Carriage House Paper Carriage House Paper was founded in 1974 by Donna Koretsky and her mother, Elaine Koretsky, when Donna was still in high school. Their first studio was located in a carriage house in Brookline, Massachusetts, built in 1905 and originally used to house one of the early automobiles—back when they were still known as "horseless carriages."

     In their early days of discovering hand papermaking, there were very few papermakers to learn from, and Elaine and Donna gathered much of their knowledge from the books of Dard Hunter and John Mason, along with countless hours of experimentation. They also developed close relationships with paper scientists working in commercial paper mills, who generously shared technical expertise and provided samples of pulps, sizing, and other additives.

     When those samples eventually ran out, it was time for them to purchase their first 275-pound bale of pulp and a 55-gallon drum of sizing—which, at the time, seemed like a lifetime supply. At this point, people’s interest in hand papermaking was increasing, and Elaine and Donna began reselling the pulp and sizing to others. Carriage House Paper’s first price list was produced on a typewriter- a single xeroxed sheet of paper that was mailed to perhaps 50 customers. 

     In 1993, Carriage House Paper moved to Brooklyn, NY, to an old warehouse in Williamsburg that had originally operated as a hardware store catering to horse and buggy owners. Today, in that same building, they import many tons of pulp, fibers, and various papermaking additives and supplies from around the world and ship orders to over 6,500 customers worldwide. In addition to supplying papermakers, studios, schools, and universities with everything needed to make handmade paper, Carriage House Paper is a teaching facility, collaborative partner, and producer of custom handmade paper.

     The original Carriage House in Brookline is now home to the International Paper Museum, which houses the extensive collections of paper, books, tools, and artifacts assembled by the Koretskys during decades of international travel documenting traditional papermaking. Tours of the museum are available by appointment.