Joshua Gilpin

Joshua Gilpin (November 8, 1765 – August 22, 1841) was an American paper manufacturer from Philadelphia. Along with his brother, Thomas Gilpin, Jr. and his uncle Miers Fisher, he established the first paper manufacturing business in Delaware in 1787 at the Brandywine Village. In 1804, he introduced the technique of chemically bleaching paper-stuff from England to the United States.

Gilpin traveled to England in 1811 and collected information on the latest techniques in paper manufacturing including the Fourdrinier and Dickinson machines. Gilpin provided the information he collected to his brother Thomas and also hired an employee away from the Dickinson paper manufacturing factory with knowledge of the Dickinson machine. Thomas used this information to build and patent the first papermaking machine in the United States at their mill in 1817. The brothers became renowned for their fine paper and the invention of the "endless paper making machine" revolutionized the paper making industry.

Gilpin took copious notes during his travels on many topics including political and social conditions, wages, standards of living and his impressions of towns and countrysides. He published several books based on his travel observations and other topics such as poetry. Provided by Wikipedia