PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Crane Museum of Papermaking and Berkshire County Historical Society are teaming up this summer to highlight the art of paper making and its history in the Berkshires. 

 

This free experience (no admission required) will run at Arrowhead through Sept. 1 each Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 1 - 4:30 pm.

 

Crane Museum staff will be on hand to share the story of Crane papermaking as well as demonstrations of anti-counterfeiting technology and hands-on papermaking. A film from 1926 showing how paper was made inside the Bay State Mill is available for viewing, as is a mini-gift shop. 

 

"The Berkshire County Historical Society is pleased to be hosting The Crane Museum this summer," said Lesley Herzberg, BCHS Executive Director. "Unfortunately, their building is currently inaccessible, and we were able to offer them a place to hold this program.  It is a win-win for us and them."

 

Crane and Herman Melville

 

In 1851, more than a year into writing "Moby-Dick," Melville noted that he had purchased a "sleigh-load of paper" from the Crane's Old Red Mill, choosing locally manufactured rag paper for his ever-growing manuscript.

 

Melville's short story The "Bachelors of Paradise" and the "Tartarus of Maids" was inspired by one of his visits to a mill.