Luncheon at Stationers' Hall, 17 July 2008

Peter Bower is a Forensic Paper Historian and Paper Analyst, specialising in the examination and analysis of papers for purposes of dating, attribution, authentication and usage. Bower came to the analysis of paper from papermaking, and the practical experience of making sheets, by hand, for a very wide range of uses stood him in good stead as his work evolved away from production into analysis. In the late 1970s he began to collect paper and to analyse the particular properties of individual papers.

Consulted by Museums, Galleries, Auction Houses, Dealers, Police Forces, Lawyers, Papermakers and private individuals in the UK and around the world. This work involves the scientific and historical analysis of the papers used for a wide variety of uses. The range of material is enormous, ranging from works of art on paper from Renaissance drawings to contemporary works: from forged banknotes and bonds,manuscripts, letters, documents and books, to recent documents, business papers and photocopies involved in fraud cases.

Recent investigations include the involvement in the rediscovery of a Michelangelo drawing, the analysis of $200 million worth of US Treasury Bonds which proved to be fakes, the analysis of the ‘Black Diaries’ of Sir Roger Casement (1864-1916), the investigation ofWalter Sickert’s use of paper and the papers used by John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough, Thomas Girtin, Thomas Jones and Cornelius Varley.

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The Society notes with great sorrow the death of long-time member Clive Abbott. An obituary will appear shortly.