Esparto Grass Being Unloaded Aberdeen Harbour
Datec.1960
Object NamePhotograph
Mediumcard
ClassificationsPapermaking
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS010523
About MeEsparto grass being unloaded by mobile crane from ship at Aberdeen Harbour, circa 1960. The grass was for converting to paper at one of the North East's papermills. Esparto grass, Stipa tenacissima, is native to North Africa and cultivated in Spain. It is high in fibre and suitable for manufacturing higher quality papers. At one time it was commonly used at Culter Paper Mills and Tait of Inverurie. In the 1950s Culter was using 350 tons of the grass per week. At that time it required two and a half tons of Esparto to produce one ton of paper. Processing required the grass to be boiled in a caustic mixture, washed and bleached and blended with wood pulp to produce the necessary quality. By the early 1980s Culter Mills had closed. In 2001 Donside Paper Mill closed throwing 250 people out of work.
Thomas Higham
George Russell Gowans
J. Beattie Scott
Martha Birnie
William Duthie
John Henderson
