Jesse Meyer
Jesse Meyer has worked in his family’s business since he was young; going to the tannery with his father Karl on days off from school continued through high school and even during his college breaks. After graduating with a BFA from S.U.N.Y. New Paltz, he planned on getting as far away from the tannery as he could, or at least moving to NYC to try his hand at being an artist. While working on long term plans, he continued working at the tannery, and in his off hours working on his artwork and his research in animal skins and possible applications in his artwork.
But unlike the generations of tanners before him; Jesse started looking at the family product from a creative lens as opposed to a basic manufacturing lens. With a background in sculpture, an eye for design, and absolutely no fear of getting his hands dirty, Jesse revived and refined the age-old process of hand-making parchment (parchment defined as a raw animal skin that has had the hair and flesh removed, then stretched and dried under tension).
He recognized the inherent artistry in the material they were creating at the tannery and wanted to further develop that artistry into the manufacturing. Inspired by artists like Martin Puryear and a return to hands-on crafting and manipulation of the material, Jesse rebranded the Richard E. Meyer & Sons Tannery into Pergamena Artisanal Parchments and Leathers, taking the name Pergamena from the Latin word for parchment.
Jesse's refined and revived processes didn't go unnoticed. This new parchment soon found a market that was thrilled to have it. Blending old and new manufacturing techniques meant Pergamena could now supply creators from interior and furniture designers, bookbinders, and conservators to the high-end craft world with beautiful and high-quality Hudson Valley-made leathers and parchments. Jesse also started being sought out for technical expertise in the fields of the sciences and medieval studies. Even after 25 years, Jesse is still pushing himself to learn, improve and increase their applications.
Jesse is proud of the Meyer family's history of tanning. He has seen the tanning industry go through tectonic changes in just a few short years. The long history of the family business and industry provides context for a blueprint to help Pergamena navigate and thrive for another 470 years.