I’ve long sought after a legendary type of graphing paper called “the Mint” that I originally heard about by my Grandfather. He had told me a story about two French Airmen who decided to open up their own paper business after the Second World War in Rouen, and began to create the most pristine and beautiful paper that has ever existed. To create a perfect balance of natural tenderness and artificial whiteness, they would harvest the pulp from the wood of imported Baobab Trees, and insert a secret ingredient that would capture and combine all colors of the visible spectrum to create the most lavish and flurry white that the human eye has ever caught sight upon…
This “urban legend” of the paper industry has had an indelible impact on my mind, so it came as quite a surprise to hear a similar story from a close coworker yesterday. However, in her version, she spoke of how the two Frenchmen would spoil their flawless product by graphing it up! I was sure that she was making up the entire graphing part, until the next day, when she brought in the most beautiful parchment of aged graphing paper I have ever seen in my life.
Yes, fair readers, the blue lines have dramatically fenced up the topography of the paper and the humid French Air has curdled up the original whiteness, but when I look into this paper and think back 50 years, I can see the crispness of a sheet of paper that we all must aspire to produce once more.
Has anybody else heard this story? Does anybody else have an actual piece of it?
