Schoolgirl Construction Paper c.1920 Untitled (Creamer) by Adele Hudgens Indiana

"In the late nineteenth century, a genre of colored educational papers were marketed to teachers in school supply catalogues (Andrews 1878, Babb 1897-98). the J.L. Hammett Co. catalogue (1895) of kindergarten supplies describes a variety of colored papers, and distinguishes between those colored papers that are coated and those that are "engine colored," or colored in the vat (Hammett 1895). the advantages of these "engine" or beater-colored papers are numerous. the Hammett Co. asserts that the "colors are mixed with the pulp of the paper, in the process of manufacture, and cannot be rubbed off by moisture or otherwise..." (Hammett 1895). These papers, according to the catalogue, are equally colored on both sides and are particularly suitable for folding. Importantly, the green colorants -- unlike some which were available -- do not pose a health risk because the dyes or "stains" are arsenic-free."  Construction Paper: A Brief History by Joan Irving The Book and Paper Group Annual Volume 16 1997  American Institute for Conservation.

Adele was one of three sisters who created such projects in Indiana from 1920 to 1924 which were found together.  Collection Jim Linderman