From a simple Google search for “how to make Botanical writing ink New England plants” I found out that Massachusetts once housed one of the biggest ink distributors in the United States, the George H. Morrill Company.
A little background, I was thrilled to be the recipient of a dip pen calligraphy set this holiday season, and my natural tendencies to gravitate toward plant-based recipes led me down an incredibly interesting rabbit hole. I was wondering, practicing circles and swirls late at night, if one could make a good writing ink (not to be confused with dyes such as one would use for fabric) from natural materials here in New England. Thus, I came across a rabbit hole of information about the biggest ink makers in New England.
The George H. Morrill Company was started by Samuel Morrill in 1845 (his son took the company over, later… hence the name). In Andover, MA, his improved recipe for ink (he knew what he wanted in a superior ink, he’d been a printer for about twenty years), caused the business to expand rapidly, and he moved the business to South Dedham.
Eventually, the company began growing too rapidly for Samuel Morrill to keep up. He retired in 1869 and his son, George Morrill, took over. In 1874, they introduced colored inks alongside their classic black ink. The company continued to expand rapidly, with another factory located in Norwood, MA. By 1890, the Norwood facility had expanded to 14 buildings, and in 1894, they rebuilt the entire business with more added buildings to account for added demand. Over the years, they continued adding more buildings to increase the production of pigments for colored inks.
In 1910, it was said they were the number one producer of ink in the entire United States. The Norwood Historical Society states that “Over twelve million newspapers used George H. Morrill ink” (Norwood, 3). They continued to have skyrocketing sales and employed 5 generations of the Morrill family… That is until they were bought out by The General Printing Ink Company in 1929. In 1972, they stopped making ink altogether at the Norwood, MA facility.
After that fascinating information, I continued on my merry way searching for native New England plants that would make good ink. Several good plants make good pigments (including the toxic, noxious weed/plant, Pokeberry). I might have to do some experimenting over the winter and report back in the spring with the results.
Sources cited:
“George H. Morrill Company (the Inkworks).” Norwood Historical Society, 8 June 2019, norwoodhistoricalsociety.org/exhibits/the-printing-industry-of-norwood-a-lasting-indelible-ink-mark-in-the-pages-of-norwoods-history/come-to-norwood/george-h-morrill-company-the-inkworks/.
