recording the drum parts on the balance of the album. This was because Whaley was set to rejoin the band and it was felt that he should contribute to the album, prior to touring. The resulting CD, ''What Doesn't Kill You...'', released in 2007, features contributions from both Whaley and Hasselvander as a consequence.

Blue Cheer's video for Summertime Blues made an appearance in 2005 documentary ''Metal: A Headbanger's Journey'', where Geddy Lee of Rush referred to the group as one of the first heavy metal bands.

Death of Peterson and disbandment (2009)

On October 12, 2009, Peterson died in Germany after development and spread of prostate cancer. After Peterson's death, longtime Blue Cheer guitarist Andrew MacDonald wrote on the group's website that "Blue Cheer is done. Out of respect for Dickie, Blue Cheer (will) never become a viable touring band again."

Dispute over ownership of band name

In recent years, a dispute has arisen as to ownership of the Blue Cheer band name. It was reported that, as of the early 2000s, former Blue Cheer guitarist Randy Holden, assisted by Randy Pratt of The Lizards band, had trademarked the Blue Cheer band name. Holden's association with Blue Cheer was quite brief; his only recorded output with the band is three tracks on ''New! Improved! Blue Cheer'' in 1969. The matter had upset Dickie Peterson, given his position as a co-founder of the band and the only continuing member since its inception, but does not appear to have been resolved.

According to Randy Pratt, this report is not entirely accurate. Pratt provides uncited commentary as follows:

:''The Blue Cheer band name was trademarked in 2000 by fan and professional musician Randy Pratt. Pratt put the trademark in former Blue Cheer guitarist Randy Holden's possession after Dickie Peterson said he was finished with Blue Cheer and wanted nothing to do with it ever again, with his sole future interest in his new band, 'Mother Ocean'".

Discography

Studio

''Vincebus Eruptum'' (1968) Philips Records

single "Summertime Blues pt 1/2" (June 1968)

''Outsideinside'' (1968) Philips Records

single "Sun Cycle" / "Feathers From Your Tree" (November 1968)

''New! Improved! Blue Cheer'' (1969) Philips Records

''Blue Cheer'' (1969) Philips Records

''The Original Human Being'' (1970) Philips Records

''Oh! Pleasant Hope'' (1971) Philips Records

''The Beast Is Back'' (1984) Megaforce Records

''Highlights and Lowlives'' (1990) Thunderbolt Records

''Dining With the Sharks'' (1991) Nibelung Records

''What Doesn't Kill You...'' (2007) Rainman Records

Live

''Blitzkrieg Over Nüremberg'' (1989) Magnum Records

''Live & Unreleased, Vol. 1: '68/'74'' (1996) Captain Trip Records

''Live & Unreleased, Vol. 2: Live At San Jose Civic Centre, 1968 & More'' (1998) Captain Trip Records

''Hello Tokyo, Bye Bye Osaka - Live In Japan 1999'' (1999) Captain Trip Records

''Live In Japan'' (2003) Track Records

''Live Bootleg: London - Hamburg'' (2005) Rockview Records

''Rocks Europe'' (2009) Rainman Records

Compilation

''Motive - Blue Cheer'' (1969) - German Release Only Philips Records

''Louder than God: The Best of Blue Cheer'' (1986) Rhino Records/Warner Music Group

''Good Times are so Hard to Find: The History of Blue Cheer'' (1990) Island Records/Mercury Records

''The Best of Yesteryear'' (1990)

Tribute album

''Blue Explosion - A Tribute to Blue Cheer'' (2000)

See also

List of bands from the San Francisco Bay Area

Book references

Other references

External links

2007 Concert Video

Leigh Stephens Official Website

Video Interview of Blue Cheer by Serene Dominic

Category:American hard rock musical groups Category:Heavy metal musical groups from California Category:Pre-punk groups Category:Stoner rock musical groups Category:Psychedelic musical groups Category:Rock music groups from California Category:Musical groups from San Francisco, California Category:Musical trios Category:People from Davis, California Category:Musical groups established in 1966 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2009

cs:Blue Cheer de:Blue Cheer es:Blue Cheer fr:Blue Cheer gl:Blue Cheer it:Blue Cheer he:בלו צ'יר nl:Blue Cheer ja:ブルー・チアー pl:Blue Cheer pt:Blue Cheer ru:Blue Cheer sk:Blue Cheer fi:Blue Cheer sv:Blue Cheer uk:Blue Cheer

A paperboy is the general name for a person employed by a newspaper, They are often used around the office to run low end errands. They make copies and distribute them. Paperboys traditionally were and are still often portrayed on television and movies as preteen boys, often on a bicycle. Today, with the latest child labor laws most paper boys are aged 13 or over.

History

The position of paperboy occupies a prominent place in many countries including the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Japan. This is because it has long been the first paying job available to young teenagers, often male.

Despite that, the number of paperboys has declined greatly. This is due partly to the disappearance of afternoon newspapers, whose delivery times worked better for school-aged children than did those of morning papers which were typically delivered before 6 a.m. The numbers have also been affected by changing demographics, the availability of news and newspapers on the internet, employment laws and concern about the safety of un-escorted children, all of which have led many newspapers to switch to delivery by adults. Today, they are mainly used by weekly community newspapers and free shopper papers, which still tend to be delivered in the afternoons. Alternatively, sometimes paperboys are only employed once a week to deliver the paper on Sunday.

Newspaper industry lore suggests that the first paperboy, hired in 1833, was 10-year-old Barney Flaherty who answered an advertisement in the New York Sun, which read "To the Unemployed a number of steady men can find employment by vending this paper."

Meaning

Paper boy is a job pertaining to one who distributes newspapers or a newspaper deliverer.

Pros

Paper distribution is a fairly simple job. It consists of mapping out one's territory and using it to advantage in distributing paper. Knowledge of bicycle maintenance (if used) and basic customer service skills are developed. During the Holiday season in western countries, a paperboy can make an extra bonus - similar to a postman or a milkman. This is typically done by writing a Christmas card to each of the customers on the round and, in many cases, the customers will respond by leaving a "Christmas Box" or a "tip" (cash) as a gift. Customers may of course choose to leave tips and gifts out at any time of the year.

Cons

It is a low-standing job. As most papers are delivered early in the morning it requires the delivery person to get up early, which can also mean braving cold, dark, and inhospitable conditions. Some delivery routes have also moved away from simple 'walking routes' to larger 'driving routes', which requires both a car and a license. 'Driving routes' have become less profitable with the rising price of fuel, since fuel is not paid for by most newspapers/newsagents.

For paperboys using a bike, and the typical paper-round bag - in the UK a luminous, waterproof coloured bag with a single strap - the papers (chiefly at the weekend) are collectively very heavy and/or thick, meaning that often on a Saturday or a Sunday the round has to be split and completed in two halves. The worst "culprits" in the UK are the Daily Telegraph on a Saturday and the Sunday Telegraph; The Sunday Times and The Observer (which is small but thick).

The early depictions of paperboys on bikes throwing papers into gardens is no longer prevalent as most houses now have a letterbox on the front door and gardens are not easily accessible from the streets.

In fiction

For motion pictures with the word in the title, see the IMDb; for others in which they feature, see

Arnold Bennett's 1911 novel ''The Card'' features a newspaper take-over. Part of the success of the stratagem depends on the proprietor temporarily detaining all his rival's paperboys, which he does by promising them food and locking them in. The paperboys are depicted as a rumbustious and tight-knit group.

Tony Macaulay's memoir 'Paperboy' (2010) tells the experiences of a paperboy in West Belfast in the 1970s.

Bob Thurber's 'Paperboy: A Dysfunctional Novel' (2011) tells the experiences of a 14-year-old paperboy and his emotionally troubled sister during the summer of 1969.

Newsies, a 1992 musical film, directed by Kenny Ortega, is about the Newsboys Strike of 1899.

Better Off Dead 1985 movie features a paperboy on a bicycle that throws a newspaper through a closed window breaking the window glass. There are several paperboys in this movie.

In the 2001 Disney film, ''Max Keeble's Big Move'', the film's protagonist is a local paperboy.

See also

Newspaper Carrier Day

Paperboy (video game)

Newsboy cap

Paperboys (documentary)

References

Audio clips

Paperboy – arrangement of Londonderry Air, aka Danny Boy for orchestra and solo baritone, performed by Kieran of the Potato Hermits, 2010

Category:Newspaper people Category:Informal occupations Category:Child labour

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