Strathmore Celebrates 125 Years!

In 2017, we proudly celebrate 125 years of Strathmore quality.

The history of the Strathmore Paper Company began on St. Patrick's Day in 1892 when its founder, Horace Moses, opened the Mittineague paper mill in West Springfield, MA. 

Soon after opening the first mill, Horace visited the Valley of Strathmore in Scotland. The thistle was in full bloom and the beauty of the site impress him so much that he started using the name Strathmore and the thistle as a symbol of high quality art and printing papers.

The Strathmore brand name began to appear on fine art papers in 1899. The Strathmore brand quickly became known as one of the highest quality art papers used by many leading artists around the world. 

Strathmore has kept this reputation as a supplier of fine art papers for over 125 years. 

Strathmore's long history includes a commitment to innovation. We listen to artists and continue to introduce new products that enhance artistic ideas and aspirations, like producing the first recycled sketch papers in 1972 called Shelburne Phase II Sketch. 

We strive to manufacture our products in the USA, which allows us to control the quality and consistency artists have come to expect from the Strathmore brand.

Here's a quick look at some highlights throughout our history.

Reminisce with us with these historical photos from our past:

Strathmore employees in 1900:

The Strathmore office in 1910:

The Strathmore Paper Company - 1916

Conditioning paper in a controlled humidity room:

Packing cartons with paper:

Wrapping sheets:

Sorting cotton rags to be used for cotton paper:

The pulper:

Artwork created by Herbert Paus for the cover of American Magazine in 1934, done on Strathmore Drawing Board No. 62:

One of the fun things about working with a brand that has a long history is looking back at the advertising of the past. A favorite campaign of ours is the “Prominent Artist Users of Strathmore” series of ads that ran in the 1950s and 1960s. Each ad featured a photo and information on a renowned professional artist and the reasons they trusted Strathmore for their work. Artists included fine artist Andrew Wyeth, graphic designer Saul Bass, and illustrators Albert Staehl and Norman Rockwell among others.

Photos from late 1960's Strathmore ads:

Strathmore pad line in 1974:

1976 ad for Strathmore's 400 Series Line of Papers:

Ad from the 1990's:

And here are some of the Strathmore team members in recent years:

Thank you to all the artists through the years who have continued to trust our paper for their artwork. Our legacy lives on through you!