The Robert C. Williams Papermaking Museum at Georgia Tech has opened Breaking New Ground, a retrospective look at the Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST) over 84 years.  Beginning with the early days in Appleton, the exhibit provides an account of the history of the organization and highlights some of the numerous research successes.  The exhibit is an engaging narrative that helps to put faces onto an organization that has had a significant impact on the dynamic pulp and paper industry since 1929.

In addition to housing renowned expert Dard Hunter’s papermaking collection, the Museum is the repository for the photos, artifacts, and journals of the Institute.  These records provided the basis for Breaking New Ground, and presented a rich history of the development of the Institute. A large timeline, represented as the growth rings of a tree, adorns one gallery wall. Visitors will discover some of the people who made the Institute such an important place, and learn about research projects such as tree genetics.

IPST comprises numerous forest bioproducts research areas, and a few are highlighted within the exhibit. Developing forestry practices, including tree cloning, begin the research side of the exhibit. The processes of mechanical and chemical pulping are explained, and the recovery of chemicals, gasification, and corrosion are illustrated. The exhibit delves into paperboard container research and testing and how IPST developed a non-destructive way to test finished paper.

Exhibit visitors also will be able to get a glimpse into the future of IPST and the industry. The conclusion ofBreaking New Ground explores the current scientific direction in which the Institute is headed. This emphasizes that the Institute is looking to the future and beginning to answer questions that are being conceived only now. The founding faculty would be proud to see the long-standing impact their students and research have had. 

Museum Director Teri Williams worked closely with Kathy Dixson of Avient Museum Services to develop the content of Breaking New Ground. They approached the exhibit from multiple perspectives: from the people and events that made up the Institute to the scientific issues that students and faculty tackled to improve the pulp and paper industry. To help explain the intricacies of the scientific research areas, former IPST faculty member Dr. Gary Baum provided valuable content to explain high-level concepts, simplified for easy understanding. 

Breaking New Ground will be open through the summer. The Robert C. Williams Papermaking Museum is open from Monday through Friday from 9-5. Admission is free, donations are accepted. The Museum is at 500 10th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30332.