I'd check at the craft supply places like Michael's, Joann's or Hobby Lobby or at art supply stores especially those that cater to calligraphers. Online you could try Dick Blick's (dickblick.com), but with specialty paper you might prefer to be able to see and touch it before buying.

One source that might work for you.

https://spectra-associates.com/archivalpaper/archivalpaper.html

Can you post a picture of the book and what the pages look like?

Since this paper is for archival purposes, make sure that it is certified to be acid free. If the acid from the paper making process is not totally removed or neutralized, the paper will yellow and become brittle in a few years.

I can't get my phone to email me the pictures I took. Ugh.

The book was custom made in 1950, carved from white oak. I have no idea what the paper is made out of - its antique looking... but it is an antique so I don't know if was ever a different color or not.

The book sits in a room all year long without any protection. The paper isn't deteriorating at all.

Thanks for the links Dawn & Fun... I will be checking them out. Hopefully they could send out samples because I'm sure we'll have to see it in person to make it match as best we can.

I'll post some pictures if I can. Thank you for the responses!

We actually have a specialty paper store here in Calgary that sells all sorts of paper. It's very pricey! All it sells is paper, most of which is hand made. I bought several sheets for scrapbooking.

share, so do you mean that the pages, which are older than 1950, were bound then in wooden boards? Or do the pages themselves also date from 1950?

Wouldn't the calligrapher be a good information source concerning what kind of paper is being used now and where to get more?

I would also ask the calligrapher to identify what the paper is made of. It could be linen, and a photo will really not help that much.

I am thinking the easy thing would have been a heads up when you had a sheet you could have removed as a sample (maybe you do) so you could send samples to specialty suppliers and they being experts could identify the best match. Better than you trying to do it yourself unless you don't care how close the match is. Perhaps there is a file somewhere with the receipt for the original purpose. 60 years isn't that long in a cemetery archive.

Bookwoman, the pages aren't older than the book, that I'm aware of. The book was made with the blank pages and as veterans are buried, their names are added to the book once a year.

The calligrapher has no idea what the paper is made of. Calligraphy is just a hobby of his, it's not his actual job.

Patricia the calligrapher did give us a heads up last year that we were running out of room and I totally forgot about it! My fault. I only see the book once a year when we bring it to our office to get updated and it totally slipped my mind till we got it out this year. I was so hoping we'd have one blank page but now we don't. I'm kicking myself for being so forgetful.

Ok, so the paper only dates from 1950, which is modern in the book world. Can you describe what the paper looks like? Does it have a texture, how thick is it, what color is it, etc? And what size are the leaves? If I have that information I can perhaps point you to some sources.

If you have zero pages left, I am thinking that you may have to sacrifice the last page to use as a sample and then have the calligraphy on that page redone on the new paper. I really think that a sample of the paper is a necessity. There's also a good chance that it is not the same color that it was in 1950.

Chemical tests can be done on a paper sample to determine its composition. Some of these you can do yourself, as I have done with textiles. One of them is a burn test, and from the smell (and ashes) you can tell cotton/linen/rayon from silk, or in your case, parchment. However, if it is made of a combination of fibers, this will be more difficult. You do need a sample also for matching the grain and texture of the paper, as well as its thickness.

Why not simply take the book to a specialty paper store and see what matches?

Colleen has a good idea, but is it possible for you to take the book out? Where is it that you work? Is it a museum?

Search for ‘vintage’ or ‘aged’ paper.

Parchment paper, maybe? If so, it's widely available in a variety of shades. You'll probably want something at least 32 lb. weight, like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Southworth-Parchment-Specialty-Sheets-J988C/dp/B000MK61ME

Sorry, been AWOL... Colleenoz, there are no specialty paper stores near me... if there were, that'd be the perfect solution!

Lars, yes I can take the book out. It probably weighs 20 lbs. This is a book that is displayed in a cemetery chapel.

Bookwoman, I measured the paper while I had the book in my office last week - didn't write it down... but of course it's an odd size - something like 18" x 14". I'm thinking someone may have actually cut a larger sheet of paper into pages for it. When I get the book back, I will get more details. Thanks for your offer of help!

I plan to take out a page that has the least # of names on it and use that as a sample page, and then have the calligrapher re-do that page when we find the right paper.

My darn phone is wearing out on me... I still can't get it to send the pictures I took last week. When I get the book back I will take pictures with my camera.

Thanks again everyone for your input!