A bit about vellum
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382016)
Rockingham, Australia
June 15, 2022 3:02am CST
My husband asked yesterday if I knew what vellum was and today I came across it in a book I’m reading. I thought it was a substance that was used as an early form of paper but I went googling anyway to see if I was correct.
Vellum is prepared animal skin or membrane, typically used as writing material. My book said a drum skin (drumhead) was made of vellum but perhaps the author was using the term incorrectly.
There are some great terms used in the process of creating vellum including:
a) scudding (removing the last of the hair from the skin),
b) herse – the frame for drying the skin
c) pippin – a pebble used to wrap the cord around when it is attached to the skin
d) lunarium/lunellum – a crescent-shaped (moon shaped) knife used to scrape off any remaining hairs at the end of the process.
It seems that, until the 1950s, drum heads were predominately made of animal skin, but now most are formed from plastics of some sort.
The photo is mine and shows Vince playing bass drum in the brass band to which we belonged
21 people like this
22 responses
@LindaOHio (222314)
• United States
15 Jun 22
Great picture. I always thought vellum was a form of writing paper made of paper.
6 people like this
@xFiacre (14804)
• Ireland
15 Jun 22
@judyev I only knew the term as a brand of writing paper for when people used to write letters to each other. It was a bit posh, and I remember my mother composing her letters on other paper first then writing the final draft on vellum using a fountain pen and real ink. It was quite a labour - an art lost now unfortunately.
5 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
15 Jun 22
I have seen this photo before.Is the last person in the brass band Vince ? You seem to do a lot of homework before writing this post.
3 people like this
@Juliaacv (56207)
• Canada
15 Jun 22
I must say that I knew that there was a term for the covering of a drum, but I did not know what it was.
Now I do-thanks Vince. 
Its a great photo, I found him immediately before I read the post as I thought that you might make reference to him and I wanted to find him first.
Its a great photo, I found him immediately before I read the post as I thought that you might make reference to him and I wanted to find him first.4 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
17 Jun 22
@JudyEv so you played something in the band too?
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382016)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Jun 22
@MarshaMusselman Yes, we both played mid-range instruments depending on what was needed - tenor horn, baritone, euphonium. If we marched Vince played bass drum.
1 person likes this
@m_audrey6788 (58468)
• Germany
15 Jun 22
It is something new to me. Thank you for sharing this
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (208848)
• United States
15 Jun 22
Name sounds vaguely familiar but I would not know what it was. Thanks for spalining!
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (208848)
• United States
16 Jun 22
@JudyEv I know.. I still learn at least one new thing everyday.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91299)
• United States
15 Jun 22
Wonderful photo Judy.
Didnt know any of those terms thanks
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (135690)
• Marion, Ohio
15 Jun 22
That was a lot of work to have something to write on.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (135690)
• Marion, Ohio
16 Jun 22
@JudyEv But it is probably easier to process now.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382016)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Jun 22
@wolfgirl569 I should think so. Bound to be.
1 person likes this
@aninditasen (18198)
• Raurkela, India
15 Jun 22
The photos is clear and good. Yes, earlier the Indian tabla's top was prepared from animal skin but now some synthetic material is used.
1 person likes this
@aninditasen (18198)
• Raurkela, India
17 Jun 22
@JudyEv Yes, especially the animal skin after the cruelty towards animals law in India.
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@arunima25 (93194)
• Bangalore, India
16 Jun 22
My knowledge was that it's a writing material. I read that animal skins were used for drum heads in earlier times but I didn't know that it was called Vellum.
Nice picture there! So, Vince is into more things than photography.
1 person likes this
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
15 Jun 22
College diplomas here from the 60s and earlier were made from animal skin ( sheep) that's what my aunts told me but as a child it was difficult for me to fathom that time
I know drums were made from animal hide but I didn't know that it was called vellum, vellum now is more associated with paper, it's like good quality paper and it's also confused with parchment that also has animal origins but now made from plant fibers, whereas original paper came from papyrus, very confusing indeed. Nice picture of Vince.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382016)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jun 22
Yes, I read about vellum and parchment being used interchangeably and how confusing it is.
Vince was a great drummer. He could beat the regulation 120 beats per minute and step the regulation measured stride very accurately. These facts were very important in competition.
Vince was a great drummer. He could beat the regulation 120 beats per minute and step the regulation measured stride very accurately. These facts were very important in competition.1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382016)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jun 22
I think that mostly the drum heads are now made of synthetic materials.
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
15 Jun 22
I didn't realize that Vince also played in a band. Impressive!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382016)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jun 22
I played any of the mid-range instruments - tenor horn, baritone, euphonium. Vince played the same plus trombone. He only played the bass drum if we were marching.
